Resist the recession with real nappies

Families who switch from disposable to washable nappies can save up to £500 per year.

For most potty training children in Wales, around 5,000 disposable nappies will have been sent to landfill, that's enough to fill 156 black rubbish bags per child.  During Real Nappy Week (27 April - 3 May), Monmouthshire County Council, alongside Waste Awareness Wales and Sustainable Wales, is urging parents across Monmouthshire to switch to real nappies to help them reduce waste and save money.

Monmouthshire County Council's Recycling Officer Rebecca Blount said:

"Switching from disposable to real nappies can help save parents up to £500 a year.  At a time when many families are looking for extra ways to save money, Real Nappy Week is an ideal time to start reaping the benefits.

"Monmouthshire County Council offer a discount of up to £30 for parents in the who buy washable nappies through our local nappy agents.  This scheme has run for a number of years and has proved very successful. We are very lucky in Monmouthshire that we have a number of dedicated nappy agents who are on hand to give practical advice and support to local parents on choosing and using real nappies. Monmouthshire is also home to Wales' only nappy laundry service and some local nurseries are also choosing to use real nappies as a cost effective alternative to disposables."

Convenient and easy to use, real nappies have come a long way since towelling and safety pins. They're nappy shaped, fasten with poppers or fabric fasteners and are available in bright colours and designs including animal prints, hearts, and even the Welsh flag. There's also no need to boil wash or tumble dry them - they can be put in the washing machine and hung on the line, making them very easy to use.  For parents not wishing to wash their own nappies the laundry service's can offer the perfect solution.  The laundry service will not only wash all the nappies for you in a professional laundry but also provide everything you need from the nappies to the bin.

Monmouthshire County Council staff will be on hand in Neville Hall's antenatal clinic on Wednesday morning 29th April with a display of real nappies.  Council representatives will have themselves used real nappies and will be able to answer any questions and provide signposting for further information.

On Saturday 2nd May there will be a coffee and cakes day held by South Wales Nappies at their shop near Caldicot.  Staff will be on hand to discuss washable nappies, the laundry service and provide personal advice and quotations.  For more information please contact Katherine on 01291 427262 or Rebecca Blount, Recycling Officer on 01633 644119.

For more information on using real nappies, together with a list of local real nappies stockists, agents and local credit unions visit

www.realnappies-wales.org.uk or call the Wales Real Nappy Advice Line on
0845 456 2477.

Real Facts on Real Nappies

• In Wales an estimated 200 million disposable nappies are thrown away each year - 400 nappies every minute

• A potty trained baby will have got through around 4,000 to 6,000 nappies

• Using real nappies can be up to half the cost of disposables - and they can be reused with subsequent children to save even more

• Families with one baby could cut their waste in half by choosing to use real nappies

• One baby's disposable nappies from its ‘nappy years' will fill around 156 black rubbish bags