On Monday (25 March) MSP Lorna Slate, minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity, and MSP Monica Lennon of central Scotland, visited the councils Irvine headquarters to find out more about the scheme which was introduced in October 2019.
The council have reported that the scheme saves families up to £1,300 per child on the cost of disposable nappies, while also reducing the environmental impact of nappies by around 40%.
Since October 2019, the service has issued 223 packs (134 trial and 89 birth-to-potty) and five new applications are currently being processed.
The scheme is open to residents of North Ayrshire who are expecting a baby or have a baby of nappy-wearing age.
On the visit, the MSP’s were given an overview of the scheme by a council waste awareness officer and met with a mother from Kilwinning, Lyndsey Sampson who had used the scheme for all three of her children.
Efforts
Ms Lorna Slater said: “I welcome Ms Lennon’s efforts to encourage more local authorities to develop reusable nappy schemes.
“Reusable nappies cut waste and can be a great and economical option for parents. That’s why Scotland’s Baby Box includes a redeemable voucher for reusable nappies, and families are offered a discounted package should they wish to continue to use them.
“We have also commissioned new research to better understand the barriers to greater use of reusable nappies, and we encourage the sharing of best practice examples on reuse, such as North Ayrshire Council’s initiative.”
Trial
Before the scheme launched in 2019, the North Ayrshire council offered a Reusable Nappy Incentive Scheme, which provided a free trial pack, giving new parents the chance to see what suited their baby best.
The trial pack consists of three, free reusable nappies in various styles, waterproof wraps, biodegradable liners and a laundry bag.
The wider birth-to-potty scheme provided the ability for parents or carers who used the trial pack, or those who are already comfortable with the idea of using reusable nappies, to request the full new free pack containing 20 birth-to-potty nappies, biodegradable liners and a laundry bag.
‘Pleased’
Councillor Tony Gurney, cabinet member for green environment and economy, said: “We were pleased to welcome the MSPs and demonstrate how well our Reusable Nappy Incentive Scheme has been working, and how it has been helping local families and reducing the volume of waste going for disposal.
“Supporting our residents is paramount, especially while we are still navigating our way through the cost-of-living crisis.”
Subscribe for free