Reusable nappies | Environment Victoria

Give reusable nappies a go

You're on this web page so you must be curious about reusable nappies. We would encourage you to give them a go. However, we know that new parents have a lot of stress to deal with and can often feel judged about their choices - we certainly don’t want to add to that. You might prefer to wait till your baby is a couple of months old before trying reusables.

Beware of greenwashing

Fake green With a growing interest in sustainability, some companies have started increasing their green marketing without actually making their product greener. Some disposable nappies are filled with more fluff pulp to increase the percentage of "biodegradability" when they still include plastics which wont biodegrade. Some have started marketing that they use non-chlorine bleach, when in fact all nappies use this as a standard.

Bio-degradables don't always break down in landfill Some disposable nappies are marketed as being bio-degradable, but they do not biodegrade in landfill. If you were to compost these at home you would need to rip off the plastic liners and plastic tabs first, as these don't break down, and only compost the internal fluff pulp. Composting pooey nappies isn't recommended for safety reasons.

A truly compostable nappy is now available in metropolitan Melbourne. Eenee Compostables claim to be the only disposable nappy on the market which doesn't use non-biodegradable plastic, and which is endorsed by Compost Australia. Nappies are picked up and taken to commercial scale composters, where they generate clean and useful compost. Banyule City Council successsfullly trialled Eenee Compostables in their child care centres recently, and the trial won the 2010 Pam Keating Environmental Innovation Award. They do cost more than other disposables (but are comparibly priced with some eco-nappies on the supermarket shelf). Eenees Compostables have a pick-up service in metropolitan Melbourne and they are also collected through the green waste systems of some councils, but currently none in Victoria.

Why avoid disposables?

There are plenty of great reasons to avoid disposable nappies if you can:

Environmental

• Each baby in disposable nappies sends 700kg of waste to landfill every year, where it sits, leaching toxic chemicals, for a very long time.
• It takes more water to manufacture a disposable nappy than it takes to launder a cloth nappy
• There is also the packaging and transport of disposables to consider.

Financial

• You can spend between $2,500 and $4,000 on disposable nappies per child.
• You can set yourself up with all the modern cloth nappies you need for a child for around $200 to $300 if you buy them new (you could spend up to $700 if you go all out). There are plenty offered second hand through informal networks as well as online sites and forums.

Health, comfort and looks!

• Disposables aren’t as healthy or comfortable as breathable fabrics. And modern cloth nappies look fabulous! They come in all sorts of cute and colourful designs.

Modern cloth nappies are more effective and easier to use than the old fashioned cloth nappies

• There’s no need to use safety pins, most use Velcro or snaps.
• Most require no folding – they’re shaped just like disposables.
• They are just as absorbent.
• A lot of them are modular so the outer coverings can be re-used and this reduces total washing.
• You can also now get flushable liners so that you can just lift the poo out and flush the lot.
• There's no need for bleach if you’re line drying, though they will discolour eventually.
• Once you’re in the habit, washing them is really not much of a drama.
• If you prefer you could get a weekly nappy wash service to pick up and deliver washed nappies for you. This works out about the same cost as disposables.

So what’s the downside?

• Babies can’t sit in soiled nappies as long because the cloth isn’t as good at sucking away the moisture as the plastic. So you will need to change them more often.
• When you’re out and about you need to bag up and carry dirty nappies rather than dropping them in a bin.
• They are bulkier and this needs to be factored in when fitting clothes over them.
• Some childcare services will only use disposable nappies – but this is changing so it’s worth talking to your care provider.

This is not an all or nothing deal

• You might like to use disposables at first and ease yourself in to reusables when your baby is a bit bigger and you have more energy.
• Some parents continue to use disposables at night to help their babies sleep through.
• You could always have some bags of disposables handy for when you are travelling about or want to dress up in leggings, etc.

Choosing reusable nappies

There are heaps of different types and brands to choose from and there are a lot of factors to consider: cost, convenience, washing and drying times, absorption, fit for boys and girls and through different ages and stages.

There is so much information available online that it is almost overwhelming. You may find it easier and quicker to talk to knowledgeable nappy shop staff about options that will suit you and your situation. EnviroShop, in Thornbury and Frankston, stock a range of eco-friendly nappies, and can provide expert advice. If you are in Melbourne's inner north, Chris' Dial a Nappy holds free nappy education classes which they claim are completely impartial. There are also reusable nappy advocacy and support organisations such as the Australian Nappy Network.

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