Parents in Suffolk Coastal can help save the earth by using real nappies, with a special offer of some free sets being offered on loan from the Council’s recycling team.

Switching their babies to real nappies could save parents up to £500 on the cost of buying disposable nappies, and play a small part in reducing the mountain of 670,000 tonnes of them that are sent to landfill sites every year in this country.

“It is estimated that nearly three billion disposable nappies are used and thrown away every year. With the landfill tax now running at £24 a tonne, that means the hidden national cost of them is now over £16 million which Council Taxpayers have to meet,” said Cllr Andrew Nunn, Cabinet Member for the Green Environment.

“Disposable nappies are literally costing us all the earth, both through their impact on the environment and on our pockets. Real nappies are an excellent alternative, and today’s cloth nappies are shaped to fit, easy to use and contain no hidden chemicals.

“I would urge all our mums and dads, and parents to be, to consider the Green option and to at least try out real nappies on their babies. They will soon find that they are better off financially and will be playing their part in protecting our environment. We have some loan packs of real nappies on offer and I hope we get deluged with enquiries,” added Cllr Nunn.

The nappies on offer are all brand new, in a range of styles, but there is only a limited number available. The only conditions for their loan is that parents will be asked for their feedback on what they think of using the real nappies, and will be asked to return them when they no longer need them.      

Anyone interested in taking part in the free trial can contact Suffolk Coastal’s recycling team on 01394 444000. April 21 -27 is the national real nappy week and for more information about real nappies, people can visit the Suffolk Real Nappy Network on www.suffolkrealnappynetwork.org.uk or call 0870 005 3985.

The advice to parents washing real nappies is to put them in full loads at 60 degrees centigrade using low energy rated washing machines, and allowing them to dry naturally wherever possible.