Any busy parent knows that disposable nappies are easy. Just buy, use and bin. But there is a problem. We are building a mountainous problem for the very children whose futures we are trying to nurture.

The problem explained

Of the many thousands of tonnes of rubbish buried in Oxfordshire’s beautiful countryside every year, a whopping 10 per cent comprises soiled disposable nappies. There are literally millions of them and many will take as long as 500 years to decompose (or to put it another way, if disposable nappies had been invented in the olden days, nappies from as far back as Tudor times could still be festering in Oxfordshire earth)!

The throwaway approach just doesn’t make sense, particularly in an age where money is tight, every bit of green countryside needs protecting and scientists believe that rubbish buried underground adds significantly to global warming.

The solution

Have you heard about real nappies?

They’re reusable cloth nappies, specially shaped for ease of use, and come in a fantastic range of designs and colours. They’re not just great for your budget and better for the planet but brilliant for your baby too. Tailored to fit snugly, they’re waterproof on the outside, gentle fabric on the inside and washable so they can be used again and again. Important considerations really, as your baby will be spending the first few years of its life wearing them next to its skin. 

Real Nappies are really easy to use. Shaped nappies need no folding and come ready to pop onto your baby - just like a disposable. You can choose between 'all-in-ones' which have a waterproof cover, or buy the cover and nappy separately. Once the flushable liner is removed, the soiled nappy can then go straight into a 60 degree wash.

If you use your nappies on more than one child, you will really see some savings. Or if no family additions come along, you can sell the nappies on an internet trading site or donate them to your nearest nappy loan bank.

Free real nappy trial kits

If you live in Oxfordshire and would like to give cloth nappies a try, but are unsure about paying out for a full set, you can borrow a trial kit completely free of charge and with no obligation to buy. 

Each kit contains a good range of the most modern styles and brands of nappies, with all the necessary accessories. They are held by nappy suppliers in Oxfordshire, who will explain how the nappies work before you get started. You will be able to use the nappies for two to three weeks. 

New suppliers will soon be operating in the Bicester, Chipping Norton and Banbury areas, and we will publish details as soon as they are finalised. In the meantime, please call Sally Eccleston on 07837 009774 for general advice on real nappies.

Who to contact

To find out more call us on 08450 504550, or email waste.management@oxfordshire.gov.uk

You can also contact the participating suppliers direct:

Nappy Shed covers Oxford, Wallingford and south Oxfordshire, and can be contacted at 07837 009774 or www.thenappyshed.co.uk. It also holds a monthly nappy shop in Oxford, and collects old nappies to send to an orphanage in Zambia.

The Nappy Fairy covers Abingdon and Wheatley. Contact 07913 826948 or visit thenappyfairy.wordpress.com

Plushpants covers the Didcot, Abingdon and Wantage areas. Visit www.plushpants.co.uk or www.kittykins.co.uk, or call 01865 408040. A sister site, www.terrynappies.co.uk, specialises in traditional terry nappies.

Baby Care Online are based in Faringdon, and offer a wide range of nappies, baby carriers and other accessories. Call 01367 246136 or visit www.baby-care-online.co.uk

Baby Peach are based in Hailey, near Witney, and offer a good range of cloth nappies in the West Oxfordshire area. Contact Laura on 07766 822635 or rockchick197666@yahoo.co.uk, or find her on Facebook.

Banbury Nappy Bank offers a free trial pack alongside its loan packs.  It is run by volunteers and provides a short or long term loan service for real nappies. They don't sell nappies and offer impartial advice. Parents can try nappies from the large range of real nappies they have available.  Contact nappybank@yahoo.co.uk or call 07961 129399.

Demonstrations and events

You can view the clip of the Fastest Nappy Changer challenge (Youtube clip) held at a recent Real Nappies fair.

Many of the suppliers listed also hold ‘Nappucinos’ - coffee mornings where you can see demonstrations of how to use real nappies and chat to other parents:

Banbury

The Cotton Nappy Company holds demonstrations in the Horton Hospital, Banbury. Contact Anna Leeksma on 07903 564056 or visit www.thecottonnappycompany.co.uk

The John Radcliffe

The John Radcliffe Hospital holds real nappy demonstrations as part of its ante-natal sessions.

Useful additional contacts

Go Real - the national Real Nappies information service: www.goreal.org.uk

The National Childbirth Trust - ante and post natal support through local groups: www.nct.org.uk

Number One for Nappies - a nappy laundry service. Contact 07951 687730 or visit www.numberonefornappies.co.uk

Water Babies supplies reusable nappies for swimming. Contact 01295 709221 or 01869 325499 or visit www.waterbabies.co.uk/aqua_nappies.php

The Used Nappy Company - find secondhand nappies or trade your own - www.usednappies.co.uk

Sustainable Wallingford has several sets of nappies in different sizes that can be borrowed free of charge. Contact 07837 009774.

Easypeasy Nappies - Real Nappies supplier covering Abingdon and Oxford - Call 01235 529632, or visit www.easypeasynappies.co.uk

The Oxford Nappy Bank stocks secondhand nappies to loan out, and offers advice on Elimination Communication (how to potty train baby from an early age). Contact 07979 415971 or visit www.oxfordnappyfreebaby.co.uk

Real nappies - your questions answered

Will my baby get nappy rash?

Your baby is less likely to suffer from nappy rash in a cloth nappy, because everything is breathable. Changing the nappy regularly is more important in keeping nappy rash away than the type of nappy you use. 

Aren't they more expensive than disposables?

By the time your baby is potty trained he or she could have had as many as 4,000 nappy changes. You can kit your baby out with all the Real Nappies they need for as little as £80 (the cheapest Real Nappy option). Add £1 per week to wash them and you'll still save £500 compared to the market leading disposable nappy. If you use them on a second baby, you'll save even more!

It’s just too much hassle

Real nappies have never been so easy! With no folding or pinning needed, they go on and come off like a disposable nappy in seconds. A warm wash is all that's needed, and many nappies made from modern fabrics come out of the washing machine almost dry.

Are they really better for the environment?

Real Nappies can be up to 40% better for the environment than disposables. This was the finding from the 2008 update to the Environment Agency's Life Cycle Analysis Report on nappies. Unlike disposables, Real Nappies put parents in control of the impact they have on the environment, with the carbon savings directly related to how you choose to wash your Real Nappies.

Further information

• Real nappies leaflet, (pdf format, 2.2 MB)