Plastic rocks on an isolated island
The sombre message of stones made of plastic found on an uninhabited island far from the Brazilian coast.
How do you find good plastic-free nappies in the washable nappy maze?
21 March
Living a plastic-free life in a time in which almost everything is made of plastic, packaged in plastic or both is not easy. Something really has to change if we want to tackle the plastic soup at the source. But that does not excuse individuals from taking the responsibility to do something to avoid it getting worse. And certainly if you, like me, work at Plastic Soup Foundation. You then suddenly become a father and if you are not careful, you will be awash in plastic. Toys, clothes, wet wipes, nappies … Especially nappies. What can you do?
The nappy avalanche
In the Netherlands alone there are more than 500,000 babies and children who wear nappies. On average, every child uses five nappies a day which equates to 150 a month. The vast majority are disposable nappies. This amounts to 25 kilos a month (in Dutch) or about 300 kilos a year for each child! In the Netherlands in total, this is 150 million kilos of nappy waste a year! A true nappy avalanche! Furthermore, it is a huge dirty waste stream that can hardly be recycled. The nappies are not only dirty, but they are also made of several different materials, including different types of plastic. This makes them exceptionally hard to recycle and they almost all end up in the incinerator. This is not really sustainable, so if you are a young parent who wants to make a difference, you could opt for sustainable nappies. But then, how do you find them?
Win-win-win-win washable
In the search for sustainable nappies, you quickly discover that there are a lot of different types of nappies. Some are better for the environment than others, but the standard type is the disposable nappy. There are more sustainable options of disposable nappy, but almost all of them contain plastic and are thus virtually non-recyclable. Luckily there is one real sustainable option. Milieu Centraal is very clear about this: the most sustainable nappy is the washable nappy! Even if the impact on the environment of producing and washing these nappies are considered, washable nappies are indisputably the best option. What is even better for someone that does not want to contribute to the plastic soup is that many washable nappies are made of natural materials such as cotton, hemp and wool. There are other advantages too. Looking at the entire life-cycle, washable nappies are a lot cheaper – about EUR 500 per child! Babies also suffer less from nappy rash and children that wear washable nappies are often potty trained more quickly. Win-win-win-win. You then have to wonder why washable nappies are not more popular?
Unknown makes unloved
Unfortunately there is a lot of bias against washable nappies. Many people believe that washable nappies are old-fashioned and they mistakenly believe that disposable nappies are more convenient and more hygienic. This is not true though. The safety pin is no longer used and there are a lot of easy to put on washable nappies with pretty prints on the market. Further, washing nappies is no more difficult than always having to buy new ones and disposing of them. Nor are they dirty or complicated. You simply throw the nappies in the laundry basket and then in the washing machine instead of in the nappy bin and the container. And if you are concerned about the excrement, you can always use paper inlays. You then throw this away when the baby has defecated. A small sheet of paper is naturally a lot better than a whole disposable nappy full of microplastics.
The washable nappy maze
There is, however, one major obstacle in the way when choosing washable nappies. Anyone thinking that there is less choice here than in disposable nappies is sorely mistaken. It may even be more complicated. Do you want a one-part system or two-part system? Will you go for an all-in-one or a snap-in-one? Press studs or Velcro? Hemp, cotton, wool or synthetic? Or a combination of these? Entering the world of washable nappies can be a confusing experience.
Fortunately there are people who are happy to guide you through the washable nappy maze. One example is the www.wasbareluierwereld.nl website (in Dutch) that has a clear overview of many of the different types of nappies. You can even get free advice from consultants about the best type of washable nappy for you. There are also useful links to shops where you can buy or rent them.
Our choice
To help us take the right decision, we first rented trial packages. We tried out different types of nappies of different brands for a month to see what worked best for us. The criteria that were important to us were how comfortable they seemed to be; how easy they were to put on and take off; and how often they leaked. In the end, we chose a two-part system. What this means is an inside nappy made of organic cotton and a waterproof wrap. These are made under good labour conditions in the EU – this is important too of course! You could also go for secondhand nappies if you want to be completely sustainable.
We are now over six months down the line and are still really happy with our choice. They are easy to use, easy to clean and have never leaked. The cotton inside nappies do need half a day to dry on the rack so you do need to buy enough to be at least one day ahead. We also clean our baby’s bottom with washable cotton cloths and water. We are saving a lot of plastic and other waste and money, and we have a nappy rash free happy baby. We can highly recommend it.
By Jurjen de Waal (Plaste Waste Campaigner)
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