Monday 24 November 2014

Can slow growth ever be good? #EWWR2014

My guest post on the Isonomia blog  stirred up a few questions.  I want to address the main one here, especially for European Week for Waste Reduction #EWWR2014:  the frustration waste officers have with the slow uptake of reusable nappies.  What waste and recycling managers love is quick wins and so, in their eyes recycling nappies is an attractive big risky spend whereas slow behavioural change of washables isn’t.  NB the latter certainly has lower carbon impacts and water use than the former.

However, those of us who have been working at the frontline of reusable nappies know that the slow uptake of reusable nappies has been a good thing.  We are doing R&D here.  There are products that have come to the market that have appeared great but actually have not been good over the long-term.  Poor products spread bad WOM and can hurt the real nappy industry.  It’s actually good to be working with a committed niche of consumers so that products are tried and tested before going mainstream.

And we've discovered something really important over the last decade: the habit of wrapping your baby's bottom in a nappy and forgetting about it until the next change is quite a recent habit.  The  toileting anthropologist in the French documentary ‘Couchorama’ calls it “hospitalisation."

What we've found out is that we don’t need superabsorbent, stay-dry nappies if babies are being ‘held out’ as they are in most parts of the world.  Did you know that this was happening in the UK until the 1950s? If you offer your baby the pot at change time you may find your baby uses it and the the next nappy stays clean and dry for longer.  Thus the nappies don’t have to be bulky and can be cleaned easily.  I have to admit when I first found out about parents doing this I thought it was WEIRD.  But I've gradually come round to realising it's the most natural and gentle way to deal with your baby's body waste and increases the contentment and well-being of both baby and carer.

It also reduces the need for single-use liners and makes washing nappies at over 40 ℉ totally unnecessary unless baby has an infection.  Plus 'holding out' also helps babies come out of nappies earlier.  This reduces overall nappy waste and also reduces the stress of "toilet-training" for parent and child and saves parents money - plus no need for introducing separate nappy waste collections and recycling/composting plants. 

Tell a mother, who has to walk 5 miles to collect clean water that we have clean running water on tap in our homes, washing machines and toilets but we choose to use single-use nappies and send the nappy waste to landfill, incineration, recycling, composting or whatever.  What would she say?  Why do we do it?

Long-term behavioural changes that reduce the need for nappies - period - has to be a better  solution than dealing with an ever-increasing volume of disposable nappy waste .  Please share this message this #EWWR2014 with all European local authorities and health professionals.

You may also want to check out this post for further information from the health professional's perspective:  Are potty training methods in the west ...

Monday 17 November 2014

Rosetta thinking needed

Wow!  It took 10 years for Rosetta to reach  the comet from planet Earth.  TEN YEARS!  So this project was being planned years ahead.  This is the kind of thinking needed in the waste sector to move us towards a Zero Waste London. 

We also need the maths.  How much will your borough spend on disposable nappy waste over the next 25 years?  How much less would it spend if an increasing percentage of residents started using washable nappies instead?

The only thing that will make your borough use our service to help them reduce nappy waste is if you write to your local councillors and tell them.  Please help RNfL do more to reduce disposable nappy waste.  You can use this link Write to Them.

Next week is the European Week for Waste Reduction.  Please write to your local councillor.  Tell her/him that you are using real nappies and reducing waste and ask them to join Real Nappies for London so we can create a pan London nappy scheme so that we can reduce the overall impact as well as the cost of nappy waste.

The average cost of disposing of a tonne of waste by landfill or incineration is £100.  Each baby produces almost a tonne of waste from birth to potty.  You can find out how many babies are born in your borough here  It's interesting to see that the boroughs with the most babies born in them in 2013; Newham, Croydon, Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Wandsworth have not signed up to use our service. 

Thank you for already using real nappies.  Please do this extra one thing next week to increase your impact! 

Thursday 2 October 2014

Using a potty from birth - new on-line workshops available from Born Ready

Guest post from Jenn, Born Ready

Did you know that it's easy to help your baby to use a potty from birth?

 It was common practice in this country (and around the world) for thousands of years, but since the advent of washing machines and disposables it's become a forgotten skill.  I'm trying to bring it back!

It's clean and green and goes hand in hand with cloth nappy use because it can vastly reduce your pile of soiled nappies.  I did it with all four of my babies and it was brilliant!  It's a remarkable thing to behold - a tiny baby, pooing on cue :)  

If you're at all curious, this workshop is a great place to start.  There's also lots of information on my website if you're interested and want to read more.  It'll change the way you think about nappies... even really pretty ones ;)  

Want to book onto one of my on-line workshops?  Link is here.

Thursday 31 July 2014

Have we made a stupid mistake?


Have you ever wondered why your baby often pees the moment the nappy is taken off?  I remember how I always held a nappy underneath my baby’s bottom at baby clinic when I carried my baby between the changing mat and the weighing scales.    I also remember how my babies/toddlers waited until they had a clean nappy on to do a number two.  I may have finally found out the answer.  No scientific proof you understand?  This evidence is purely anecdotal, but something to be aware of.

Earlier this month I attended a Natural Infant Hygiene (NIH) session at Nappy Ever After where I heard why the session leader started baby-led pottying, otherwise known as Elimination Communicaton (EC) with her daughter.   At about 3 months old, her baby hadn't done a number two for a few days.  This was followed by a massive poo explosion. 

The thought occurred to the mother that ‘elimination’ couldn’t happen or was difficult while her baby was lying down in a nappy.  She offered her baby a pot and there was no more 'constipation' after that.   Gravity and exposure to the air seemed to help stimulate ‘elimination’.

As parents, we have been told that we should just leave babies/toddlers in nappies 24/7 so the poo and pee just comes out of the child ‘naturally’.  Indeed we have been warned that giving your baby the opportunity to poo on a pot from an early age can be dangerous leading to ‘holding’ ie constipation.  See link to Huffington Post article below.  

This mother’s experience implies that babies do hold, that they are born with the instinct or if not, develop the desire quite early on to keep themselves clean and dry.  But when we don't give them the opportunity to poo (and pee) on a pot they give up.  Then when we try to ‘teach’ them to try to control their bowels at around 2 years old it’s a problem. 

And it is a problem.  We are hearing about more and more 4 year olds who are dry during the day but ask to put on a nappy to do a poo.   

Read an article on the opposite point of view in the Huffington Post.  Steve Hodges: A Doctor's Response:  Don't Potty Train Your Baby.  At Real Nappies for London we are sharing this knowledge.  It’s up to you to decide what works for you and your baby.

Tuesday 22 July 2014

Is it time to rename Real Nappies for London?

Why does Real Nappies for London need a new name?  I started this conversation @_RNfL yesterday.  Thanks for joining in.  Perhaps we don't but there are several reasons why we're considering a rebrand:

  1. The term 'real' nappies has become controversial.  Many in the real nappy community now prefer the term 'reusable'
  2. Our remit at RNfL now extends to coming out of nappies.  There is a big potential for waste reduction (and our funding currently comes from waste prevention budgets) if toddlers stop wearing nappies (during the day) at around two years rather than four years old.  We're missing a big audience for potty training messages by being called 'Real Nappies for London'
  3.  Over the last few years we have also responded to the growing interest in giving babies the potty from birth.   What used to be quite normal and called 'holding out' is now becoming fashionable and goes by various names: Natural Infant Hygiene, Baby-led pottying, Diaper/Nappy Free or Elimination Communication. 
  4. Nappies are not just a waste issue they are also a health issue and it's often midwives and other health professionals (HPs) who give out RNfL leaflets.  We therefore need a name that works for them.  
  5. Some HPs believe real nappies are only used by white middle-class families and so are reluctant to hand out our leaflets to their clients.

So it's tricky.  We'd also like the name to be fun, joyful.  We want to convey positive messages about changing babies to first-time expectant parents.  Nappy changing shouldn't be something we always do in a rush, a dirty task to be despised.  Nappy changing is contact time with our babies.  A time to enjoy, to sing, coo, smile blow raspberries on her/his tummy. 

All thoughts and ideas welcome! 

Nappy conscious?  Nappy Savvy?  Nappy Aware?  Baby Love?

Monday 21 July 2014

What is Potty Training?

June Rogers, the UK's expert on paediatric continence draws a distinction between potty training ie taking away nappies during the day and preparing babies/toddlers for using the potty/toilet.  We don't just suddenly show children books with writing and expect them to read right?  We show them shapes, then books with shapes and pictures.  We read to children, we talk about books.  All part of developing the skills and experiences they need to eventually read books.  So why has it become the norm to suddenly introduce potty and pants to your child at 2-3 years old?

Advice from the top paediatric continence expert June Rogers is to prepare your child with potty/toilet skills and awareness before potty training starts.   You can see June Rogers in a video talking about potty training HERE

Saturday 12 July 2014

The New Baby Boom | Buy Shares in Disposable Nappies

Today the Financial Times Magazine published an article 'The New Baby Boom'.  It says "In 2001, the number of births in England and Wales hit a 25-year low of 595,000.  In 2012, there were 730,000, a 22 per cent increase."  And this growth is highest in parts of London: "There are more babies per person in Barking and Dagenham than in any other local authority in Britain.  One in 10 people in the area  is under five."  Working out what to do with the increasing volume of nappy waste generated by these babies is a real issue.

Recently I was told that disposable nappy waste is not a problem as we will soon have the technology to turn it into diesel.  "In our lifetime?"  I ask and "Will that be clean diesel?".  But nevermind, what that doesn't do is tackle the issue of children spending longer and longer in nappies.  The weekly spend on single-use nappies is a significant burden for families on low incomes.  Also, changing children's nappies is taking up an increasing amount of primary school teacher's time.
  
At Real Nappies for London we do not blame parents for children starting primary school in nappies.  What we (and many others) have observed is a change in cultural norms of later and later toilet training.  The norm has been to have babies in nappies 24/7 and then at the age of two and a half years suddenly introduce the potty and pants.  

Research shows that children develop bowel and bladder control through being given the opportunity to use the potty/toilet.  Just as we prepare babies for reading through showing them shapes we can introduce babies and toddlers to the potty well before they have bowel and bladder control.  Giving your baby the opportunity to poo or pee on a pot at change time, after a meal or before a bath can be good preparation for taking away nappies during the day ie potty/toilet training.

For several years Real Nappies for London has been pointing out the need for a public health intervention to help parents prepare their child for this important milestone - taking themselves to the potty or toilet.  John McDermott's report indicates the urgency to start this task.

This post may also be of interest:  Are Potty Training Methods in the West ....

For a more detailed account of changes in potty training habits in the UK since the 1950s see Rachel Richardson's Factfile (pdf).  Find  link from www.realnappiesforlondon.org.uk/elimination

Thursday 12 June 2014

Don't put nappies in the mixed recycling bin

Your borough needs your help.  An increasing number of London councils have introduced mixed recycling to increase recycling rates.  But a problem has developed.  Some residents are putting single-use nappies in the mixed recycling bins.  True it does say so on some brands of nappies that they can be recycled.  However to recycle them they need to be collected separately.

The big problem with putting 'disposable' nappies with the recycling is that it contaminates all the recycling and then all the rest of the material that could have been recycled has to go to incineration.  This is clearly a big problem.  Please spread the word to friends, neighbours and other people you come across in your parenting communities:  Don't put nappies in the mixed recycling bin.

Another reason for boroughs to increase information about reusable nappies, right?

Tuesday 6 May 2014

#RealNappyWeek Mythbuster #6 | the biodegradable disposable

Real Nappy Week officially ended on Sunday but as competitions and offers are being extended I thought I'd add an extra mythbuster:  biodegradable ( b ' -d-gr ' d-bl ) adj. Capable of being decomposed by biological agents, especially bacteria.

There are many brands of single-use nappy that claim to be bio-degradable.  And of course, if it says it is on the packet it has to be true, doesn't it?  But of course they can only biodegrade under certain specific conditions.  Most household rubbish goes to landfill and incineration and these are not places where nappies stuffed with superabsorbent polymers (SAPSs) biodegrade.

So far, so obvious, right?  So what do you say when someone tells you they use biodegradable nappies?  In the past I was blunt: "They're a con.  They don't biodegrade."  I now say things like "Oh, that's better than buying the others," (and that's not patronising, I mean it).  "Don't a lot of scientists say they need special conditions to biodegrade?"or "I might be wrong but ... "

I don't want to make a parent feel bad about her/himself.  I don't know what else is going on in her/his life and what s/he is having to cope with.  My anger should not be at parents for being duped but at the companies that dupe them.  So I then move the conversation on to a topic on which we can connect - happy to leave the question unanswered.  It's up to them whether they have the energy/time/inclination to find out more.


#RNW2014   See #RealNappyWeek Mythbuster #1 HERE
#RNW2014   See #RealNappyWeek Mythbuster #2 HERE
#RNW2014   See #RealNappyWeek Mythbuster #3 HERE

Sunday 4 May 2014

Real Nappy Week Mythbuster #5 | there's too much choice

This is another reason people give for not trying reusable nappies; too much choice.   There are lots of pushchairs too but that doesn't seem to prevent people from buying them.    John Lewis says that's why it doesn't sell reusable nappies - but it sells slings and there are a lot of those to choose from too, right?

But you do need help to buy washable nappies, because it's still a niche product and you are new to this whole parenting/nappy thing.  We tend to wear different clothes for lounging around the house, going to bed, showing off at a party and so on.  It's the same with nappies.  Flat nappies are good for lounging around at home, bamboo shaped nappies can be good for nights, pockets can be good for going out and about and well, customised nappies - if you can afford them - are great for social occasions.  

So get a mixed bundle of 6 flats (such as muslins, terries or pre-folds), a shaped nappy, a couple of waterproof wraps to go over the top of all of those and then a pocket to try.  That's 8 nappies that all work and will be useful.  That little bundle shouldn't cost you much more than £60.  Based on your experience you can build up your stash from there.

As with slings it's a good idea to buy from an agent or nappy consultant who will ask you questions, find out your preferences and help you choose what's right for you.  You can even borrow from your local nappy library.  You may even pick up the flats for free on your local Freecycle.  If 100% cotton give them a boilwash with no detergent to sterilise and get rid of any residues.

Don't be afraid, take the plunge.  And if you live in Bexley, Camden, Hackney, Haringey, Islington or Tower Hamlets don't forget to apply for your nappy voucher.  You can apply HERE

#RNW2014   See #RealNappyWeek Mythbuster #1 HERE
#RNW2014   See #RealNappyWeek Mythbuster #2 HERE
#RNW2014   See #RealNappyWeek Mythbuster #3 HERE

Saturday 3 May 2014

#RealNappyWeek Mythbuster 4 | The disposable nappy liberated women

Sorry to break it you guys.  It wasn't disposable nappies that liberated women, it was Feminism.  Decades and decades of struggle and as we all know,  gender equality is still an issue. 

The washing machine?  Now that helped.  But mainly it's been Feminists that drew attention to the unpaid work of women as carers.  This is what means our generation of dads do change nappies and do load washing machines, do cook and shop for food.

The disposable nappy industry likes to claim that it liberated mothers from washing nappies but let's face it, they are not in this business to bring about gender equality.  They are in it to make money.

What they've done over the last few decades is made potty training and  'holding out' a thing of the past and made leaving children in nappies until they're three and a half the norm.  This means actually whilst back in the '50s babies were changed on average 5 times a day for one year, meaning a total of less than 2,000 changes, some parents are now changing nappies for 3.5 years meaning approx 7,000 changes per child.

This Real Nappy Week we're exposing five myths that have helped make single-use nappies the norm.  All we aim to do is share this knowledge so you make up your own mind what's right for you and your baby.


#RNW2014   See #RealNappyWeek Mythbuster #1 HERE
#RNW2014   See #RealNappyWeek Mythbuster #2 HERE
#RNW2014   See #RealNappyWeek Mythbuster #3 HERE

Friday 2 May 2014

Real Nappy Week Mythbuster #3 | Washing nappies is just as bad for the environment as disposables

At RNfL we are asked this question all the time, "Isn't washing nappies, what with all the laundry powder, carbon and water used, just as bad for the environment as single-use nappies?"  No, we say.  Depending on how you wash and dry them they can have up to 40% lower carbon impacts plus they are virtually zero waste.  (See link to report 'Using Science to Create a Better Place' below.) The impacts can be even lower if your child is out of nappies before s/he is two and a half years old.  Impacts are also smaller if some or all of your nappy stash is pre-loved!

So where did this myth come from?  When single-use nappies first came to the market they were largely paper pulp and so  mostly bio-degradable.  They were also very expensive and not very absorbent so most UK parents didn't use them.  They preferred terry nappies and laundry services.   It was only in the the 1980s  when manufacturers started using  Superabsorbent polymers (SAPS) in nappies that sales really took off.  By the mid '90s the disposable nappy had about 90% of the UK nappy market - probably more in London.

It was the Women's Environmental Network (WEN) and Best Foot Forward (link to WEN briefing below)  that drew attention to the problem of landfilling 4-6,000 single-use nappies stuffed with SAPS per baby.  The consensus was reached that washable nappies were more environmentally friendly than single-use nappies.  By then very few parents in the UK knew about modern washable nappies (they thought the choice was between terries, Pampers and Huggies) so WEN initiated Real Nappy Week (1998) and later the Real Nappies for London voucher scheme to help London boroughs inform parents about the latest alternatives to 'disposable' nappies.  

Then in May 2005 the Environment Agency published a very long, detailed and expensive nappy life cycle analysis (link to large pdf file) that said washing nappies was just as bad for the environment as 'disposables'. Environmentalists were astonished and disappointed.  The report omitted the impacts of landfill. It also assumed the reusable nappies (terries) were boiled, tumble-dried and ironed.  Clearly the researchers were very out of touch with the modern reusable nappy market.  It was later also revealed that the data on disposable nappy waste was underestimated.  In short it was biased, as are most life cycles because of intense lobbying pressure from industry.

However the myth had been born.  This life-cycle analysis had huge media coverage with most media claiming that reusable nappies were just as bad for the environment as disposables, neither could claim environmental superiority.  "Parents don't need to feel guilty" crowed the press release put out by AHPMA the (Absorbent Hygiene Product Manufacturers Association.) "Parents should just choose the nappy that best suits their lifestyle" it said.

In October 2008 the Environment Agency published an updated report (see link below) reassessing the impacts of washing nappies and some of the data.  The conclusion was that washing nappies could have up to 40% lower carbon impacts than single-use nappies if they were line-dried and washed at low-temperatures.  There was virtually no coverage of the report in the media. 

Please help expose the myth - washing nappies is much better for the environment if you wash nappies at 60 degrees or below and don't tumble-dry and iron them! 


Link to  Using Science to Create a Better Place: An updated lifecycle assessment study for disposable and reusable nappies

Link to WEN Briefing:  Nappies and the Environment


Thursday 1 May 2014

Real Nappy Week Mythbuster #2 | Children potty train themselves at 40 months

The idea that your child will start wanting to wear pants and use the toilet all by her/himself when s/he is three and a half years old is a very attractive idea, right?  And we are all tempted to hear what we want to hear.

Well the disposable nappy industry worked that one out and parents were had.  Around 1997-2001 it published and circulated 'research' to health visitors, GPs and other  health professionals.  The 'research' said children shouldn't be introduced to the potty until they were three and a half years old or night trained until they were 7.  They went further and spread the myth that if a child potty trains earlier than this, they may suffer  'developmental delay'.  The industry later admitted that this was a major marketing mistake!  But what did it matter to them?  The market had been created for single-use, superabsorbent "potty training" pants for children up to 4 and older.

Nowadays you will see that the official advice from the NHS is to introduce the potty from 18 months.  Some paediatric continence professionals say introduce the potty even earlier.

June Rogers MBE, RN, RSCN, BA, MSc has over 20 years experience in the area of paediatric continence.  She says all children, including those with learning difficulties should be introduced to the potty from an early age although the expectation should be that those with special needs may potty train up to a year later than children who don't have learning difficulties.  The mistake made over the last few decades has been to introduce toileting skills to children later and later. 

There's also a myth that children that wear cloth nappies potty train earlier.  Don't bank on it.   This is an important developmental step and our advice is to give your toddler the stimulation and support to help them achieve it.

Click HERE for advice on introducing your toddler to the potty. 

Real Nappies for London's mission is to reduce nappy waste generated in London.  Washable nappies reduce nappy waste.  Some parents are unable to use them due to the lack of a washing machine or drying space.  We can all help our children come out of nappies - if we have good information and the skills to help our children make this development step.  We are committed to giving parents help to do it.  Please see more HERE.

We welcome your comments below.  Please join the conversation.

Monday 28 April 2014

A Celebrity on the Case | Guest Post


Alicia Silverstone has caused a stir in the last week with her book the Kind Mama, in which among other things she advocates Elimination Communication (EC).

 
Many journalists are having a field day describing her as “batty”, dismissing the concept without a second thought. And why not? On the face of it, it sounds insane, but actually thinking about it, nappies haven’t been around forever. How was it dealt with 1,2 or 3 generations ago?

 
In a nurse’s handbook dated 1952 from the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, the first chapter describes and teaches nurses that “babies know what is expected of them from a very young age and if held above a potty at regular intervals very few dirty napkins will result”.

 
So how and why has society changed so dramatically in 60 odd years? From toileting being dealt with naturally and as a matter of fact, to celebrities and normal people alike who dare talk about EC, being openly ridiculed?

Popular belief is that parents should wait for a set of readiness signals before which toilet training should not be attempted. This of course also works for many and I am not here to judge anyone.

 
But there is an alternative way to go about it which also deserves to be recognised and considered– without mockery.

 
Elimination Communication, better described as baby-led potty training – whereby using the techniques of old, achieving a nappy independent lifestyle is possible even in modern day life:

 

·         Listen and become in tune with your baby’s body language

·         Use cue words/ sounds and or sign language for action association

 

What needs to be remembered is that to practice EC does not mean going nappy free all the time. Nor does it mean an instantaneously potty trained child.

 
EC is about working together with your child and respecting their biological instincts and capabilities.

 
This week is the EC awareness week where we hope to put the EC alternative in front of parents and prospective parents for them to make their own decisions.

 

There is free information and useful and relevant prizes to be won by signing up to the WEBSITE

 
To help spread the word about EC please tweet or facebook #happynonappy

This post was submitted by Caroline Williams from Happy No Nappy

Real Nappy Week Mythbuster #1 - washable nappies are too expensive

You don't have to spend lots of money when you start using real nappies.  Whether you are starting with a new born or at 6 weeks, 6 months or later you can find reusable nappies to meet your budget.

Our advice: work out how much money you will/do spend on disposable nappies per week.  If it's £10 then if you spend £100 on reusable nappies you will be saving money within 12 weeks (to allow for cost of disposable liners, detergent and power for the washing machine).

Plus in some London boroughs you can get a voucher worth up to £54.15 or a real nappy starter pack.  To find out more visit www.realnappiesforlondon.org.uk

Pre-folds are cheap and can often be picked up FREE at NCT sales and on Freecycle.  They really should be the backbone of any nappy stash.  To find out why click here

Monday 14 April 2014

The Real Nappies for London Vision


We need to make a transition to low impact lives.  This doesn’t mean ‘eating lettuce in caves’.  Our vision of a low impact world is one with cleaner air, more fertile soil, fewer deaths and injuries from traffic accidents. 

We can develop technologies that work with nature rather than exploit and degrade the environment.
Would these products reach the market if they were invented today? 
  • Cars that only travel 18mpg? 
  • Diesel?
  • Detergents that damage bio-diversity? 
  • Single-use (misleadingly called disposable) nappies?

Would we send superabsorbent polymers (SAPS) in single-use nappies to landfill when we know they take 100s of years to break down?

Thursday 27 March 2014

Competition - Tell your friends about the voucher

Real Nappy Week 2014 is coming up, 28 April to 4 May and we need your help with promoting real nappies.  Do you have a friend, neighbour or work colleague eligible to apply for a voucher?  They need to live in Bexley, Camden, Hackney, Haringey, Islington or Tower Hamlets and have a baby under 18 months.  Or could you go along to an NCT class or Children's Centre and tell expectant and new parents about the voucher? 

Please tell them to say they heard about the voucher from you on their application.  We will give a prize to the person who has encouraged the most people to obtain vouchers,  (according to our database) by Thursday 24 April.

Also, can you come along to the Great Cloth Nappy Change at St Mary's, Upper Street?  We need your help on Saturday 26 April at 11am to break the record set last year for the most real nappies changed across the World .

For more information and to book your place click  here

Monday 17 March 2014

Real Nappy Week 2014

 28 April - 4 May


Why are more and more parents opting for washable nappies? 

  • Disposable liners help keep the nappies clean so most of the time you're just loading damp cloths into your washing machine. 
  • An increasing number of cloth nappy parents are giving their babies the opportunity to pee or poo on the pot at changing time from an early age.  This makes washing nappies even easier. It also usually means the transition from pants to nappies happens earlier, more easily with less stress for toddlers and carers!  (See the link at the bottom of this page to a wonderful blog about it, if you are interested in learning more.)
  • Parents tell us it's not that much extra work.  You're doing so much washing when you have a new baby, what's the problem with an extra wash every other day?  And it saves bringing back big bulky packages from the supermarket.
  • But there's an even bigger reason.  Parents just can't bear the idea of all those disposable nappies 4,500-6,000 per baby, sitting in landfill for hundreds of years.

Come and celebrate using real nappies on Saturday 26 April at St Mary's Centre, Upper Street.  Book your free place here and be part of the Big Cloth Nappy Change 2014.  NB You only need to book if you are participating in the Guinness nappy change at 11am.

Please arrive at 10.30am to register.  One adult per baby and baby must be changed into a cloth nappy. 

Link to Lulastic's blog post Get Started with Elimination Communication




Monday 3 March 2014

Reduce Climate Change Impacts of your baby wearing nappies


See if your baby is trying to tell you s/he wants to pee or poo on a pot.  Look up Elimination Communication – fewer nappies is the most environmentally friendly option

Use cloth nappies – washing nappies can have up to 40% lower climate change impacts than disposables if you wash a full load, air dry and don’t boil or iron them. To find out more download Environment Agency Report of 2008 (PDF)

Look for the signs that your child wants to potty train – children can be clean at one year and dry by 18 months. Even if you use disposables this can reduce the impacts considerably.  There are also positive health impacts from potty training earlier.  For more click here

Tuesday 25 February 2014

London spends £20 million on nappy waste ...


On any one day there are about 335k babies and toddlers in London wearing an average of 5 disposable nappies per day.  That means over 1.5 million nappies are thrown away in London every day.  We estimate Londoners spend approximately £20 million per year on the collection and disposal of nappy waste.

How much does YOUR local authority spend on the disposal of nappy waste each year?  We make an estimate based on the number of babies born in your borough, the amount of waste a baby in disposable nappies generates (874kg - almost a tonne, from birth to potty training) and the cost of waste disposal per tonne for your borough - this varies according to the way waste is treated. 

Here are some examples of the costs per year, per London borough:
Brent  £490k  (based on 5,340 births in 2012)
Croydon  £365k  (based on 4,177 births in 2012)
Ealing £504k (based on 5,487 births in 2012)
Hillingdon  £420k  (based on 4,536 births in 2012)
Hounslow  £424k (based on 4,621 births in 2012)
Lambeth £582k (based on 4,825 births in 2012)
Merton £319k  (based on 3,476 births in 2012)
Sutton £237k (based on 2,708 births in 2012)
Wandsworth (inc collection)  £886k (based on 5,451 births in 2012)

Surely local authorities should spend at least 3% of what they spend on disposable nappy waste on preventing/reducing the cost of this household waste stream?    Why don't they?  Because they say residents can't be influenced and so raising awareness is a waste of money.  It's true that real nappies will not become the norm over night.  Behaviour change is slow.  It took about 30 years for disposable nappies to become the norm.  It could take 30 years for real nappies to become the norm again. 

At Real Nappies for London we know that real nappy vouchers are an effective way of increasing the uptake of washable nappies.  They increase word-of-mouth (the best marketing there is) and encourage residents to find out about them and try them.

We don't understand it when local authorities say they haven't got the money to pay for our help.  The collection and disposal of single-use nappies is expensive.  Reusable nappies are a zero waste alternative and bring down waste collection and disposal costs. 

Real Nappies for London was designed to be a pan-London scheme.  By working across London we can offer an economic and effective service - the more boroughs join the better the scheme.  This is largely because of you.  You have friends in different boroughs and can refer them to RNfL for help and support in using washable nappies.

We are in the run-up to the London local elections.  Councillors are listening.  Please write to them (use this link to write a quick email) and tell them that you want them to spend money on reducing disposable nappy waste in your borough.  If your borough does offer a nappy voucher or a nappy trial pack please let them know you support this.  This will help ensure these schemes continue to exist.

For futher information on disposables vs reusable nappies please see Which?  A good article to pass on to friends and family that are expecting a baby.

Do post any questions you have about the Real Nappies for London scheme and we will try to answer them.  As residents you are powerful.  You can get your borough to promote real nappies if enough of you contact your councillors.

Want more ideas on how to reduce your waste? This inspiring YouTube film of a Zero Waste Household has had over 70,000 views.

Wednesday 12 February 2014

Nappy Ever After wants to ditch the diesel


Camden-based nappy laundry service, Nappy Ever After needs to raise £2,000 to get its electric bike back on the road.  It's holding a fund-raising screening during Climate Week (March 3-9) of the Diaper Dilemma, a 50 minute documentary that investigates the issuess around nappies.  It offer four solutions to the problem of nappy waste including nappy laundry services!

The fund-raising screening takes place at Nappy Ever After at 96 Chalton Street, NW1 1HJ on Friday March 7 at 10.30am.

A discussion will follow.  You can book here

For details of how to donate  see Nappy Ever After blog post here

Monday 10 February 2014

Environment Agency or Government? Who is to blame?

Eric Pickles has blamed the Environment Agency - Guardian  for the flooding of the Somerset Levels.  We are not qualified to comment.

However we are qualified to comment on the Environment Agency's Nappy Life Cycle Analysis of 2005 that said washing nappies had similar environmental impacts to landfilling and incinerating disposables.

We can  confirm that there was pressure from then  Environment Minister Elliot Morley on the EA NOT to damage the economic interests of the disposable nappy industry by publishing a report that would affect their profits. 




Monday 3 February 2014

Apply for your nappy voucher in person

This is a new way to get your voucher and buy real nappies.  For the next few months (until at least 18 October) you can turn up at Nappy Ever After's shop between Euston and Kings Cross St Pancras stations and apply for a voucher in person.

Nappy Ever After's regular shop hours are Tue 2-6pm, but if you can't make this time give Joy a call on 020 7383 5115 and you can arrange appointments/extra sessions.

Take your documents with you - as specified on the Real Nappies for London 'Apply' page.  Please note you can also present photocopies with confidential details such as your passport number, bank details hidden.  We simply need to have enough proof to prevent fraudulent applications.
  1. proof of ID eg passport, driving license, NHS card
  2. proof of address eg utility bill or any official letter dated within last 2 months
  3. proof of pregnancy eg MatB1 form or prescription exemption card or birth eg birth certificate
Whichever borough you belong to, Bexley, Camden, Hackney, Haringey, Islington or Tower Hamlets, your voucher can be processed on the spot.  You can look at real nappies at the same time.  You can buy nappies at Nappy Ever After with your voucher or you can have your voucher emailed to you to spend elsewhere.

Please note that there are also real nappy events in Bexley, Hackney, Islington and Tower Hamlets where you can have your voucher issued on the spot.  Click on your borough for details.

If you live in Haringey My Creche has kindly agreed to scan your documents and email them to Real Nappies for London for you.

We'd like to hear your views on how to make it easier to get your real nappy voucher.  You can comment here or email nappies@lcrn.org.uk with your ideas and suggestions.

This is a trial until at least 2 July.  If successful it will be extended and we will fix up more opportunities to apply for your voucher in person in other locations.

Friday 17 January 2014

Are you fed up that your council doesn't offer an incentive to use real nappies?

You can do something about it.  It's election year in London and local councillors are in listening mode.  You can write to them or even better visit their surgery.

Mums, dads, carers, we'd really appreciate it if you could tell them that you are using/used real nappies on your baby and enjoy/ed it.  We need you to let your local councillor know that, despite the washing, it makes you feel really good to put out less waste.  If you visit his/her surgery take along a nappy to show them - it's amazing how few people know what modern cloth nappies look like - even better, your baby wearing one!

Your councillor needs to know you are happy to use cloth nappies and that by using them you personally are reducing the cost of waste disposal.  They need to find out that cloth nappies work, don't leak, save you money and can help toddlers make the transition to pants earlier and more easily.

Please also mention that Real Nappies for London offers a service that enables local authorities in London to promote real nappies at a low cost to them with almost no work for their officers.  Please also mention the need for more nappy libraries to help people try before they buy.  If you use a nappy laundry service, tell her/him about that.  If your child's nursery is happy to use real nappies mention that.

Let's get real nappies on their radar in a positive way.  At the moment politicians avoid the subject.  If enough of you do it we can make a difference.

We'd especially like Barnet, Enfield and Waltham Forest residents to do this.  You have the NLWA Cashback but it's not very well promoted.  

To send an email to your local councillor click here

Thursday 16 January 2014

Vaccination - the question

At RNfL we can't claim to have any expertise on this subject.  However we are aware that it's difficult (as with nappies) to make an informed choice.  So we are publicising this event in London.  

Vaccination – The Question

DR  JAYNE LM DONEGAN

Date:                     Monday 27th January 2014

Time:                    6.30pm – 8.30pm  (Please arrive by 6.15pm)

Location:             CNM, 41 Riding House Street, London W1W 7BE (Nearest tube Oxford Circus)

Entry:                    £10 per person

GP & Homeopath, Dr Jayne Donegan was a former strong supporter of the UK’s Universal Childhood Vaccination Programme, but her subsequent research led her to change her opinion.   In this seminar Dr Donegan will address:

·         Factors key to decreases in deaths from childhood diseases.

·         Efficacy of common childhood vaccinations.

·         Safety risks versus benefits of modern vaccinations.

·         How government & pharmaceutical companies manage vaccine data.

·         What historical evidence  tells us about protecting children’s health today.

 

Book on line or call 01342 410 505    This is the link to use http://www.naturopathy-uk.com/shop/vaccination-jan2014.html )

Monday 6 January 2014

A Nappy Day Out | Real Nappy Flashmob

On Tuesday 11th December 2013 parents and supporters joined the #realnappyflashmob to raise awareness of reusable nappies on the same day as the publication of the first ever Waste Prevention Programme for England.

Meeting at St Pancras International by the John Betjeman Statue, we were welcomed by the official station photographer who has written a great blog about it.

© Tina Aileen Au

© Sam Lane Photography


and off we went meeting more parents on the way...




© Tina Aileen Au


Congregating outside Kings Place, the group proceeded inside to roll out the 'Real Nappies, Real Change' banner and attempt to have a dance and picture by the banner...



© Tina Aileen Au

The security weren't too impressed but this did not dampen our spirits...

© Tina Aileen Au



© Tina Aileen Au

For the flashmob's last stop (although losing a few people on the way), the group set off towards Granary Square, home to the University of Arts London and a short walk away from the Kings Cross Skip Garden run by Global Generation. A nice way to end the afternoon with tea and a log fire in the yurt...

© Tina Aileen Au

© Tina Aileen Au
© Tina Aileen Au

© Global Generation



A big thank you to everyone who came along and supported the #realnappyflashmob!  If you would like to get involved with future Real Nappies for London events please see our volunteer page.

Thank you also to Tina at The Snapshot Cafe who kindly volunteered her time to take the official pictures of the day.

Till next time!