To think a tax on nappies is unfair?

[colacolaco]

It just seems like yet again, it’s the poorest families who will be penalized and suffer most from this.

And what next - a tax on sanitary pads and tampons? Because guess what, they’re not very environmentally friendly either.

This is going to disproportionately negatively affect women, mostly working women on lower income

I agree.

And the constant "well women did it in the 1960s" is ignoring the point I made that over 90% of all waste comes from industry - we are having a go at the wrong people.

@ImprobablePuffin OMG that's a very good point. My grandmother in her later years was put in adult nappies as she was bed bound a few years before she died.

How will this affect people with additional needs and hospitals?

The government refuted this really quickly so it’s not going to happen. Essentially another made up story by the media.

@00100001

Maybe more people will consider cloth nappies this way?

I think thats the idea of it.

I try really hard to be eco-friendly. I use mooncup/washable pads, we use washable wipes etc but I did NOT get on with reusable nappies. We got them second hand, tried different brands and they all leaked. I know some people love them and the principle is great but they're expensive! And you need space to hang them/a tumble drier which in itself if bad for the environment. It is hideous how long they take to break down. I think more should be done to create single use ones that are less bad for the planet but are still affordable. Certainly taxing them seems cruel to those who are already struggling.

I work full time and use cloth nappies. It's fine! I really don't understand why so many think it would be impossible for them. You just get into a routine and it becomes part of your week. I never tumble dry the nappies - it's not recommended as it makes them less absorbent. Just get one or two and see what you think? You can get good quality secondhand very easily.

I've saved so much money! And I really hate seeing how much plastic waste disposables generate. It's so unnecessary.

Also - they fit better. The few times I've used disposables overnight, we've had leaks. Never once with a reusable. I have a friend whose child has a leak pretty much every time, day and night. Honestly, a reusable is SO much easier than having to change clothes and bedding 4 x a day.

Give it a go! You may be pleasantly surprised... And if not, you can always go back.

@ginghamstarfish

We DID pay tax on sanitary products until very recently, and that's something that women don't have the choice of using or not, so arguably more important. Not a bad idea to promote the use of cloth nappies though surely? Maybe subsidised to begin with.

I suspect nappies are already subject to VAT? To be honest I don't know the ins and outs of the current rules but had assumed this would be an extra tax.

Also - they fit better. The few times I've used disposables overnight, we've had leaks

We had the opposite. We used Nature's Child nappies which did not leak. I also tried washable ones for using at home and they leaked every time so I gave up on them. Maybe they are better now though. But I still wonder how many nurseries or childminders would deal with them (although I suppose if disposables were made expensive enough they would have to).

Funny how nobody ever says we should be using washable loo roll. I wonder why that is? I can't think that it has anything at all to do with the fact that men use it too.

Nappies are zero rated currently.

I did use re-useable when my two older ones were babies, they were massively expensive and I needed a massive number of nappies to ensure I didn't run out especially in winter.

I've not had a disposable leak providing it's the right size and child not been wearing it for ages.

@00100001

Maybe more people will consider cloth nappies this way?

Except the people who tend to use cloth nappies are middle class folk with plenty of money - they can afford the up front cost. There's also the fact that you do what others around you do (e.g. working class mothers are far less likely to breastfeed despite it being much cheaper than formula).

It's really not as straightforward as "it's cheaper, therefore most folk will do it".

@lockdownmadnessdotcom

Also - they fit better. The few times I've used disposables overnight, we've had leaks

We had the opposite. We used Nature's Child nappies which did not leak. I also tried washable ones for using at home and they leaked every time so I gave up on them. Maybe they are better now though. But I still wonder how many nurseries or childminders would deal with them (although I suppose if disposables were made expensive enough they would have to).

Funny how nobody ever says we should be using washable loo roll. I wonder why that is? I can't think that it has anything at all to do with the fact that men use it too.

Loo roll biodegrades.

@Malin52

Tax them to the high heavens. As the rest of us are worrying about single use coffee cups or infinitely recyclable aluminium coffee pods a single baby is using tens of non biodegradable nappies a week that will take 6 generations to degrade. It needs addressing.

Reusable is an option. Nappy services are an option. Laundromats are an option. Drying reusables on a clothes horse is an option. Line drying is an option.

Tampons and pads I agree. Most of my friends have now moved to moon cups or period pants.

Pretty much every baby pre the 60's managed to live life with the supposed trauma of cloth nappies.

And what about disabled children who for many reasons may not be able to wear reusables? What an ignorant comment. Tax them to high heaven? Ffs

@lockdownmadnessdotcom

Also - they fit better. The few times I've used disposables overnight, we've had leaks

We had the opposite. We used Nature's Child nappies which did not leak. I also tried washable ones for using at home and they leaked every time so I gave up on them. Maybe they are better now though. But I still wonder how many nurseries or childminders would deal with them (although I suppose if disposables were made expensive enough they would have to).

Funny how nobody ever says we should be using washable loo roll. I wonder why that is? I can't think that it has anything at all to do with the fact that men use it too.

Were you not around during the pandemic loo roll shortage and a lot of people getting utterly hysterical at the prospect as possibly just having to jump in the shower in the morning if they ran out of loo roll?

A lot of eastern countries use bidet's hand showers, water jugs, and do perfectly well. Lets tax loo rolls

@00100001

Maybe more people will consider cloth nappies this way?

Trouble is, making disposable nappies more expensive won't erase all of the reasons why I can't use cloth nappies eg. No space to dry them, a baby with food intolerances who poos big wet ones x5 a day, and very little spare time because of working.

@Lockheart

How long does it take for happy meal toys to decompose? Or the toys from comics? Or cereal boxes? Or the 3 layers of mixed plastic packaging from numerous overpackaged food items sold by supermarkets?

All of the above are unnecessary plastic litter and should be banned in my opinion.

Cheap plastic giveaway toys from the 50s and 60s can often be found on beaches.

Agree! I can't believe Happy Meal, magazine and Kinder Egg toys are still allowed to be honest

@lockdownmadnessdotcom

Also - they fit better. The few times I've used disposables overnight, we've had leaks

We had the opposite. We used Nature's Child nappies which did not leak. I also tried washable ones for using at home and they leaked every time so I gave up on them. Maybe they are better now though. But I still wonder how many nurseries or childminders would deal with them (although I suppose if disposables were made expensive enough they would have to).

Funny how nobody ever says we should be using washable loo roll. I wonder why that is? I can't think that it has anything at all to do with the fact that men use it too.

Loo roll is biodegradable and almost dissolves in water, which is why it is the only thing you should flush down the toilet apart from waste.

You could use washable cloths or a bidet as an alternative if you wanted, no-one is stopping you, but loo roll isn't an environmental disaster.

@Niconacotaco

I agree. I don't have a tumble drier. I don't know how I would have coped with reusable nappies and paying extra tax wouldn't help me afford a lovely big kitchen to fit a drier in.

Cloth nappies shouldn't be tumble dried, it ruins the cover

Most councils do offer either a set of free reusable nappies or discount voucher so you can buy your own but I don’t think it’s good enough for the poorest of families and it isn’t very accessible. I looked into it when I had my youngest DC even though we already had lots of reusable nappies so didn’t need more. You had to collect the pack from somewhere miles away inaccessible by PT so only useful if you lived nearby or could drive.

I think they should offer all new parents a full set of reusables with instructions on how to use them. Not everyone will take them up on their offer but at least the choice is there. It doesn’t have to be fancy expensive ones.

I’ve always used reusables and find them easy but do appreciate they aren’t for everyone and I don’t think the poorest families should be crippled by this. I think disposable nappy companies should be held to account and make their products more biodegradable.

@Malin52

Tax them to the high heavens. As the rest of us are worrying about single use coffee cups or infinitely recyclable aluminium coffee pods a single baby is using tens of non biodegradable nappies a week that will take 6 generations to degrade. It needs addressing.

Reusable is an option. Nappy services are an option. Laundromats are an option. Drying reusables on a clothes horse is an option. Line drying is an option.

Tampons and pads I agree. Most of my friends have now moved to moon cups or period pants.

Pretty much every baby pre the 60's managed to live life with the supposed trauma of cloth nappies.

Agreed. Apparently the average baby in disposable nappies generates one ton of non-recyclable plastic nappy landfill by the time they're potty trained. This is not sustainable and needs addressing in every way possible.

@Niconacotaco

I agree. I don't have a tumble drier. I don't know how I would have coped with reusable nappies and paying extra tax wouldn't help me afford a lovely big kitchen to fit a drier in.

You don’t need a drier for nappies, modern nappies can actually be damaged by tumble drying. They just need to be air dried.

I apploud any new parent who would commit to use the disposable nappies, but reality is for a modern parent, the one who has other responsibilities.. Like work for instance.. it is just insane. Extra work required for all the cleaning of reusable nappies would probably finish me off.
Taxing nappies is just another step too far alingside all the general hostile environment to parents in Britain.. Lack of workable maternity protection, ridiculous childcare costs etc

*non-disposable nappies

Just goes to show there is plenty of fear and handwringing about the environment and how something must be done...until that something inconveniences you.

Just goes to show there is plenty of fear and handwringing about the environment and how something must be done...until that something inconveniences you.

And the irony is that those whinging about this inconvenience are the ones having those very same children who will be much more inconvenienced later in their life by plastic pollution and climate change.

@Iwonder08

I apploud any new parent who would commit to use the disposable nappies, but reality is for a modern parent, the one who has other responsibilities.. Like work for instance.. it is just insane. Extra work required for all the cleaning of reusable nappies would probably finish me off. Taxing nappies is just another step too far alingside all the general hostile environment to parents in Britain.. Lack of workable maternity protection, ridiculous childcare costs etc

Do you think women didn’t work in the days before disposables? I can assure you they did. And had no maternity leave, or much less than currently, and didn’t have modern washing machines

I use cloth nappies and they are simple and amazing. But I use disposables on holiday due to the faff of Laundry!