Best Amazon Prime Day deals: Mumsnet favourites

Best Amazon Prime Day deals:
Mumsnet favourites

Shop now

Please or to access all these features

Ethical living

Discover eco friendly brands and sustainable fashion on our Ethical Living forum.

Do you think I could help heat my nursery by burning nappies?

37 replies

Katymac · 06/11/2006 21:55

I think it would be a great idea

Not sure if it would work...but I am going to try & do some research

There must be some reason why not....& I will find it

OP posts:
charliecat · 06/11/2006 21:56

er... the smell

Quootiepie · 06/11/2006 21:56

The smell!!!

Beccarolloveragain · 06/11/2006 21:56

Wont it realise nasty stuff?

Beccarolloveragain · 06/11/2006 21:56

release even

hairymclary · 06/11/2006 21:57

yes i am sure you can't because of al the chemicals it would release.
also, doesn't that kind of waste have to be disposed of properly? ie, you'd have to have a sanitary company in to remove it

SherlockLGJ · 06/11/2006 21:57

The smell.

Katymac · 06/11/2006 21:59

Well if it is burnt at a high enough temperature - there shouldn't be too much smell

And if I use the econappies (that biodegrade) the additives won't be too bad (maybe ?)

OP posts:
hairymclary · 06/11/2006 22:02

why not biodegrade them?

hairymclary · 06/11/2006 22:03

I genuinely don't think you'll be allowed to do it for health and safety reasons.

Katymac · 06/11/2006 22:04

Yep - but they don't do they

They are generally chucked onto landfill

I can get a biofuel boiler that runs on horse manure

OP posts:
hairymclary · 06/11/2006 22:06

they would if you got a wormery

scatterbrain · 06/11/2006 22:07

I think it would depend on on what you were burning them in - and how many ? We have an on-site nursery at work and used to have to have the nappies taken off-site for disposal, we now incinerate them in an industrial incinerator and the rules covering that are astounding.

Mind you - I bet people burn them in their Agas and Rayburns and they aren't filtering their emissions !

Also though - you ought to consider the actual impact to the environment - it's a bit of a balancing act - will you be using MORE energy to burn them than they will generate ? I suspect that will be the case - so for environmental impact you would be better biodegrading them.

Where do they go now ? Round here most of our waste goes to a huge incinerator and it recovers heat for a district heating scheme - but that's large scale and very regulated by the Env Agency.

Katymac · 06/11/2006 22:09

What would I do with the compost?

Put it on the veggies?

OP posts:
scatterbrain · 06/11/2006 22:11

Seriously - you can't put nappies in a wormery !!!

Katymac · 06/11/2006 22:13

I am currently looking at a commercial biofuel boiler

I love the idea of burning horse manure - it got me thinking, what else could I burn?

Nappies, wipes & tissues seemed like a great idea

OP posts:
hairymclary · 06/11/2006 22:16

yeah you can. moltex oko napies are supposed to be put in a wormery

scatterbrain · 06/11/2006 22:16

You'll have to be really careful - they are full of chemicals that release toxic fumes if burned. Great idea in principle - I'm putting one in at work to burn animal wastes - but they are apparently very sensitive to other wastes !

hairymclary · 06/11/2006 22:18

take a look here

scatterbrain · 06/11/2006 22:18

Well - I don't know - maybe that brand is made from entirely natural fibres then - but the average disposable nappy would kill the worms straight off - they can't eat manmade fibre.

Katymac · 06/11/2006 22:19

Well I wasn't going to do huggies or pampers - but I thought some of the greener nappies (which are much less plastic based) would be OK

OP posts:
SherlockLGJ · 06/11/2006 22:20

YaY

You have finally done it.

When do you open ??

Katymac · 06/11/2006 22:22

Well I haven't yet

But the planning guy said he couldn't see any reason why Planning would be refused - so we are waiting for Highways now

Then I can make my planning application......& it will only cost £265!!!!

But I do need a very comprehensive heating system and just thought to factor in the nappies as a fuel source

OP posts:
scatterbrain · 06/11/2006 22:22

Have you seen the price of those eco nappies ?

Not that I've done nappies for 4 yrs - but wow - they look expensive !

Are they as good as the usual brands ?

I think ANY plastics would kill the worms off - you just can't give them plastics and man mades.

hairymclary · 06/11/2006 22:22

yes, of course wormeries are only for eco-disposables,which katymac said she was going to be using.

Katymac · 06/11/2006 22:22

Still hoping to open Sepy 07

OP posts: