Real Nappy Week campaign returns for 11th year

Running form 11th-18th March, the nationwide campaign will see councils across the country working to combat the three billion disposable nappies thrown away in the UK each year – most of which end up in landfill.

Carwyn Jones, Welsh Assembly minister for the environment joins six-month-old Amba Thomas to promote the start of Real Nappy Week 2007

From coffee nappy mornings of “nappuccinos” in Dorset and Bedfordshire to real nappy fashion shows in Buckinghamshire, Newcastle and the London borough of Camden, the week aims to show how cloth nappies are becoming an increasingly mainstream choice.

In Wales, Assembly minister Carwyn Jones got involved in the campaign, with campaigners at Waste Awareness Wales stressing the savings for both the environment and parents' wallets of using re-usable nappies.

Other events include a teddy bear's picnic in Cambridgeshire and a mountain of nappy waste in London.

The Women's Environmental Network, which co-ordinates the event, said: “Real Nappy Week shows parents how they can save money, save waste and benefit the environment all at the same time. During Real Nappy Week parents and carers will have numerous opportunities find out what cloth nappies are really like in events across the UK.”

Last year, Real Nappy Week attracted record support with the backing of over 90% of UK local authorities, and almost 600 worldwide events in the UK, Australia, China, Ireland, Mexico and New Zealand.

Funding
However, as government funding for the week is a tenth of what it was last year, WEN said that the number of events was “significantly smaller”. Funding for real nappy promotion via WRAP ends on March 31 2007, which threatens to make this the last Real Nappy Week (see letsrecycle.com story).

A spokesperson for WEN said: “Alternative funding to run Real Nappy Week 2008 and provide information to parents throughout the year has not currently been identified, but WEN hopes that new funding will be found as work needs to continue to promote real nappies nationally and locally.”

Events
As part of this year's Real Nappy Week, Sandwell council is providing a nappy library in which a range of cotton nappies can be hired out for up to two weeks to let parents see what real nappies are like. Meanwhile, Northumberland county council recycling officers are providing real nappies to every baby leaving hospital this week.

Sheila Johnson, waste minimisation officer at Northumberland county council said: “We thought it would be a great idea to show parents what the modern nappy looks like. Every real nappy baby saves one tonnes of waste in the landfill sites and it's a sobering thought to hear that the very first disposable nappies which went to landfill will still be lying there.”

Selby district council is to launch a “Get Real” campaign for Real Nappy Week, working as part of the North Yorkshire and York Waste Partnership. Under the scheme, new parents will be offered 30 cash back to reduce the cost of buying washable nappies and the council is holding drop-in sessions.

Vice Chair of Selby District Council’s Environment Board, Cllr. Gillian Ivey, said: “National Real Nappy week is a great opportunity for us to remind Selby parents about the help available to them if they chose to ditch the disposables and use real nappies.

“There are many benefits, both environmentally and financially and it will also help to save tax payers’ money, as new European laws mean we will soon have to pay heavy penalties for throwing waste into landfill sites.”