One of the Waste Minimisation Campaign's aims in York is to reduce the amount of disposable nappies that are sent to landfill sites in York each year.  The key to achieving the main aims of the campaign are the partnerships we are developing between healthcare trusts, community groups, nappy agents and of course parents in York.

We are working to see that meaningful information about today's real nappies is more readily available to members of the public as well as midwives, nursing and other health professionals, as well as other interested parties.

The Real Nappy Campaign in York encourages parents to be aware of the positive environmental benefits of using real nappies by providing impartial information and helps then choose the most suitable nappy for their baby.  Parents often choose real nappies over disposables for various reasons, not only environmental, and using real nappies on your baby can save you around £500 and even more if used on future little ones!

November Nappochino

York's parents and mothers to be were invited to the Waste and Recycling team's Cappuccino event on Wednesday 19 November at the Slug and Lettuce. The event was a big success, where over 65 parents, carers and parents to be attended and made use of the expert advice from two of York's Real Nappy agents; Maria Knight and Karin Fothergill, not to mention the complimentary coffee and cakes and the 10% discount offered on nappy orders taken on the day!

For anyone who was unable to make the event, please feel free to contact our Waste Minimisation Officer or either real nappy agents, Maria or Karin, for more information about using Real nappies and the cash back incentive available to residents of York.

Finally a big thank you to all who helped make the event a success.  Please keep your eye out for details of more Real nappy events in the New Year!

More information:

Tel. (01904) 553292

Email: Jennifer.Bolton@york.gov.uk

Modern washable nappies

Gone are the days of complicated folding, pins and soaking. Modern washable nappies are easy to use:

• they can be washed at home in the washing machine or by a nappy laundry service
• they are come in a range of styles and patterns and simply fasten with Velcro

Benefits of real nappies

Babies' health

• Washable nappies do not contain gels or chemicals
• They are soft, naturally breathable, absorbent and kind to your baby's skin
• Not changing the nappy frequently is a main cause of nappy rash rather than the type of nappy worn (Research by Bristol University)

Cost savings

• Washing reusable nappies at home can save you up to £500 for your first child, and more for subsequent children, compared with using disposables
• Disposing of nappies costs tax payers in York and North Yorkshire over £300,000 a year

The environment

• Washable nappies allow all bodily waste and associated viruses to be flushed down the toilet, instead of being buried in landfill sites
• The equivalent of seven million trees are used every year just to produce Britain's disposable nappies.
• Every disposable nappy that has ever been buried in a landfill site still exists, and could take several hundred years to decompose.

Contacts

Lollipop Children's Products sell a wide selection of nappies in the York area tel: (01904) 788303, email: nappies@the-oasis.org.uk

Stratford nappies also sell a wide range of nappy brands in the York area, tel: (01759) 372884, email: karin@stratfordnappies.co.uk or www.stratfordnappies.co.uk

The Real Nappy Exchange can help if you would like to sell/donate or purchase used nappies tel: (020) 7481 9004.

Further information: Real Nappy Association or Women's Environmental Network websites.

Visit UKparents website or usednappies website for details about buying and selling real nappies.

Visit Rimbalzo online shop which offers a wide range of environmentally friendly products including Real Nappies. 

UK based Real nappy store 'Fill Your Pants' also acts as an advisory service about Real nappies.  Visit www.fill-your-pants.com for the online store or www.babiesnappies.co.uk for the blog site offering the latest Real Nappy information and news.

**Don't forget to keep hold of your receipt or invoice for purchase of Real nappies to claim your cash back from the incentive scheme (see below)**

Try reusable nappies and get cash back

In partnership with the councils of North Yorkshire, we have launched a nappy incentive scheme for parents who want to try out modern reusable nappies. 

£30 cash back

If you have already decided to use reusable nappies, you can claim £30 cash back when you spend £50 or more on reusable nappies.

Terms and conditions

If you would like to make a claim you can download the form from Lets Talk Less Rubbish website.  

Alternatively contact: the North Yorkshire Waste Campaigns Officer on (01609) 533312 or email: real.nappies@northyorks.gov.uk to obtain the paperwork.