Cloth nappy library

08-Jan-2013by Jackie Goldston

Coast first in Queensland to trial cloth nappy library

Sunshine Coast parents are invited to trial cloth nappies without having to buy them, potentially saving thousands of dollars and the environment at the same time. And it’s not what you’d usually expect from a library, but parents are being given the chance to try modern cloth nappies before they buy.

Queensland’s first modern cloth nappy library, made possible through co-funding from Sunshine Coast Council’s Environment Levy and Eco Child, will be launched at Maroochydore by the Sustainable Parenting Association (SPA), a not-for-profit group set up to provide community education and support for parents making environmentally friendly parenting choices.

Carly Earl, Spokesperson for SPA said, ‘Currently, most Australian parents choose the convenience of disposable nappies over cost and environmental concerns, despite the fact they could save up to $3,500 by using cloth nappies.’

‘On average, families spend $4,000 on disposable nappies from birth to toilet training for each child, compared with less than $1,000 ($600 average spend) for cloth nappies.’

‘Modern cloth nappies have come a long way since our mothers and grandmothers used folded and pinned terry towelling squares. These days, the modern cloth nappy is a much more attractive option as they’re pre-shaped with snaps or Velcro and available in a wide range of colours and designer prints. They’re less bulky, more absorbent and easy to wash!’

For $100/fortnight, the community Modern Cloth Nappy library will give parents the opportunity to find the best cloth nappy type for their baby before they buy, along with personal support, workshops and training.  All nappies are commercially cleaned to Australian Laundry standards after every hire.

SPA’s main objective is to break down the misconceptions that using cloth nappies is ‘inconvenient’ and educate families about the cost and environmental benefits of reusable nappies. As the Sunshine Coast’s population grows, the issue of single-use plastic, non-biodegradable disposable nappies going into local landfill is alarming, - 23,348,000 annually on the Sunshine Coast alone!

The launch at Milwell Road Community Centre, Maroochydore, includes morning tea and will be held on Wednesday 16th January from 10am.  Parents are invited to come along to the launch and will go into the running to win a free hire of 1 of 5 modern cloth nappy hire kits saving $100.00 hire fee per kit.  Bring the kids along as there will be goody bags, face painting and information on how to book this ground-breaking new service at the event. To register for this free event and go in for the draw, please book by email at info@ecochild.com.au or facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SustainableParentingAssoc

For more information on SPA, contact Carly Earl on 0421 866 604.

Nappy facts:

  • Australians send 800 million disposable nappies each year to landfill.
  • It is estimated that Disposable nappies take up to 400 years to break down.
  • It costs a family approximately $$3500 to have a child in disposables from birth to toilet training. Using modern cloth costs around $850. 5
  • In a home with one baby using disposables, 50% of the household's waste will be nappies.1
  • In 2009, Australian babies used 2.1 billion nappies - about 5.6 million per day. 2
  • 95% of nappies used in Australia today are disposable, up from 40% in 1993.2
  • Disposable nappies create 20 times more landfill than cloth.3
  • Home washed reusable nappies use less non-renewable and total energy over the life cycle than any other nappy system.3
  • Disposable nappies use 2.3 times more water to produce than what it takes to wash cloth nappies for one year. 4

Using cloth nappies, the user has much more control over their environmental impact.3

 

References:
1 Zero waste - New Zealand Trust http://www.zerowaste.co.nz/  
2 Choice magazine - Disposable nappies review and compare http://www.choice.,com.au/
3 O'Brien, K.R., Olive, R., Hsu, Y.C., Bell, R., Morris, L. and Kendall, N. (2009). Life Cycle Assessment: Reusable and disposable nappies in Australia. In:, Australian Life Cycle Assessment Society Conference 2009. 6th Australian Conference on Life Cycle Assessment, Melbourne, (1-14). 17-19 February. (2009)
4 Link, A.(2003) Disposable nappies: a case study in waste prevention. Women's Environment Network.
5 2010 report, Cloth nappies in the community.

What do you think?