Nappies: don’t be rash
by Simon Handby in At home on 26.03.08
Recent cold snap notwithstanding, it looks like spring has finally sprung – daffodils are out in force, bunny rabbits are lolloping about, and puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes and razorbills have returned to our cliff tops.
And it’s not just the countryside that’s teeming with life, either. March is typically a big month for births, and all of a sudden it seems that the patter of tiny feet has turned into something of a din.
Wonderful as kids are, though, new parents would probably rather be without one or two of their less sociable bodily functions. A supply of clean nappies helps to keep everyone happy, but a pile of dirty ones is a much less welcome prospect.
This is particularly true when it comes to the environment. According to a University of Birmingham study, disposable nappies make up about 2.6% of household rubbish, which Waste Watch calculates, rather oddly, to be equivalent to 70,000 double-decker buses each year.
The Real Nappy Campaign is, as the name might suggest, convinced that more traditional, re-usable nappies are the answer to our nappy woes. It says that they’re easy to use and wash, that they reduce landfill waste, and that they can save you money. It also provides a nappy finder to help concerned parents track down nappy launderers and other facilities nearby.
The campaign has declared 21-27 April Real Nappy Week. Although details of what that entails are currently a little thin on the ground, perhaps it’s reassuring to see that they aren’t leaking out.
IMAGE by Flickr user Spigoo
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