The case for using cloth nappies

An environmental study of nappies revealed that there was no difference between cloth reusables and disposables, when it comes to environmental damage. That study was flawed, though, because it made some wildly inaccurate assumptions about cloth nappy users - such as they iron their nappies and that they wash them at 90 degrees.

Most eco-conscious mums know that washing at 90 degrees is wasteful, and many of them also avoid expensive detergents, choosing things like soap nuts - hence they are making less shopping trips and their products require less delivery lorries. You could go on and on examining the whys and wherefores, but it is a fairly proven fact that cloth nappies are less harmful for the environment (if used by non-wasteful people, obviously).

Martine Carroll, founder of Modern Baby, says, "Each child uses up to 5,000 nappies during their first two years and the positive impact of using reusable nappies is immense. Parents can save around £600 per child compared to the cost of using disposables and this increases significantly if the nappies are used on other children.

"In addition, with more and more councils moving towards fortnightly disposal collection, using reusables means less waste festering in wheelie bins or filling up landfill sites."

Cloth nappy resources

Modern real nappies don't need pins, and there is a range of accessories you can buy, or even make yourself. The Go Real website offers a list of tips such as how to make your own fleece liners, how to make your own wet wipes and how to make your own wet wipe solution. Go Real's website also features a nappy finder service and a directory of retailers.

Discussion: new report shows re-usable nappies are better
Real nappies are up to 40% better for the environment than disposables; a new report from the government has stated today.

Cloth nappy sellers
Look through our extensive list of websites for sellers and advisors.

Buy and sell nappies
Members of our forum can buy and sell reusable nappies for free. Something you aren't allowed to do on Ebay because they consider cloth nappies to be "used underwear".

Cloth Nappy Addicts does what it says on the tin. It's a website for mums who love cloth, with its main feature being a much-used forum. Whether you're just curious about reusable nappies or a fully-fledged addict, you will find something to interest you here.