Nationally it is estimated that disposable nappies make up around  4% of total waste arisings, with the vast majority ending up in landfill sites. They may take generations to break down; emit methane, a powerful greenhouse gas; and some parts of the plastic may last indefinitely.

Nappies may not form a large part of the waste stream compared to garden waste and newspapers, but are significant when looked at on a national or even countywide scale. From research carried out of Hampshire’s domestic waste during 1999, it was found that around 15,000 tonnes of nappies are thrown away every year. This equates to a disposal cost of around £½ million every year.

According to the Women’s Environmental Network (WEN), 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away every year and account for 3.5 times the energy; 8 times more non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels; and 90 times more renewable resources, such as water and wood, than washable nappies.

Disposable nappies cannot be recycled but provide a perfect opportunity to address waste minimisation through the use of reusable nappies. As well as the traditional Terries there is now a plethora of different shaped modern reusable nappies available, as well as local nappy laundering services that clean and replace nappies at the parents' convenience. The modern alternatives are shaped, and usually have Velcro or popper fasteners instead of safety pins.

WEN claim that a saving of up to £600 per baby can be made by washing nappies at home - including initial outlay, and washing costs such as water, energy and washing machine deterioration. This is compared with a typical cost of £1,000 from birth to potty for disposable nappies.

Hart District Council, in partnership with Rushmoor and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Councils, made a start in the run up to Real Nappy Week in April 1999 producing an attractive and simple leaflet that addressed the various issues. To maximise impact the leaflet was sent to local health professionals such as doctor’s surgeries, local hospitals and health practitioners to give to parents to be. A photocall with a parent and child who used a local nappy laundering service, Nifty Nappies, generated a lot interest from local newspapers and radio. During Real Nappy week 2000, another photocall with a small ‘nappy mountain’ representing one year’s worth of disposable nappies for one child was used to generate interest from the local media.

The local hospital, however, although keen to participate in the scheme did not feel able to insert the leaflet into their new parent packs as their catchment area covered parents in two other counties as well as Hampshire. Other local authorities have achieved greater success with local hospitals by encouraging the use of reusable nappies for newly born babies and by providing cash back to parents using reusable nappies or nappy laundering services.

It may be difficult to imagine parents making the change to reusable nappies, but success in some parts of Canada can give hope, with claims that 80% of hospitals and over 70% of parents are using reusable nappies.

With waste levels increasing year on year, waste minimisation is becoming high on many councils’ agendas. The experience gained by tackling disposable nappies and the messages it gives to parents about waste issues in general can provide the springboard for other similar schemes.

Any organisation looking to address the issue of disposable nappies can contact the Women’s Environmental Network on 0207 247 3327, the Real Nappy Association on 0208 299 4519 or The National Association of Nappy Services on 0121 693 4949.