Real Nappies aren't worth the hassle??

[Magscat]

This was on the BBC news this morning.

As a cotton nappy devotee I can't believe they are saying that disposables are not much worse than cotton - just doesn't make sense.

Any other thoughts

She is a sensible lady that nappy lady!

Umm Ive spent £200 on nappies TA I bought 15 MEOS and 3 small and 3 large wraps and 2 other really cute wraps from pitter patter nappies (I jsut couldnt resist). I do think that with some systems that you can spend a fortune on the nappies but you dont have to. Honestly

There's lots of mention of 'cost of washing' (ie electricty) but what about the extra cost of washing powder? Surely you must get through quite a lot - I do and I don't use washable nappies! - I should imagine the 'extra' washing powder required must add up too.........

Tarantula - And I didn't either!!! I bought mine 2nd hand from a Mumsnetter. Got 8 onesize Motherease for £40 and 7 wraps from my friend for £30. So I didn't spend a fortune, but they didn't fit her at 12wks!!! Her thighs were too broad, they were stopping the circulation even at the biggest popper. So they really were not worth for me. Not saying they aren't worth it for others.

500 quid? huh? I've spent about 200 in total on nappies for 2 children including postage to Spain. Even with extra washing powder (don't use much with them) it is still cheaper - quite a lot cheaper.

Sorry TA didnt mean that the way it sounded. I loked at some of the systems too and thought they were really expensive too. I sat down and spent agees working out costs etc with various different methods . did do it in work time mind . One of the things putting people off using washable is how many different systems there are and trying to find one that suits. My mum did say once 'how comlicated can nappies be' so I told her.

If you take this report as representative (I don't ) it's still positive for cloth. If both are "equally good/bad for the environment" then reuse of the nappies by 2nd children must halve the environmental impact as you're only looking at washing/drying and poss. flushable liners. Isn't the current reporting as much about spin as anything else?

One issue that doesn't seem to be addressed is nappy contents, my non cloth using friends were stunned when I explained that faeces in all nappies should be flushed down the loo and not wrapped in plastic and deposited in the ground.

And how about a new name for "disposables"

Now, reusing for a 2nd child is definitely a saving.... as long as they don't have thighs as fat as my dd! (must get that from her fathers side)

£500 was for the whole package though. Nappies, Wraps, liners, wipes, Nappy bucket, first lot of tea tree, a Nappy bag to keep the clean ones in and few other things.

vkone - very good point indeed.

Toothache - a lot of nappy sites now advise parents just to buy a 'minimum starter set' or begin with a 'trial pack' precisely to avoid big spends on poorly fitting / inappropriate systems. I appreciate with some one-size nappy systems though, that to 'try it' as it were, you basically need the full compliment of 'bits'. It is, of course, possible to flog a system that doesn't work for you and get in something more suited, there's quite a surprisingly high value and lively secondhand market. Well, much higher than for second hand dispies.

Ewwww....

Vkone - There has been a heated debate on MN before about where the solid matter should go. Personally I don't know ANYONE who takes off a dirty disposable and scrapes the poo down the toilet!!
How come, if it's classed as raw sewage and shouldn't be dumped in landfills, we are encouraged by the council etc to lift dog poo and put it in the bin?!?!? So is it only human faeces that has to be treated.... are all other animal faeces hygenic and safe enough to go in the bin?

Just planting seeds.....

Just because no one does it, she of achey gob, doesn't mean it's not what's best.

BTW - I think dog poo is often deposited in those special green bins in parks etc. and, I presume, subsequently treated / disposed of appropriately.

Hub2dee - Perhaps, but there are signs up in my area just asking that you at least pick it up and bag it and bin it!! Good enough for dogs.... good enough for my childrens poo.

Dino - I mean like people around me. I haven't yet met someone that had even considered it. So if it's that important why aren't we advised of this???

Good for you dino. Undoubtedly it's a better way to treat human waste. (Maybe even the dog owners should be doing it ???? Perhaps there are nasty diseases not routinely treated in the sewerage plants that make this a bad idea ????)

Toothache: Maybe there's less focus on dog poo because it is less of an issue. There are (apparently) 670,000 babies born every year, which is quite a lot of poo, but the (comparitively reduced) dog population maybe makes it less of a waste issue ? Hmm... tricky one that as kids don't poo in the toilet for, say 3 years, but dogs never learn that particular trick.

Re: achey gob... couldn't resist.

LOL.

just been reading the very longgggggg report - what i cant understand is why the report mentions poo going down the sewerage system from reusables as a negative thing?
as soon as children are potty trained, we all poo down the loo so surely we're just doing it earlier!!
I would have thought it better down the loo than in a big pile of rubbish....

We mostly used reusable nappies but the odd time we used disposable, and where the formation made it possible, we'd always dump the pooh into the toilet. We just couldn't bear to roll it up and put it in the bin.

I never thought I'd find myself having to defend reusable nappy use! I feel it's quite an unfair position to be in, since I don't tumble dry nappies, only wash 5 loads of nappies per fortnight, don't soak them, and don't wash them at high temperatures. My personal impact on the environment, from using washable nappies IS less than disposable nappy users. I'd still use cloth even if I deemed it to be equal, since I prefer to limit the use of chemicals where possible.

There are some countries (Ireland?) and councils which do collect nappies as separate waste and deal with them differently. I believe the waste is turned into compost. Wouldn't it be nice if that became a nationwide initiative or would people find it too bothersome to separate out nappies from the rest of their rubbish?

If disposables are now okay then why not make them even better by ensuring they are all biodegradable. The technology exists and there are eco-friendly nappies out there so why aren't all manufacturers doing this.

Personally I feel this report is appalling. How can a nappy which takes 500 years+ to biodegrade be equal to a nappy which can be re-used again and again. Makes no sense. I use both but would like the option of a biodegradable disposable.

MrsMiggins - I think they are simply factoring in the load on the sewerage system to be fair. I think they factored in the load on the landfill / toxicity systems etc for dispies, IYSWIM.

I believe the waste is turned into compost. Wouldn't it be nice if that became a nationwide initiative or would people find it too bothersome to separate out nappies from the rest of their rubbish?

Too bothersome I'm afraid - already got THREE wheelie bins round here as it is - which we have to use or we'll end up with rubbish lying round the house - as each bin is only collected every two weeks.

If you produce more nappy waste because of having several small children/twins, then where I live the council supply you with a bright yellow hazardous waste bag every week to put your nappies in. They'd rather have a short term haz. waste collection than give you a second wheelie bin in perpetuity.

I cannot be arsed with cloth. My life is difficult enough as it is without factoring in extra laundry. I live in an apartment building with a laundry room that I have to book time for and PAY for. Disposables much easier for me. If disposables are such a big ecological issue, then it's up to the government to encourage mums to use cloth, or more-eco friendly (but DRY) nappies.

I mean, why are us mums being slated for disposables when you look at all the packaging in supermarkets. Or the tons of pesticides used on fruit and veg???? Hmmm???

It's not really new - Which did a report when ds was born and decided they couldn't decide between the landfill problem of disposables, and the energy used to wash cloth nappies. They concluded that there might be a small environmental benefit to using a nappy laundry service where they pick up the nappies once a week. But that the difference was negligible.

I wonder how much it depends on your baby's poo as to which sort you use. Lots of babies I know seem to do very neat 'nuggets' which I imagine would make using cloth ones attractive. Mine don't. Both my children have been explosive in the toilet department - dd has reached armpits and ankles in one go. So I'm afraid, I'm going to be green in every other way, but I'm still going to use disposable nappies. Am very interested in biodegradable ones (Waitrose sell them, will have to try them).

The biodegradable ones don't actually biodegrade do they? I mean, most landfill doesn't biodegrade or else will take 100s of years to do so since it is just buried too deep.

But yeah, I always try to buy the Nature Boy/Nature Girl when I use disposables as I feel it is a vote with my feet, indicating that I welcome the manufacturing of environmentally friendly nappies.

Good point about supermarket packaging, there are easier ways for the country to reduce the waste in landfills.