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.