Not only does the global disposable nappy industry extract over 248 million barrels of crude oil annually, but it creates over 38 million tons of solid waste per year. 

• Disposable nappies will take roughly 500 years to fully decompose because of the plastic outer shell.
• Disposable nappies represent a massive 3% of all solid waste thrown into landfill.
• They use 20 times more raw materials than natural nappy alternatives.
• An estimated 400,000 disposable nappies are thrown into landfill worldwide every minute.

The Nappy Den appreciates that reusable nappies need to be washed and dried which has an impact on the environment, so be mindful to wash at lower temperatures and line dry to help to reduce our carbon footprint.

Prioritising baby’s health and development

If parents know what goes into a nappy, they can make an informed decision about how it will affect their child.

Traditional disposable nappies use plastic in their construction that contains phthalates. Phthalates can be found in food packaging and detergents. 

These harsh chemicals can cause irritation to baby’s skin. A large number of disposable nappy brands continue to use fragrances in their products which can potentially cause skin irritation. Fragrances are one of the prime culprits for causing eczema and other allergies, it is also a significant contributor to nappy rash.

It is also thought that toddlers wearing disposable nappies are harder to potty train as they can’t feel when their nappy is wet.

Small steps to make a change.

Parenthood comes with many surprises and pressures. It simply isn’t the case that parents need to choose between disposable and reusable nappies, they can use both and make a huge impact both on the environment and financially.

“If parents swapped out 2 disposable nappies a day for our reusable nappies, that would save them 14 disposable nappies a week, and over the time (say 2.5 years the average potty training age) would subsequently save up to 1820 disposable nappies.”

Not only is that 1820 disposable nappies that aren’t thrown in landfill, that’s a financial saving of £455 (based on the market leading nappy brand) That is just by swapping 2 nappies a day, so think of the impact that could be made by switching to 2 reusable nappies a day!

www.thenappyden.co.uk

Together we can make a difference… one bottom at a time!