[Closed] Reusable Nappies - appologies not the most interesting topic

We used cotton bottoms on our first and found them to be easy peasy. its like everything when you first have a child - it seems unsurmountably difficult to begin with but after a couple of months getting into a routine its fine.

If you look at some of the comparisions done between carbon footprint of reusables and disposables you will find they are about the same. The main issue after that is the landfill one. You can get biodegradable disposable nappies form most places these days and i know a lot of people who have gone down this route.

It's been a long time since I did this calculation as both our daughters are in their twenties but when they were in nappies I insisted to Mrsjova that we use terries and not disposables as much as possible.

Over the period of their combined usage; given the initial outlay, washing, drying, neutralising chemicals etc I calculated that the terries cost less than 25% of the projected cost of using disposables and doesn't include the negative effect on the environment of thousands of non-degrading disposables.

Of course, back in the 1980's no-one had heard of carbon footprints.

had the same bewilderment here, the wife has beenasking about and a few people have sent us samples but I guess it's hard to know what to use before the baby arrives

interested to hear some user reviews!

Ah, at last my specialist subject...

We used them for 2 kids. We bought a lot second hand. ebay (possibly for pathetic reasons of squeamishness) don't let you sell them there now but there are other second hand nappy sites available - Google them. My wife bought a few different ones to try and eventually we ended up with mostly Motherease ones with popper, rather than velcro fastenings as she thought they fitted better (ah yes it's all flooding back... as Kurtz said "the horror, the horror") We used to get the liners from Waitrose and bought in bulk as they weren't easy to come by everywhere. You also need a nappy bin (with tight fitting lid!) to keep them in until you have enough to wash - the online advice seems to be to leave them to soak in that with a drop of tea tree oil, but we didn't bother and just left them dry in there and washed a load every other day I suppose.

We also managed to sell some second hand when we'd finished with them (although in fact I think we still have a few knocking around somewhere - mail me and if we've still got some I'll send you a couple to try). You may find too that your local council runs a disposable nappy scheme and will give you a rebate on any you buy new. I seem to remember getting about £40 back.

BTW they are only environmentally friendly if you don't wash 2 at once then shove them in the tumble dryer.

Also we weren't totally obsessive about using them (unlike some of our friends) and did carry on using disposables when we went on trips etc.

We used ours for our eldest daughter, our 2nd came along 16 months later so ended up reverting to disposables when my wife and I started drowning in a sea of nappies to be laundered. From a practicality point of view they're easy - as said above - it's just a matter of getting into routine.

I think ours were Tots Bots. The expensive bits are the 'body' of the nappies and the plastic outers - the liners are just fleece strips (sh*t doesn't stick to fleece!). We were actually told it wasn't worth shelling out on the official fleece liners but to go to a fabric store and buy it by the meter.

I'm sure we've got all our reusable nappy bits and bobs in the loft - cost us north of £250. I'll have to check where they are but if you're anywhere near to the Sussex/Kent border you're welcome to come and take the lot for £50 or so (again, have to make sure my wife hasn't any 'plans' for them). I know we're not going to be having any more kids anytime soon and could do with the storage space back...

Over the period of their combined usage; given the initial outlay, washing, drying, neutralising chemicals etc I calculated that the terries cost less than 25% of the projected cost of using disposables and doesn't include the negative effect on the environment of thousands of non-degrading disposables.

Was that your pitch to the Mrs. 😀

FWIW - mine are also way too old for nappies & I'll probably be the next one in this house with them 😯 but we used to use disposables during the night & terries during the day unless it was really bad weather [we didn't have a tumble dryer]
Much easier on a night to change a disposable than to do all that folding stuff

We are about to have twins, so I say stuff the implications, we are doing disposable. Waaaay too many other more important things to concentrate on!

If you look at some of the comparisions done between carbon footprint of reusables and disposables you will find they are about the same.

But these are figures provided (or funded) by the baby industry - they make ludicrous assumptions like - you will buy all new and far more than you need, you will boil wash them and tumble dry them.

If you use them for more than one child, wash at 40 degrees and air dry them then they are far better environmentally (not even counting landfill/disposal issues) and they are a lot cheaper in the end

Check out your local council, lots give grants to people planning on using cloth. Also have a look here [url] http://www.treehuggermums.co.uk/articles/clothnappies/article.php?article=39 [/url] for general advice. But from my friends experience it seems trial and error as to which work for them, so they have tended to buy a few of lots of types before settling. I believe there's also a good second hand market for them as well.

We've got a 8 month old and been using washables since about 2 months. But still use disposable at night coz they're more absorbent.

My wife got about 30 nappies for £55 from the local paper and nearly-new baby sales in the local area and we buy nappy-liners (200 for £5) which makes them easier to wash. The liners can be composted. Disposables are about 10p each so the cost works out about the same over a year when you factor in washing-soap and wear+tear on the washing machine and your time. Bear in mind you need to change washable nappies more often because they don't keep moisture away from the skin as effectively

Our daughter now getting to the stage where she needs the next size nappies and unless we can find some more second hand, we won't be continuing since a few will still fit - we'll just use a combination of disposables and washables.

I'd recommend avoiding ones using velcro as a fastening as this can wear out and reduce the nappy life span. We used 'nappy nippers' to hold all ours together and they have done both our kids and are now being used by the sister in laws new arrival.

[url= http://www.goreal.org.uk/ ]Real nappy network[/url]

We are about to have twins, so I say stuff the implications, we are doing disposable. Waaaay too many other more important things to concentrate on!

Why is it that some people are not only happy to ignore important issues, but also need to wear their opinions on their sleeve? Are you not embarrassed about that? - you should be. Why don't you print this forum thread out and you can show it to your kids in 10 years and ask them if they agree?

We are about to have twins...

for twins it is much more economic to use washables since you don't need to buy many more - you need a washing machine load (about 16-20) plus a day's worth (about 7 per baby) to use while the others are drying.

as a 'middle way' 200 quid will buy you a years supply of bio-degradable nappies

Our council does a re-usable nappy service too.
A disposable nappy can take over 100 years to bio degrade ( so really it doesn't bio degrade).

I congratulate all those who are using.

Bio degredable go straight to a land fill site and are not much of a middle ground given the environmental costs of manufacture.
Used them for two kids and stil using them on one...my wife sells them as part of her business. Not a style/makle we have not tried, Velcro , popers, stuffers , terries etc. All seem to work and you get used to them quite quickly.
We are just North of Manchester if you want some free advice (e-mail as it is a business) or she may visit depending on how far you are away from Chorley.
She has a trial kit so you can try a number of different styles and see what you prefer.(cost to this but not sure how much)
PS You can get washable liners and the disposable ones are also washable about 5 ish times or thereabouts.
Also get washable (fleecy) liners and also wet wipes (small terry type) amasing how many of these you need and the enviromental cost of these.

My e-mail in profile if you want more info/help (partly free advice but my wife does do it for a business though iam not (entirely) touting for extra business.

[url= http://www.teamlollipop.co.uk/ ]lollipop nappies[/url]

Have been considering this debate myself, as I'm due later this year. Have looked in the biodegradable disposable nappies and they're not as green as they're made out to be.

I've made the decision to stick with cloth nappies and wash them although as to which brand I'm as yet undecided, trial and error and time will tell on that one.

Obviously with all the freebie disposable you get I'm not going to bin them, but will save them for trips away when cloth may be less than practical, but I'm not going to go out and buy any.

Just my 2p's and it all may change once I have to deal with it - but I'd prefer to do every bit I can to reduce the amount going to landfill, especially after spending a weekend with a family who not only used disposables, but wrapped each in it's own plastic bag before binning it - and he easily got through 4 in the first few hours in the morning. Not my idea of responsible.

didn't read the above but we have done well with the following:

1st babe - used the local delivery service to start (lady comes around once a week with a laundered set and a nice smelling bin) - takes the fear out of starting and still less money than huggies. Once we'd got the courage up we switched to tots bots and nappy nippers with motherease outers (jargon!)

2nd babe - carried on with the above selection

We use waitrose biodegradable disposables for night time as the washables can mean sore bots. (and for travel as the washables take up loads of space / mean carrying a bag for keeping used ones)

Get used to getting up close and personal with copious sh1te!

The environment agency report in 2005/6 concluded there was bugger all difference environmentally between any of the systems.

Saying that bio-degradable is bad because you have to 'manufacture' isn't the complete story when comparing them against a system that requires washing and drying - unless you're cleaning them with rocks in your local river 😉

The 550Kg of C02 output for manufacture is equivalent to the manufacture and washing+drying of non-disposables which also I think works out to be similar to driving 4000 miles - so easiest to ditch the motor for a few trips first!

[i]Why is it that some people are not only happy to ignore important issues, but also need to wear their opinions on their sleeve? Are you not embarrassed about that? - you should be. Why don't you print this forum thread out and you can show it to your kids in 10 years and ask them if they agree?[/i]
What do I have to be embarrassed about? Certain people have certain views on what is good and bad for the environment and I can listen to arguments from either side. I choose to believe that any environmental benefits, although apparent, are not enough to make me decide to use re-usable. And if my kids think I should have done - good on them for forming their own opinions on something.

[i]for twins it is much more economic to use washables since you don't need to buy many more - you need a washing machine load (about 16-20) plus a day's worth (about 7 per baby) to use while the others are drying.[/i]
But as you will probably be able to understand, having two babies to look after means even less time to do other things such as eat, wash, sleep etc so to spend unnecessary time washing/drying seems daft. Add to that the thought of having one screaming baby being changed and another screaming because it needs changing and I am sure I will want it done as quickly as possible.

Don't get me wrong - I am impressed by people that feel they can cope (r have proved that they can) with re-usable nappies and hats off to them. I just think it would be too much trouble in our circumstances.

EDIT: I have considered looking into them when they are a bit older and we are into a routine with them.

Sorry, might end up repeating some bits.

First check your local council don't do a voucher this for reusable nappies. We got £55 (I think) off some. The Missus wanted bamboo ones first of all, so got them. They were meant to last until 9 months, but our girl grew out of them by 5 months.

We now use some that I can't remember the name of but they're excellent. They have poppers that mean they can be made the right size for new borns, but then expand as they grow. Our little one is 8 months next week and there's still loads of room left for her to grow in. We have a friend who has a one year old who's used them from birth and they're going strong.

They also dry very, very quickly. Almost dry when they come out of the machine.

£15 or so each. We got 12 and had two free. That's plenty for her with washing done every 2 to 3 days or so. We also use bio degradable ones as backup or when we're away form home.

BTW, we use reusable, not only for environmental reasons, but also cause they're nicer on her little botty. Aparently we're geting some eco balls instead of washing powder for financial and eco reasons.

I'll try to find the manufacturer out later if you want.

Congratulations tinker-belle.

I'm guessing as more and more people use these washable nappies then the price should go down.

PS congratulations bigsurfer and also Tinker-belle 🙂

we use a mixture of disposable and re-useable.

there is a nappy laundry service near us so we subscribed for a month to see if it would be practical. it wasnt feasible as a full time option so we do a bit of both.

we use the square cotton liner with the plastic velcro covers. the popper ones we have are more fiddly to do up and dont seem to fit as well.

the missus spent about £60 on the re-usable stuff and we have enough to fill up the machine and have a couple left over. We use disposables when out and at bedtime as its easier as you dont need to change em as much.

we looked at the eco nappies but they made the nipper really sore where they rubbed as the 'cut' is awful. they also leak crap everywhere.

report rebublished due to flaws and concluded

In essence how you wash them /dry them is the critical point

The average 2006 disposable nappy would result in a global warming impact of approximately 550kg of carbon dioxide equivalents used over the two and a half years a child is typically in nappies. The global warming impact from disposable nappies use has decreased since the previous study due to manufacturing changes and a 13.5 per cent reduction in the weight of nappies.
The report highlights that the manufacture of disposable nappies has greater environmental impact in the UK than their waste management by landfill. For reusable nappies, the baseline scenario based on average washer and drier useproduced a global warming impact of approximately 570kg of carbon dioxide equivalents. However, the study showed that the impacts for reusable nappies are highly dependent on the way they are laundered.
Washing the nappies in fuller loads or line-drying them outdoors all the time (ignoringUK climatic conditions for the purposes of illustration) was found to reduce this figure by 16 per cent. Combining three of the beneficial scenarios (washing nappies in a fuller load, outdoor line drying all of the time, and reusing nappies on a second child)
would lower the global warming impact by 40 per cent from the baseline scenario, or some 200kg of carbon dioxide equivalents over the two and a half years, equal to driving a car approximately 1,000 km.
In contrast, the study indicated that if a consumer tumble-dried all their reusable nappies, it would produce a global warming impact 43 per cent higher than the baseline scenario. Similarly, washing nappies at 90°C instead of at 60°C would increase global
warming impact by 31 per cent over the baseline. Combining these two energy intensive scenarios would increase the global warming impact by 75 per cent over the baseline scenario, or some 420kg of carbon dioxide equivalent over the two and a half
years.
The environmental impacts of using shaped reusable nappies can be higher or lower than using disposables, depending on how they are laundered. The report shows that, in contrast to the use of disposable nappies, it is consumers’ behaviour after purchase that determines most of the impacts from reusable nappies

FROM
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=WR0705_7589_FRP.pdf

And the figures assume a second child using the nappies. I assume that would mean a fraternal sibling that could re-use the nappies at a later date. We will not be having any more children (at least do not plan to) so the second child scenario will not happen. And of course the weather situation is a good one - assuming 50% of the year you can dry outdoors the figures would suggest there would be (approximately) a break-even.

In essence how you wash them /dry them is the critical point

And really you're likely to have a good mix of 60' washers and air dryers and 90' washers and tumble dryers so there still is bugger all difference between washable and disposable, and even in their best possible scenario you save the equivalent C02 of driving 600 miles.

Besides, my father-in-law supplies linings for landfill sites and I don't want to do him out of business.

😉

Surely the comparison of the impact on global warming is only half the story. The main environmental benefit of using washable nappies being they don't get sent to landfill. I remember reading that disposable nappies make up around 3% of household waste.
Also I would think anybody that goes to the bother of using disposable would be pretty savvy about the impact of washing at 90deg and tumble drying.
PS.My first post on STW and it's on the subject of nappies.

What do I have to be embarrassed about?

Well you did say this:

I say stuff the implications, we are doing disposable.

And actually I'm not criticising you for making the decision to use disposables. I'm criticising you for glorifying ignorance and macho posturing.

And really you're likely to have a good mix of 60' washers and air dryers and 90' washers and tumble dryers so there still is bugger all difference between washable and disposable, and even in their best possible scenario you save the equivalent C02 of driving 600 miles

most /all nappies can be done at 30 degree wash these days and is what we do with a sanitiser added (tee tree for the hardcore hippies 😀 )
I suspect most users are greenies or organic types and probably dont wash at 90 and tumble dry but we have no way of knowing how people wash them.

Fair point re car use but every little helps surely but if we want to reduce our carbon footprint we can only really do this by changing our behaviour.

I say stuff the implications, we are doing disposable

The implications will largely be felt by your children and your grandchildren as they cope with the likely environmental issues if we dont change so (in the style of the Simpson character and to mis quote)
Wont someone think about their children?

[i]Wont someone think about their children?[/i]

That's something I haven't seen in this discussion - which is better for the babies. I know from experience that a disposable will hold a huge amount of liquid without feeling wet (yes, yes, my incontinence pads 🙂 ) whereas a cloth nappy must feel pretty awful after a relatively short time.

so you change it more often and as they experience being wet they toilet train quicker but largely true about not feeling wet.
A disposable will hold about a litre of water iirc or thereabouts but fill one with water and then have a feel after you have left it for 20 mins not exactly nice as it turns to a kind of weird gel.
Nappy rash is caused by the reaction between urine and poo and is is just as prone in both types ...exacerbated by say teething or other issues, infrequent changing , night time in one nappy ...both babies /nappy types will get it at roughly eqivalent rates
Those who use disposable quote as you do and they have a point
Those against point out cotton /fleece in nicer and the nappy does not include any " nasty " chemicals... clearly a subjective view as neither nappy type is exactly harmful to children and equally safe.
My think of the children was largely tongue in cheek BTW.

Now off to bed which nappy will he pick for tonight my money os on teh stripey one!

Not got time to read all of the above.

But I've used washable nappies for both girls. Can't stand the feel of disposables. We've camped with them, traveled abroad with them. I've even changed washable nappies in the tiny toilets on a plane. Once you get used to them they are no less convenient.

Not done the maths, but I reckon even with the washing they have saved a shedload of money over two children as we bought very little second time around.

No criticism of using disposables as such, but you wouldn't catch me doing it.

I've use tots bots, huggles, bimbles, bumbles etc.. All good, and I prefer nippers when it comes to fastening 😀

To add to my previous post, we use [url= http://www.bumgenius.com/ ]Bum Genius[/url].

They're really very good.

And we now wash them with

[url= http://www.ecozone.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=314 ]Ecoballs[/url]

Our waste goes to an incinerater that generates power. So nappies from FB jnr & the recently added Little Miss FB give us electricity!

We used terry nappies for both of our kids.Disposables were use occasionally on day trips/holidays.
We were on a tight budget ,(Wife of Riley finished work to be with the baby)the thought of wasting money on disposables out weighed the covenience/green issues.
It was a long time ago,but I was a nifty nappy-changer,although I did stick the pin in my thumb on a few occasions.

Some £1 shops sell microfibre towels that are perfect as nappies. They dry very quickly and are very absorbant. Lots of ways to fold depending of size of child. You will need about 40 to 50

Get some paper liners to catch the poo - these can washed and reused a number of times if it's just pee. http://www.mothercare.com/Bambino-Mio-Mioliners-twin-pack/dp/B0017TUCK6/sr=1-19/qid=1242858505/ref=sr_1_19/276-0227204-9716642?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=44532031&mcb=core

Get some Nappy Nippers to hold it all together. http://www.mothercare.com/Nappi-Nippas-Nippa-3pk/dp/B001CJAEQ8/sr=1-13/qid=1242858505/ref=sr_1_13/276-0227204-9716642?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=44532031&mcb=core

Get some outers. You will need about 3 -5 when they move up sizes.
http://www.mothercare.com/Bambino-Mio-Miosoft-Cover-Small/dp/B0017TOJ0K/sr=1-47/qid=1242858625/ref=sr_1_47/276-0227204-9716642?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=A2LBKNDJ2KZUGQ&n=44532031&mcb=core

Also We wipe our babies using toilet paper and warm water instead of chemical infused wipes. Charmins is the best for this.

Best of Luck

Motherease are ace. Poppered and you can adjust for size.

Disposables at night, especially for a boy as they pee a lot!

2 years old now and he's wanting out of them as the potty is going well.

Try your council as they should lend you some/do a deal on some.

Tim

And actually I'm not criticising you for making the decision to use disposables. I'm criticising you for glorifying ignorance and macho posturing.

I did read it in context, and that's what I thought.

Obviously you can choose to do what you want, but stop trying to belittle the efforts of others to do something, however small, for the environment. Disposables are not a "perfectly good alternative" they are a major problem.

I totally understand your reasons for not wanting to take on reusables (congratulations BTW) but there is no need to either be offhand about environmental concerns, or to pretend (to yourself) that what you are choosing to do has no impact.

I was not belittling anyone's efforts...

Don't get me wrong - I am impressed by people that feel they can cope (r have proved that they can) with re-usable nappies and hats off to them. I just think it would be too much trouble in our circumstances.

Also, just so you know and don't think I am some kind of eco-monster, I actually discussed the subject some time ago with my wife as I had considered the impact, but she felt it would be too much trouble *in our circumstances* and I had to agree with her. So blame her for the decision not me. 😉

I am very impressed by the levels of knowledge displayed! I was a bit overwhelmed by the whole baby thing, planned to change to re-usables once I'd got over the initial shock, but never did. Mea culpa. But disposables are wonderfully effective and easy to use! Mastiles, I think you have every excuse. Now you can all flame me.

I might just let them roam free and drag them backwards across the carpet to wipe clean as necessary.

They will do that themselves and you will get the blame

Now you're disembling.

Don't get me wrong - I am impressed by people that feel they can cope (r have proved that they can) with re-usable nappies and hats off to them. I just think it would be too much trouble in our circumstances.

That was what you said in a post after you said this

I say stuff the implications, we are doing disposable.

And after I'd already had a go at you for saying it.

And more to the point you said that in the first place, apropos of nothing, when the original question was

Anybody used any and can report back on what i think are the critical areas - washing, drying, life span, fit & ease of use.

NOT

"Anybody care to tell me that they can't be arsed with these?"

Anyway, I'm now point-scoring, for which I apologise. Good luck with the twins - you'll need it. I'm off to do something useful.

Anybody used any and can report back on what i think are the critical areas - washing, drying, life span, fit & ease of use.

Drying ...fleecy /microfibre ones DRY so much faster than anything thick/padded. All in ones take longer to dry than those that seperate but are more faff to deal with. Waterproof outers dy near instantly after a fast spin.
Life span- we have used some for 4 years and still usable though probaly not sellabale. Some did wear out but mainly the thick cotton type of which very few are still available iirc.
Fit - very variable some will fit your child some wont + personal choice. Is this not the same with disposables anyone?
Ease of Use- I have never used a disposable so cant comment relative to them but very easy once to put on once you get the hang of them not rocket science and can be explained in about 20 seconds.
More work than disposable I assume as you have to put in nappy bin and then wash later etc. EIther system requires you to carry a bag when out.
Have used them camping, abroad etc

weve been using bambino mios for 16 months now. I dont get the theyre to fiddly to use argument - they work the same as a disposable.

Number 2 on the way and will be using them all again for him/her...

It might be a big initial outlay but weve literally saved £100s of pounds because of them and your rubbish doesnt consist of 2/3 used nappies any more...

[i]Number 2 on the way[/i]

Exactly 🙂

They're "fiddly" in the sense that you have to deal a liner and then cope with the shitty wet nappy, instead of just chucking it out

[i]Obviously you can choose to do what you want, but stop trying to belittle the efforts of others to do something, however small, for the environment. [/i]

Seems like it's you that's doing the belittle'ing, when you say:

[i]Why is it that some people are not only happy to ignore important issues[/i]

What makes you think he ignored the issues? Maybe he considered the arguments carefully and then came to a different conclusion from you?

I bought 15 Kushies reusables for £1 each off the Sainsbury's reduced shelf just before my boy was born, so saved the best part of £150. They were great, but when he started going to nursery he had to be in disposables so they just ended up not being used much. In the loft now in case there's another one.

What makes you think he ignored the issues? Maybe he considered the arguments carefully and then came to a different conclusion from you?

And after I'd already had a go at you for saying it.

But as he wasn't there in the Kirkstall Road Mothercare when my wife and I were looking at the nappy options I don't think he actually knows my circumstances or thought processes as well as he thinks.

😉

My - this is all getting a bit petty now isn't it?

don't let it get to you mastiles_fanylion. In my experience some people get very bent up about the nappies/landfill/carbon footprint thing.

The bottom line (boomboom) is that having kids increases your carbon footprint, using cotton ones might increase it a bit less but it depends on your circumstances. Think about some of the other things that have an effect on the environment wrt kids. Are you going to buy premade baby food or mix up your own fruit and veg sourced from local suppliers? Are you going to buy brand new clothes for them or get second hand stuff from family and friends/boot fairs etc?

If you are in for twins then i reckon there's nothing wrong in getting them birthed, home and getting aclimatized before even thinking about this stuff.

best of luck by the way 😉

Thanks 4 all the advice very usefull. Apparently it wasn't such a borring subject after all. Thanks again. Cheers ben.

The bottom line (boomboom) is that having kids increases your carbon footprint

Think about some of the other things that have an effect on the environment wrt kids. Are you going to buy premade baby food or mix up your own fruit and veg sourced from local suppliers? Are you going to buy brand new clothes for them or get second hand stuff from family and friends/boot fairs etc?

Yes we have a mix of new (got to have some nice new things) and plenty of hand-me-downs (clothes, Moses basket, sterilisers etc). Thing is, with two, we need extra of lots of things (ie we needed to buy one new Moses basket) so it is a bit mix n match really.

And will definitely be preparing fresh food as much as we can - been looking at some funky 'ice cube tray' style food portion things 🙂

don't let it get to you mastiles_fanylion. In my experience some people get very bent up about the nappies/landfill/carbon footprint thing.

arrived a bit late here, but a couple of points:

most of the systems are at least partially compatible, we looked at buying a 'complete set' at the start but i'm glad we didn't as we've been able to get a variety of nappies in small quantities dirt cheap - ebay, tkmaxx, second hand etc. terry squares are great, as they dry really quickly and can be folded lots of ways, but explaining that to your mother in law is a paid in the butt, so we've got a few all in one types and similar for babysitters.

ebay have a ban on second hand nappies - I think they had a few complaints about people selling obviously soiled nappies - but it's usually obvious from a listing that they've actually been used - no one seems to have a problem with it, if you are worried you could always bleach nappies yourself.

shocker -dirty nappies smell of wee! we are lucky in that we have a small utility space, but if you are tight for space, you might want to source a really good sealable box. We just use a 50 litre stackable storage box - works fine, but it does smell, especially in the summer.

Our daughter uses reusables at nursery - they have no problem with it, at it would be considered normal under care commission guidelines.

' am sorry is there a reason NOT to be worried about carbon footprints? Have you got some secret knowledge about the subject that the vast majority of scientists are missing? Is there a reason to not try and reduce it?'

no, i was attempting to make the point that some get very excited about single issues, in this case one that is open to debate on its genuine value.

Yes - this continues to puzzle me too. The potential of increase in carbon footprint of disposable versus re-usable remains very unclear and all arguments/calculations for re-usable seem to concentrate on some quite unachievable rates (ie, how often can anyone genuinely be able to dry outdoors especially considering how quickly nappies require turning around). Then how do you dry indoors? In a tumble dryer (obvious increase in carbon footprint) or on radiators - which will mean the heating being turned on/up to keep the house at 'uncovered radiators' heating levels (covered radiators are MUCH less efficient). Or you could leave them to dry naturally indoors - but I doubt they would dry quickly enough unless you could afford to wait two days (that's how long it takes for clothes to dry naturally in our house) Then there is the consideration on health if there is constantly damp air due to indoor drying - which isn't ideal with babies around. And then there is the space issue - I know we would struggle for the space to dry mountains of nappies in our house when there will be twins around!

I think the main problem with the surveys carrie is twofold;

firstly most surveys have been instigated by people with a vested interest in the outcome which casts a lot of doubt on the findings. Secondly as you say everybodies circumstances and houses are different.

personally i'm more concerned with landfill and waste - our allocation of bins is full without the extra load of disposables.

mastiles_fanylion; if you're mainly concerned with space and washing/drying why not have a go with the laundry service?

why not have a go with the laundry service

Of course it would solve the landfill issue though.

personally i'm more concerned with landfill and waste - our allocation of bins is full without the extra load of disposables.

We do usually leave them to dry naturally indoors - nappies generally dry quicker than clothes, and you only actually need a couple dry quickly (can put them on a radiator).

tbh I'm not bothered enough to find the stats (loads of figures spouted, not much in the way of proof)

It's a good thing in my view as:

1) far less waste
2) subverts the horrendous tv advertising for disposables
3) feels more energy efficient (no proof other than that I'm afraid!)

personally i'm more concerned with landfill and waste - our allocation of bins is full without the extra load of disposables.

see now i find that very interesting because our friends who are filling up wheelie bins with disposables have gone mental on reducing packaging waste in all other areas because they have no choice. As a result they reckon they've cut down on over half of their waste packaging which shows what can be done.

MF....Thanks for telling me it has been impossible to not use a tumble dryer ( I don’t own one BTW)to dry the nappies that you have never even tried. Remember I did it with two kids in nappies you are choosing not to for the reasons you have expressed. That is fine it is your choice to do this but it is not beyond you to use reusable you are choosing not to.

The survey was done by DEFR I am not sure what you think the governments vested interest is in this issue and given it is not exactly overboard in its praise of reusable nappies (and the first report said they were worse) I am not sure what you think their agenda is tbh.

It is clearly true that if you use them inappropriately high wash, tumble drier etc you could/would be increasing your carbon footprint but I doubt most users are doing this.

Again we must all alter our behaviour to have an any chance of reducing the carbon output 8 million nappies to landfill every day BTW.

can put them on a radiator

And as a newborn can get through 8 to 12 nappies a day, and we are having two, that is some 16 dry nappies needed on any given day! And I can't imagine how bad it would be for a baby if you put a still damp nappy on them...

Also, as I pointed out before, a permanently damp house will not be good for the health of the baby either.

I am not trying to knock re-usable nappies, I am just being practical about our particular needs.

Did I say it would be impossible not to use a tumble drier? I think not.

And I appreciate it is not 'beyond me' to use re-usable - a great many people have coped without them for centuries. I could also do without a car and a telly and an iPod and a mobile and a bike (or two) but they are conveniences that make life easier/pleasurable so I choose to embrace them. As such I would rather have time with my two new arrivals enjoying them, not spending time washing/drying nappies.

microfibre come out of the machine practically dry it is not like trying to dry a pair of jeans inside your house but yes it would be hard work with twins no doubt about that. I am not going to persuade you am i enjoy your parenthoood and hope they sleep through soon.

EDIT:MF I dont use a radiator either for drying and rarely put the heating on as I am a tough (stingy) northern type 🙂
I have a wood burner but usualky dry them in another room

babies+environment+money = fairly strong feelings 😉

good luck with the twins - be aware of potential telepathic powers... 😯

Fair enough - I appreciate that 'modern' re-usable aren't like ones our mums had (9 months ago I still thought there was a sand box and hosepipe system!) I am just looking at it objectively (well my wife is) - we will have our work cut out as it is. And I doubt they will sleep through - just mentally preparing myself for the worst!

EDIT - we have a wood burner too, but we don't really have 'another room' other than the loft room which is hastily being converted into storage/spare room after the existing 'spare' room was converted to the nursery.

Junkyard, you might be interested in this. Have a look at the whole site. This is a link to the bit on nappies.

[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/bloom/flash.shtml#/actions/realnappies.shtml ]Bloom[/url]

According to a report commissioned by the Environment Agency, a reusable nappy is responsible for 560kg of greenhouse gas over the baby's first two and half years of life, whereas a disposable nappy is responsible for 630kg. (That's equivalent to an average car driven 1800 miles)

Well I have just relocated my business so my DAILY commute is now 4 miles (often on my bike) rather than 60 miles so do I have a get-out clause as I have reduced my CF considerably already?

😉

That's a good start.

If you want to know how much you/we've really got to do read this book:

[url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Carbon-Detox-step-step-getting/dp/1856752887/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242927662&sr=8-1 ]Carbon Detox[/url]

every little helps MF every little helps but you quoted the first report NOT the secoind one that says up to 200 KG if you wash differently so is that about 6000 miles ?
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=WR0705_7589_FRP.pdf
br />
that one not the 2006 (discredited)version
Right time cheers but up to speed wife sells them and used them on my two kids

PS cheers all I like the STW debates that dont involve insults!
Again good luck with the twins MF soon enough they will be entertaining each other and you and your wife.... on the plus side at least you dont have to do it all again... I mean three kids think of the carbon footprint of that 😉

ooo, i know about this one

we made the punge and use bumgenius one size reusable nappies. Can't say we did extensive research but the magazines seem to the like them and the STW equivalent for mums and babies do too. Theyv'e got a polyester outer and a felt-like liner with a pouch for the towelling insert. They come with two sizes of liner and adjust with prestuds to cope with a growing child. We've got about 18 and you need that many so that you only wash them every 3 days.

If you hunt around you can get them for about £13-14 as i recall. And also some local authorities will give you a non means tested free cheque of about £40 to claim against the cost of the nappies.

Upsides to real nappies is they hold more solids in my opinion, but don't hide smells as well.

When darling daughter fills one you do have to shake out the contents into the toilet and store them in a bucket which means you get a bit more intimate with your babies poo than with disposables but since having a a child my squeamish threshold has gone way up. Once you get into a routine of washing (and tumbledrying)every 3rd night you dont notice too much and they are much nicer things to use (and lets face it every mountain biker covets nice things).

The niceness of them has been the key thing for us. With the need to flush the contents away and the need to wash them if you want to be green they certainly not a free lunch when it comes to environmental impact (but water and electricity are two things you can source more sustainably if you really want to whereas disposables can only go to landfill) but they are so much nicer to use as an object. Like using a real mountainbike for a ride as opposed to a 60 quid supermaket special.

that is all.

is that about 6000 miles ?

Umm, no, it's not:

[i]Washing the nappies in fuller loads or line-drying them outdoors all the time (ignoring
UK climatic conditions for the purposes of illustration) was found to reduce this figure
by 16 per cent. Combining three of the beneficial scenarios (washing nappies in a
fuller load, outdoor line drying all of the time, and reusing nappies on a second child)
would lower the global warming impact by 40 per cent from the baseline scenario, or
some 200kg of carbon dioxide equivalents over the two and a half years, equal to
driving a car approximately 1,000 km[/i]

In the very best of circumstances, then, it's 1000km over 2.5 years, i.e. less than 10km per week.

PS cheers all I like the STW debates that dont involve insults!

🙂