The 82,000 study was carried out by the university's Environmental Psychology Research Group and funded by SITA Environmental Trust from the Landfill Tax. It suggests that giving new parents the choice of re-usable nappies at the hospital after the birth could be an important waste minimisation measure.
Rachel Leach, a member of the research team said: “A change in maternity unit policy from one in which all parents supply their own disposable nappies to that of supplying parents with cotton nappies during their post-natal stay would impact on the parents’ attitudes and waste minimisation behaviour.”
Disposable nappies account for about 4% of UK household waste going to landfill, and it has been estimated that it takes 200 – 500 years for them to decompose. An added benefit of more new mothers using re-usable nappies is that hospitals would drastically cut their incinerator costs for disposing of nappy waste, the report said.
The research took place at the Maternity Unit of the East Surrey Hospital, with the support of the Cotton Bottoms Nappy Laundry Service, the UK’s largest supplier of cotton nappies and nappy laundry services.
The University of Surrey study also warned that cotton nappies need to be easier to buy if more parents are to be convinced to use them.
Ms Leach said: “Parents should remember that using cotton nappies does not mean that they are not ‘allowed’ to use disposable nappies on occasion.”
Register for free to comment