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Landfill Site.com’s Interest in this subject was sparked by a Study by SEPA (the Scottish Environmental Regulator), which suggested that taking into account the environmental impact of washing cloth nappies (diapers) there was no clear winner in terms of environmental sustainability.
We have reproduced part of the original BBC News report below:-
“No green winner in nappy debate” (BBC News on Thursday, 19 May, 2005)
Some 675,000 children are born in the UK each year
Whether parents use disposable or cloth nappies makes little difference to the environment, a report has concluded.
The Environment Agency studied the impact of three types of nappy from their manufacture to their disposal.
Disposable nappies, bought by 95% of parents, led to 400,000 tonnes of waste dumped mainly at landfill sites.
But re-usable nappies affected the environment in other ways, such as by the water and energy used for washing and drying them, it found.
Independent study
The agency says it is the most independent and thorough study yet carried out in the UK.
It compared the environmental impact of disposable, home-laundered flat cloth nappies and commercially-laundered cloth nappies delivered to the home.
The study was supported by surveys of more than 2,000 parents who were questioned on factors such as the number of daily nappy changes and the size of washing machine loads.
Tricia Henton, director of Environmental Protection at the Environment Agency said: "Although there is no substantial difference between the environmental impacts of the three systems studied, it does show where each system can be improved."
She said parents using reusable nappies can improve their impact on the environment by looking at how they wash them, such as using a bigger load at a lower temperature.
The study found most people washed nappies at 60C.
Ms Henton added that it was hoped manufacturers would use the study to improve the environmental performance of their products and the quantities going into landfill.
For the rest of the report visit the BBC News web site here.
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