Real nappies

Converting to real nappies from disposables can make a BIG difference to the amount of rubbish families with young children generate.

And it's not all about terry squares and soaking any more...

Nappy facts

• In Leicestershire alone, 50 million nappies are disposed of each year
• The cost of disposing of them costs £250,000 in Leicestershire
• They make up 4% of rubbish - but can be over half the contents of the bin for families using nappies
• Parts of disposable nappies take up to 500 years to decompose
• On average a baby uses between 5,000 and 7,000 disposable nappies over a 2½ year period - equivalent to 1 tonne of rubbish.

Dispelling the myths

Myth: Using real nappies will involve terry squares and huge safety pins. 

Truth: Today modern real nappies come in many shapes and colours, with many looking and working very similar to disposable nappies.

Myth: Using real nappies will mean lots of smelly nappies lying around and lots of soaking.

Truth: real nappies are lined and it's as easy as flushing the soiled part down the toilet (as you should already be doing with disposables). The nappies can then be stored in a bucket with a lid ready for washing.

Myth: Using real nappies will mean washing all the time at 90 degree washes.

Truth: There would only be a need to do one additional wash every two to three days at 60 degrees.

Myth: Using real nappies will cost more than disposable nappies.

Truth: Using disposable nappies costs between £735 and £1,211. Using real nappies can save up to £600.

Getting started

There are a huge number of nappies available on the market - ranging from simple terries to all in one shaped nappies.

Leicestershire County Council offer a real nappy trial kit  so you can find out what type of nappies will best suit your baby before buying.

Nappy suppliers

There are lots of suppliers of real nappies. If you are a nappy supplier and would like to be added to the list, please contact our Waste Services team

Many suppliers are mums who have used real nappies on their own children and therefore offer another outlet for information and advice.

• Frugi
• Modern Cloth Nappies
• Nature Babies
• The Flats Company
• The Nappy Guru
• The Nappy Lady
• Twinkle Twinkle

Real Nappy Week

This is a well-established annual event. It's organised by the Women's Environmental Network(WEN), and the Real Nappy Association

The week focuses attention on the environmental impact of nappies and raises public awareness of the availability of fitted cloth nappies and nappy laundry services.