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Why Choose Real Nappies?
There are lots of reasons to switch to real nappies.
Environmental, benefits for baby, benefits for parents: reliability
and economy, and fun!
Environmental benefits
 Single
use nappies produce vast quantities of waste. Approximately
3,000,000,000,000 nappies (yes, you did read that right, that's
three billion!) are thrown away in the UK alone every year.
The vast majority of these end up in landfill sites. Once
in landfill they absorb all available wetness and swell to
their maximum size! It is thought that disposable nappies
take hundreds of years to decompose. This means that virtually
all disposable nappies ever made will continue to exist for
many generations.
Nappy disposal costs each local authority (and therefor council
tax payers) hundreds of thousands of pounds per year (e.g.
Nottinghamshire Council, for example, estimates over £1
million per year, while Bristol City Council estimates a £500,000).
Landfill space is running out and the alternative to landfill
is incineration. This is not a trouble free solution, and
emissions from incinerators cause concern wherever they are
sited.
But what difference can one family make by switching to real
nappies? The Cabinet Office Strategy Unit’s stressed
the importance of promoting real nappies: "Even
modest initiatives to displace disposable nappy use with reusable
nappies can have a significant waste minimisation impact".
Apart from the huge problem of disposal, there is the issue
of the resources that go into throwaway nappies (e.g. 4 trees
of paper pulp per baby, 1 cup of crude oil per nappy).
Benefits for baby
Nowadays, real nappies are soft and comfortable for
baby. Comfort was a major factor in the design of Wonderoos,
and they won't rub or leave uncomfortable red marks. Research
has shown that real nappies are no more likely to cause nappy
rash than disposables.
Disposable nappies are made of superabsorbent chemicals,
usually bleached paper pulp, plastics and adhesives. Real
nappies puts parents back in control regarding the substances
they put on baby's delicate and very absorbent skin.
The modern fabrics used to make Wonderoos keep baby's skin
dry and comfortable. They are lightweight, absorbent and quick
drying. Wonderoos give a trim fit and have specially designed
leg openings to give maximum comfort.
Benefits for parents: reliability and economy
Many people find that once you have found a well-fitting nappy
system, real nappies are more reliable and versatile than
disposable nappies. An recent independent trial found that
Wonderoos were the best performing reusable nappy and out-performed
7 of the 9 leading brand disposable nappies tested.
Whilst you can spend from around £900 on disposable
nappies for one baby, a set of reeal nappies like Wonderoos
(with inserts) will cost you from £252. Add to this
the cost of laundry for 2.5 years of £133 (including
the additional wear and tear on your machine from the additional
loads of washing*, the total cost for your baby's time in
nappies will be approximately £385. For a second baby
you will only pay the cost of laundry and flushable liners,
if you use them. The total saving of using Wonderoos rather
than disposable nappies for two babies will be £1280
or more.
Fun!
Real nappies are fun! Strange but true! With the pretty pastel
colours or the gorgeous cuddly minky solid colours or patterns,
you can't help but love them! But don't take our word for
it - give them a try! Find a retailer here.
*Facts and figures on this page taken
from The Women's Environmental Network
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