DISPOSABLE NAPPY APPRECIATION THREAD - Sod the landfill! Come here to sing their praises!

[BoffinMum]

There are some of us who think reusable nappies are an eco-conspiracy con designed to get mothers firmly back at the kitchen sink feeling guilty.

There are others of us who have stopped using reusables because our children developed dread diseases of the bottom area.

Some of us even gag at the thought of dealing with all the poo manually, instead of just cursorarily flinging a bit down the loo and then bunging the whole affair in a nice scented nappy sack.

Come join with us if you too are heartily grateful for disposable nappies and the liberation they bring.

I use disposables because we only have a tiny washing machine and when dd first arrived she was doing a poo every hour!

I didn't like nature, but sainsbury's eco nappies are really nice, I don't like the chemical smell of pampers.

I would have used reusables but a) we couldn't afford the outlay and b) DH was too precious about DD's little bottom. I didn't like the naturebabycare ones and have always used own brand, but buy pampers when on offer.

Obv. referring to the nappy brand, nature in general is lovely. I agree nothing will biodegrade in landfill, so biodegradable nappies and bags a bit of a con.

I've got 3dcs, one still in nappies, how many do you think I've racked up

And you forgot to mention the free nappybags we all use when theyre little with every nappy

at plums lack of shame for her abuse of our beloved earth, although I do recycle and compost and grow my own veg(okay once buttt....)

I am in between and use both.

Boffin - What do you mean by "manually deal with poo" or whatever it was you said about if you use washables? I am genuinly interested, not arguing btw. You said you flush poo from a disposable, so what do you do with the washable one that is worse than tipping it down the loo? I don't deal with poo any more with the washables as I do the disposables? I am mainly usuing disposables at the moment by the way, just to proove I am not being anti-disposables! But I am starting to lean towards the washables more, especially when baby no 2 is born in april and I will have 2 under 18 months. Got some bumgenious today from another mumsnetter (thank you!) and love them, use exactly like a disposable and I won't then need 2 different sizes for the 2 babies.

Nothing biodegrades in landfill, so a 'con' that you are being more eco-friendly buying biodgradeable. Although I suspect that the production of such nappies have a lower carbon foot-print.

Most of the research comparing total energy consumption of nappies assumes that you use the same number of reusable or disposable and reusable only come out as using slightly less energy but actually you use far less disposable nappies, I think the energy and cost saving is negligible tbh.

Points of clarification as requested:

1. You can be lazier with disposables by just getting the worst poo excesses off down the loo, and then giving up. If you're putting pooey things in your washing machine this feels more gross, so you would probably feel morally impelled to spend longer grappling with said poo, in order not to pollute your machine too much.

1. I didn't want to get onto this, because I am sure it is so well rehearsed on all the other nappy threads but the carbon footprint of reusables is much too big to justify their use as an alternative to disposables, IMO.

I use 'disposables' and am

I used washables for the first 9 mths but he got so squirmy that I couldn't get eh buggers on him - I had the folding type. Wish I'd bought the shaped ones.

Sure, disposables are great, easy, etc, but I feel guilty cluttering up huge holes in the ground with things that will be there in 100 years time.

BoffinMum - Do you mean the Environment Agency report? This was based on nappies always being tumbled dried and ironed .

But, you're right as far as energy is concerned in that reusables can consume a tremendous amount of energy, but also depends on the type of material used.

Query: I have 2 in nappies. How much would this cost a week?

I don't scrap any poo. I tip the worst into loo and bung in machine. Thats what the washer is for.

I am 95% sure washables are much more eco friendly than disposables though. Not if you are washing at stupidly high temperatures and then tumble drying and ironing etc no but not many people do that. I buy second hand, wash at 40 and line dry. No way is that as bad as dispoables.

I'm going to be using disposables for this bump same as i did with DD.

I feel no shame! simply because i recyle like crazy, hardly anything goes in the bin, i spend soooooo much time seperating/washing/sorting things to be recycled its untrue. I draw the line at reuseable nappies. I cannot be dealing with the hassle at 4 in the morning frankly. and if that makes me lazy so be it.

I don't want to get slaughtered for venturing onto this thread but how are washables any extra hassle at 4 in the morning? The only difference is taking the nappy to the nappy bucket rather than the bin. Have the people who think they are hard work actually used them? I admit that if I hadn't been able to get a stash of washables for ds extremely cheaply I would still be using disposables, but I think that's because I believed all the 'washables are extra work' stuff. Ime, they are not, I have no outside line or tumble drier but we manage fine. As you were....

I feel like I am joining an AA meeting or something.

Hello, my name is LuLuBai and I am currently using disposables.

Boffin - in response to your note on carbon footprint I have done a fair bit of research. The stats on machine washing (and tumble drying if you do that too) don't make for pleasant bed-time reading. But nor do the stats on the manufacturing of each disposable (approx 3x the amount of energy required to manufacture a disposable). If you genuinely are handwashing and line drying your nappies in an area plentiful in water then I think disposables win.

But - as you quite rightly point out, in today's world who has time for that on a daily basis?

Last time I took DD abroad we went somewhere with an extremely limited water supply but lots and lots and lots of space. So I judged that generating landfill was far less bad for the environment than using any of the precious water.

Overall my preference is for reusables. I like the feel of them to the touch, I like not having bin bags full of dirty nappies piling up each week and I think they suit DDs skin better. I also (and this is probably just me) think that disposables have a strange smell.

That said I am happy to dip in and out of either type of nappy depending on what best suits my lifestyle at the time and I think that is a modern woman's perogative.

I used real nappies with my ds1 and dd but have not one whit of guilt over using disposables with ds2.
The others always suffered from nappy rash or wet clothes but lovely bum this time.
We use the used nappies as 'logs' for the fire.

Excuse the stupid question but WHY are you supposed to dispose of the poo separately? And HOW? Scratch it off the nappy with a spoon? Seriously!

I think you are all just trying to make excuses because you know they are bad...sorry...

Washables aren't any of the negative things that some people have posted on here, and whoever thinks that they are less enviro friendly than disposables has clearly been brainwashed by pampers et al!

I have had 2 in washables at the same time with no extra hassle (a bit of extra washing obviously). My nappies were all second hand to me and are now on DS2 and are good for at least one more bum . I use a tiny bit of detergent in each wash (in my energy efficient washing machine).

I think if you actually took the time to properly research reusable nappies ladies, you would realise your mistakes in using disposables

ok extra hassle is that i would not be comfortable with a poo /wee filled nappy to be sat in a bucket waiting to be dealt with in the morning (lovely to wake up to ), goodness the stench too, i would have to rinse/wash it there and then and at 4 in the morning its not going to happen. Just the thought of dealing with that bucket in the morning makes me feel ill.

Disposables you just fold put in a bag and place in the bin never to be seen again.

it's all down to personal choice at the end of the day. Some re-use and some dont. each to their own. I have respect for those who re use its just not for me.

Have researched. Have even tried and tested. Hate reusables. Love my disposables. Life is too short to voluntarily do even more washing. My time is too precious. I feel no guilt, no shame, in fact would positively recommend to other mums that they use disposables.

Boff LOL you are very funny!

I am in the mixed camp - just about to have my first DC and plan to use reusables for the most part but have disposables on hand for outings / convenience etc

I think whatever works best for you! I can't claim to be doing it for the environment as I don't live my life in that way (I try and be considerate but am not strict with myself on it!) I am more doing it because I like the idea of it!

I'm not against the use of disposables generally btw, we DO use them occasionally too.

I just think that this thread is totally unnecessary; disposable nappies don't need any extra marketing from us, whereas I think reusables do!

AND I actually have 3 nappy buckets with tight fitting lids - not a bad smell escapes from them (until they are opened), but put a pooey nappy in a sack in the bin and it stinks the place to high heaven IME

Oh Smutty - sorry to contradict but (having used both) I find the stench of disposables in the bin far more yucky than rinsed out reusables soaked in water with tea tree.

Each to their own on that one (I know a lot of people don't like the smell of tea tree).

That said I did REALLY struggle with the stench of the washing machine full of nappies during my first (and v. queasy) trimester this time. So while the bucket didn't bother me a jot, the actual smell of them washing made me retch.

There'a also a part of me that doesn't like being told what to do and that I must be unenlightened ... Rebel that I am ...

I think disposables are a good excuse for mother-bashing instead of really examining the real problem we've got, which is that disposables need to be designed more intelligently.

lol just to be a pest, no difference to having a nappy bin with a tight fitting lid, and you dont have to wash or do anything more than bin said nappys.

the thread is necessary due to the fact of using disposables seem to be majorly frowned upon and some are even afraid to mention that they use disposeables for fear of getting beaten with sticks lol

sorry just being devils advocate here.