Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in the UK 2023
Are reusable nappies better for the environment?
YES THEY ARE and the latest 2023 Defra Government research into reusable nappies v single use disposable nappies backs up what we've always known at The Nappy Lady!
Life Cycle Assessment of Disposable & Reusable Nappies in 2023
In 2023 Defra carried out a life cycle assessment (LCA) comparing the environmental impact of disposable nappies and reusable nappies.
Much has changed in the production of all nappies both reusable and disposable nappies, the national grid and waste management since the previous LCA report over 15 years ago back in 2008.
The report was produced through liasing with members of the nappy alliance (including The Nappy Lady) and single use nappy manfacturers.
Key Information from the Nappies Life Cycle Assessment 2023:
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Disposable and Reusable Nappies in 2023 has proven:
Reusable nappies produce 25% less CO2 than single-use nappies. Choose reusables and reduce your baby's carbon footprint today!
The environmental impact of production is over 90% lower for a reusable nappy than for single-use
The environmental impact of disposal single-use nappies is nine times higher than for that of a reusable nappy
The report shows that even when factoring in washing nappies and drying nappies, cloth nappies are still the best nappy choice for the environment.
Reusable nappies use 97.5% less raw materials than disposable nappies - 2.5 years of disposables use 128.36Kg v reusables use 3.22Kg
If every child in the UK still in nappies used reusable nappies instead of single-use disposable nappies it would save the equivalent of 700 million car miles of CO2 – that's nearly 3,000 journeys to the moon in a car!
Limiting the impact of your reusable nappies
Reusable nappies still have an impact on the environment. Everything we do in our lives does. However the impact of using cloth nappies is largely in the hands of you the parent.
How you wash nappies impacts the size of their impact. When you need appliances switch to more energy efficient washing machines and tumble driers. The report factored in tumble drying nappies but many people never tumble dry after washing their dirty nappies. Therefore your impact can be even lower than suggested in the LCA report.
Consider using reusable wet wipes instead of disposable wipes which just add to the mountain of plastic waste and block the drains. Reusable wipes are washed with your nappies so do not add additional washes and help reduce your baby's environmental footprint even more.
At The Nappy Lady we will guide you to the most environmentally friendly way to use and wash your real nappies and maximise your environmental saving compared to single use nappies.
Things can only get greener!
We are very grateful to Defra for commissioning and publishing this important research into reusable and disposable nappies. We always knew reusables were better for the environment and now the UK Government does too!
As renewable energy gains more and more market share, reusable nappies will only improve in environmental performance compared to single- use disposables.
We need the Government to act now and actively promote reusable nappies.
If only 20% of babies in nappies switched to reusable nappies, the amount of waste that could be saved in Europe alone would be more than 1 million tonnes per year. Switch to reusable nappies and reduce your baby's carbon footprint!
What about "eco disposables" and "biodegradable nappies"?
Ultimately the impacts are going to be similar to "standard" disposable nappies as the manufacturing and logistical process is much the same.
Whilst there may be variance in the CO2 impact upstream with raw materials (either way) overall resource consumption is the same for an eco disposable nappy and standard disposable nappies.
It should also be considered the additional impacts of eco disposable nappies such as crop displacement (from food production), land use, pesticide use etc.
At end of life eco disposable nappies are either going to be landfilled or incinerated just the same as regular disposable nappies.
One important factor is that unfortunately eco disposable nappies quite often they end up contaminating domestic recycling as people are confused and think they can go into the recycling bin. This mistake and contamination results in even more waste that can't be reprocessed and has to be landfilled or burnt.
Other benefits of reusable nappies
Reusable nappies have other advantages over disposable nappies.
Cost Saving
Reusable nappies save you money as once you have purchased them you don't need to buy more nappies. I used the same set of nappies on all three of my children.
Containment
Reusable nappies contain poo far better than disposable nappies, most parents think the reverse will be the case.
A modern reusable nappy is made with strong elastic at the legs and waist which fits snugly and keeps those poonami's inside. Compare it to a disposable nappy whose elastic is fairly weak as it's designed to be used for two hours and then thrown away ever more.
We have many customers who have switched to reusable nappies because they were sick of disposable nappy poo explosions.
Earlier Potty Training
Babies do feel wetter in reusable nappies as it's fabric absorbing the urine rather than chemical gels. The wetness has the advantage that children tend to learn to potty train earlier in cloth nappies.
Did you know that now 25% of children start school at age 4 or 5 and are still in nappies. The LCA only considered up to 2.5 years old. For a quarter of babies born their environmental nappy impact will be DOUBLE what the LCA shows.
If you watch the adverts for a certain market leader disposable nappy brand they now talk about the "wet feel" provided by their disposable nappies. This wet feel lasts seconds, certainly not long enough to help potty training. Skip this marketing nonscense and use reusable nappies instead.
Health
Cloth nappies are more breathable and cooler than disposable nappies. Reusable nappies are made of natural materials and even the waterproof later isn't plastic it's a modern breathable layer. Compare to disposable nappies which all have a plastic component. If you've ever used disposable pants following an operation or giving birth, you'll know what a joy it is to get back into your normal cotton underwear!
Read the full report & make an informed choice for your baby's future
Read the full Life Cycle assessment of Disposable and Reusable Nappies 2023 and discover the environmental impacts of disposable and reusable nappies in 2023. Make an informed choice on your nappy options for your baby's future
