Stop talking rubbish on nappies

Women's Environmental Network Media statement 4 July 2007

Responding to coverage of an answer by former Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw to a Parliamentary Written Question on 29/6/07

Stop talking rubbish on nappies Environment Minister Ben Bradshaw missed an opportunity to help parents cut waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reinforced a dangerous myth when he answered a question from Madeleine Moon MP about washable nappies last Friday1.

Parents can prevent waste going to landfill and reduce the global warming impact of their nappy use by a quarter by choosing washables - known as real nappies - despite reports to the contrary.

And Government funding for a three-year project to support real nappy schemes was not a waste of money but helped thousands of parents save money and waste by using real nappies and diverted 26,000 tonnes of disposable nappy waste from landfill6.

Kay Wagland, WEN's Real Nappy Project Officer said: "Sadly the Minister was talking rubbish. It's a shame he didn't get his facts straight, rather than recycling the dangerous myth put about by the flawed and discredited Environment Agency report of two years ago that there's little environmental difference between washable and disposable nappies2.

"Both the Agency and the Minister have missed a golden opportunity to tell parents their best options for reducing the overall impact of their nappy choices. By doing so they have confused parents and actually encouraged more damaging behaviour.

"Washable nappies are clearly better for the environment, even when you take account of the energy and water used to wash them. Using real nappies puts parents in control. With a good washing routine parents can minimise the environmental impact of their babies' nappies, reduce waste and save themselves money."

The Minister should have known that the Agency has conceded that the report was flawed and, as a consequence of criticisms, is conducting a review that will be more sensitive to the wide choice of real nappies available and the potential they offer to parents to reduce their impact.

The 2005 report based key assumptions on flawed data, which caused it to overestimate the impact of washing nappies. It also ignored the potential of modern, fitted cloth nappies, to reduce impacts.

WEN found that, even on the basis of the flawed data in the report, parents can reduce global warming impacts by 24% more than the report concluded. A 17% reduction in global warming impacts can be achieved by using an A rated washing machine and following manufacturers' guidance to wash at 60oC. With A rated washing machine sales at near saturation by early 2005 many real nappy users are already achieving this saving. Parents only need use 24 real nappies, rather than the 47 the LCA assumes, reducing their global warming impact by another 6.9%.

This advantage can be even greater if organic cotton, hemp or bamboo nappies are chosen and locally supplied and if nappies are used on a second or third child.

Mr Bradshaw's reply drew media coverage critical of the Government's funding of the Real Nappy Campaign, a three-year project by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the agency tasked with implementing the Government' s waste minimisation strategy.

Kay Wagland said: "Because the real nappy market is still comparatively small(7) and because there are so many choices, parents need help to find the best nappies for them and their baby. WRAP's Campaign made information and support much easier to find and interest in real nappies mushroomed as a result.

"The funding was always due to end this year but it's a shame that it isn't continuing because the demand from parents - and health professionals and local authority waste officers - is still there. "Arguably the Real Nappy Campaign would have been even more successful if the Environment Agency hadn't put out its contradictory report half way through the programme."

WEN is aware of exasperation of parents who are experienced with real nappies and local authority waste minimisation officers who have investigated real nappy facts to help reduce their nappy waste mountain, due to the spread of misinformation.

Gone are the days of soaking and boiling terries, folding and pins. Technology has caught up here as everywhere and low temperature washes of shaped nappies with poppers or Velcro in new, soft and absorbent fabrics are the norm.

ENDS

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