Did you know that the average baby in the UK will use over 5000 nappies in the first two years of life?¹ If these 5000 nappies are disposable, they will take somewhere between 1-2.5 million years to decompose, during which time they will emit noxious methane gasses and other chemicals into the environment². And if you’re thinking you’re safe because you use cloth nappies, think again. because unless they are carefully managed, they too can generate high amounts of carbon emissions³. So what can you do instead?

Parenting is hard, especially in our modern, busy lives. You don’t want to get shat on. So, you want to use nappies. And that’s OK! But you can reduce the impact of your choices, and thats where thinking about nappies differently can be useful. Nappy use is very much a product of cultural norms, with some parts of the world routinely using no nappies at all, some using cloth, some using only disposables and some using a mixture of all of these ⁴. The age of potty training is also closely linked to cultural norms, ranging from 6 months up to late toddlerhood⁵. So it might be worth reflecting on any assumptions you have made in the past about what type of nappy to use as well as how long to use them for.

In this post, I want to tell you how you might approach your nappy use to help the environment, as well as save money.

When you use disposables:

1. Use them as infrequently as possible. Each nappy will take hundreds of years to decompose, and using fewer could save you hundreds of pounds a year⁶.
2. Don’t use disposables in the daytime unless you really have to. There’s nothing nice about a baby having to carry up to a litre of weight between their legs⁷.
3. By reducing your use of disposables,  you should be able to afford to buy a more eco-friendly option (e.g. Nature Baby/Naty / Beaming Baby / Bambo etc), for when you do use them.
4. To combat the potential absorption of chemicals, consider using a Nappy Cloth inside the disposable, to help them go the extra mile. As a bonus – your child will learn some body awareness, something disposable nappies make very hard.  Along these lines, you could also consider a cloth nappy liner (not the “flushable” kind – since they don’t actually disintegrate do they?⁸) but a biodegradable nappy liner that can be washed and reused.  If you use it to catch a wee, you wont even need to wash it afterwards thanks to wools amazing antibacterial properties.

If you’re using cloth

1. Try and avoid those containing Polyurethane Laminate (PUL), a commonly used fabric that makes the outer layer waterproof. PUL is a sort of plastic that is harmful to the environment. Instead, consider all natural fibres like wool and cotton⁹. Because they are breathable, using natural fibre options will also help reduce the chance of nappy rash and eczema.
2. Wash and dry them responsibly (i.e. on a full load at a cooler temperature, and air dry rather than use a tumble drier). This will reduce your nappy washing electricity bill by about half¹⁰.
3. Consider using a reusable nappy liner instead of a “flush/throw” away liner (see above). Its not just the cost of the nappies you have to pay for, its also the liners, wipes etc and reusable ones are better for the environment¹¹. Choosing a re-usable liner and cloth wipes can also save quite a bit of money in the long run, especially if you wash them along with your nappies. Don’t forget we offer Nappy Cloths!

Whatever nappy you use:

1. It might sound obvious coming from me, but consider helping your baby to use a potty or a toilet when they need to go. That way you will significantly reduce the waste and washing from any sort of nappy. If you still want to use a nappy, and you are regularly pottying your baby, you can use a simple cloth and belt to help catch those eliminations. If you’re crafty, you can also make your own drop-flap nappy using this tutorial, or you can invest in Born Ready’s Flaparaps which are specially designed for frequent pottying.
2. Don’t wait until your child is older than 18 months before you begin Potty Training. Children are born ready to begin learning potty skills, you can literally start as early as birth! Worried it will be dangerous? Read this.

If you want to know more about using nappies when you’re practising pottying, check out my other post here. And if you want to know which nappies I think are best, try this one.

What kind of nappies do you use? Have you tried any of the things mentioned here? Do leave a note to say hi and tell us about your experiences!

1. http://www.whatprice.co.uk/health/parent/nappies.html
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1287722.stm
3. https://www.ovoenergy.com/blog/green/reusable-vs-disposable-nappies-which-is-better-for-the-environment.html
4. http://www.ineip.org/content/resources/143/diapering-habits-global-perspective
5. http://pottytime.com/2012/01/potty-training-around-the-world/
6. https://theguardian.com/money/2015/jul/04/nappies-which-best-disposables-reusables-cost-ethics
7. http://www.pslc.ws/macrog/proposal/dreyfus/outcome/diaper/diapers.htm
8. http://www.ozbabytrends.com.au/blog-just-how-flushable-is-that-144.aspx
9. https://www.thenappylady.co.uk/news/all-about-wool-wraps.html
10. https://theguardian.com/money/2015/jul/04/nappies-which-best-disposables-reusables-cost-ethics
11. https://littlebunnybear.com/2017/12/07/ate-babys-nappy-liner-problems/