Mayoral Manifesto to reduce nappy waste

The election of the next London Mayor in May is an opportunity to raise the issue of London's nappy waste. 

Real Nappies for London

This is a call for the next London Mayor to take action to reduce disposable nappy waste

• By making washable nappies seem as normal as recycling
• And giving parents better information about potty training

Real Nappies for London is a pan-London leadership initiative that brings together local government, business and community change agents to advance the prevention of disposable nappy waste. With efforts traditionally focused on ‘end-of-pipe’ waste management ie incineration, landfill or even recycling, Real Nappies for London is pioneering a shift upstream - calling for city-wide action to address nappy waste generation. By reframing the conversation, Real Nappies for London is positioning waste prevention and the circular economy as an opportunity for innovation, job creation, competitiveness, cost saving and improving public health.

Founded by the Women's Environmental Network (WEN) and now administerd by the London Community Resource Network (LCRN), this pan-London project is uniting local governments, including five of North London’s local authorities - Hackney, Camden, Islington, Haringey and WalthamForest, plus Bexley and Tower Hamlets  – with key stakeholders, influencing change on a national scale.

Real Nappies for London is committed to helping reduce disposable nappy waste in London.  A baby in single-use nappies produces approximately 7kg of nappy waste per week.  The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) estimated in 2008 that the average baby wearing nappies until 2.5 years old generates 874 kg of nappy waste, nearly a tonne.

Background to London’s nappy waste problem
Every year more than 130k babies are born in London and most wear single-use nappies because parents/carers are not aware of easy washable alternatives.    If all parents receive consistent, accurate information and support the vast majority could use washable nappies.

Also the trend has grown for toddlers to stay in nappies a lot longer.  This means the nappy waste can be even more.  We are committed to developing and sharing the best information to help parents and carers potty train their children successfully.  Nappy waste in residual household collections can be as high as 9% and costs Londoners a staggering £20 million per year. Children staying in nappies longer than necessary is also a household cost that families on low incomes cannot afford.

Real Nappies for London Mayoral Manifesto for 2016 – for less nappy waste

1. Gather data and find out what is happening: Commission research to find out how many babies in London wear washable nappies.  This research would show the impact of current incentives that have been used in different boroughs to increase uptake of washables.
2. Commission a study: to find out the knowledge and expectations parents have of how and when to potty train.  This will enable you to ascertain how to reach parents in most need.  This could be done quite cheaply in partnership with a mainstream online parenting player like the Baby Centre.
3. Ensure parents from all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds are aware of the availability and benefits of modern cloth nappies for their babies.  This can be done cheaply and easily by including information about cloth nappies and Real Nappies for London with the maternity prescription exemption card that goes out to all expectant mothers
4. Make real nappies seem normal: make as commonplace as recycling by putting messages about real nappies on the sides of recycling and refuse trucks.
5. All maternity care providers and NHS maternity hospitals should invite the mother to bring to the hospital the nappy of her choice (not specifically ask her to bring in disposable nappies)
6. Ensure all expectant and new parents are aware of real nappy support services that exist, such as nappuccinos and cloth nappy libraries
7. Explore how to increase parental peer support for using washable nappies and potty training.  See the example of what is happening in Hackney with the Hackney Real Nappy Network (HRNN)
8. Make all London nurseries, public and private, aware that nappy laundry services can provide reusable cloth nappies for children in their care
9. Support nappy washing businesses: small flats with no outside drying space make washable nappies inconvenient for some London families.  You need to find out how to support nappy washing businesses across London that can take care of the washing.

Signatories so far:

The Women's Environmental Network (WEN) has been campaigning for waste minimisation for almost 20 years.  Reducing disposable nappy waste is part of the circular economy agenda and WEN supports this manifesto.  Raising awareness of alternatives to disposable nappies and potty training not only reduces the cost of waste collection and disposal, it also creates green jobs,  stimulates community engagement and local enterprise, can prevent significant public health costs and save households money.

As a national charity PromoCon works to provide information and advice around all aspects of continence for both adults and children, including advice and support for toilet training.  We welcome any initiatives that not only helps to inform parents and promotes timely toilet training, but also helps identify key issues regarding what influences parental choice about the type of nappies that they use (washable or disposable) including whether having a child with a disability impacts on their choices.  We would be happy for Real Nappies to have links to the toilet training resources within our website.


Wandsworth Council supports waste reduction where this can be achieved cost-effectively.  It therefore endorses this manifesto subject to the actions it contains being implemented cost-effectively.

 

How do we reduce nappy waste?

Last month (19 Jan) I attended a waste event where I was briefed on the new EU Circular Economy Strategy.  It's very exciting.

Economic instruments were cited as effective tools to bring about the major change that's needed to make the EU more sustainable.  Landfill tax, introduced in the UK in 1996, was talked about as a successful way to motivate councils to increase recycling, introduce food waste collections and promote waste prevention, to reduce the huge volume of waste sent to landfill every day.  The big idea is more, similar, financial instruments.

However, unfortunately the landfill tax has not been so successful in reducing nappy waste.  A report on Channel 4 News on poverty in December 2015 had an interview with a Stoke primary school teacher who said that 35% of  the children who had started the reception year that September had arrived for school wearing nappies.

What this means is that despite landfill tax nappy waste has not reduced nationally, it has gone up. It's possible it may even have doubled.

The question is, what happens next?  What can be done to reduce nappy waste?  I suggest better information is needed to help parents understand how to potty train their children.  We have some good information here.

Just by using real nappies you are influencing others ...

Parents who use washable nappies are forever telling us how much they enjoy them, how it's no more difficult than using disposables and also ask "Why don't more parents use real nappies?"

The answer is; we don't know!  But the main issue is that disposables appear to be normal.  They're on sale in supermarkets, you were probably given free samples with your first Bounty pack, your midwife probably told you to bring some into hospital with you and of course disposing of them is free.  Why wouldn't you use disposables, right?

In other words, most new and expectant parents need a lot of exposure to positive messages about the alternatives to disposables.  So don't forget, just by using real nappies you are influencing others.  You may not know it, but someone who saw you change a real nappy, who may not even have talked to you about it, or just saw your baby wearing one, may well go on to find out more and try them. 

So keeping using real nappies and THANK YOU!

35% of children starting school in nappies

I was shocked to hear a primary teacher on Channel 4 News last month (Dec 2015) say that 35% of children started reception wearing nappies.  Now I know it's not a race and children are ready at different times but any experienced health visitor will tell you about 'windows of opportunity.'  The first is usually around 18 months.

If you don't see the signs and do nothing your child's interest dies off and you need to wait for the next 'window.'  Trust me, I know from experience.
For some reason this knowledge about 'windows of opportunity' went out of fashion and we were all told our children would potty train themselves around 3 years old.  It may happen, but the chances are very low, hence the rise in children starting school in nappies.  Very poor information spread (wishful thinking, if you like) and we're reaping the costs now.

Our potty training advice has been vetted by June Rogers MBE, the UK's leading children's continence expert. You can see it here

You should also be warned that children can get used to pooing in a nappy standing up and then find doing it sitting down over a hole (potty or toilet) can become frightening for a child after two years of age.  So, get them interested and experienced at doing it on a pot from about a year.  It will makes life easier for you and your child in the long run.

Whatever you do, don't put it off.  Once your child is taking him/herself to the toilet it makes life so much easier.  It's really worth putting in a bit of effort in the early days.

What happens when I go back to work?

Many people (mainly men) tell me disposable nappy waste is an inevitable consequence of feminism.  I tell them I went back to work when my second child was 8 months.  I took cotton prefolds into the nursery every day and took them home to be washed at the end of the day.  My husband (were we married then?) helped put them in the washing machine, hung them out and folded them when dry to be used again.  By the way we lived in a small London flat with no garden but with a balcony.

But how about you?  Was/is your child's nursery happy to change your baby/toddler into a reusable?

Please tell us your experiences so we can share the crowd knowledge.

Thank you!

How do you wash real nappies?

We know that all washing machines are different. The general rule is heat kills bacteria so wash at 60 degrees for the first 6 months.  Alternatively, if your washing machine performs well at low temperature you could use a nappy sanitiser.  No need to soak just add the anti-bacterial to the detergent.

But what do you do?  What are your tips?   Hard water is an issue for Londoners.  How do you get over that?

Bottoms up! £70 Voucher for EWWR 2015

We're so excited to let you know that residents in boroughs covered by the North London Waste Authority (NLWA), that's Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest can get £70 off the cost of real nappies.  But it's just for THIS week: European Week of Waste Reduction (EWWR) 21-29 November, so get your application in fast.  Please note you must have a baby under 18 months on the date of applying and not had a nappy voucher or cashback for that baby already.  See more here.

The NLWA real nappy incentive scheme was piloted back in 2003 in the London borough of Camden.  It was just £35 and only available to nappy laundry service customers.  It was such a success it spread to the other NLWA boroughs.  Residents who washed their own nappies were furious that the nappy cashback was not available to them.  The NLWA very quickly bowed to their demand and made it available to them.

In 2004 the Women's Environmental Network (WEN) working in partnership with other London boroughs and the NLWA did an extensive piece of research to find out whether giving out free nappies, a real nappy cashback or a voucher was the most effective incentive to get more people to try real nappies.  In 2007 the Real Nappies for London voucher scheme was established, open to all London boroughs and administered by the London Community Resource Network (LCRN).  The idea is that a pan-London real nappy scheme brings down the costs.

Indeed it has worked.  Boroughs pay £10 for the administration of each voucher redeemed by a resident.  The cost of collection and disposal of a tonne of nappy waste is approximately £160 per tonne (it differs between boroughs) so even if some people don't continue to use the nappies (we assume half a tonne of nappy waste avoided per voucher redeemed to allow for no use, part-time and full-time use) the voucher scheme saves boroughs money.

Anecdotally we know that even when the voucher recipient doesn't turn into a real nappy user s/he tends to pass on the reusable nappies to a friend or neighbour.  In this way real nappy culture has been spreading through informal networks not just within the voucher areas but beyond.

Real nappy culture spreads through social networks, both real and online and part of that is tips on getting your children out of nappies.  Another benefit of the Real Nappies for London scheme and real nappy use in general is knowledge about potty training.  In Brazil, where the switch from cloth nappies to disposables happened over a very short period (in the UK it took about 30 years for the disposable nappy to become 'normal') they have seen a dramatic rise in the length of time children spend in nappies, clearly increasing nappy waste. 

The Real Nappies for London journey has not been smooth.  During the R&D phase a life cycle nappy report came out (2005) that said the environmental impacts of disposables and cloth nappies were about the same, neither had an environmental advantage.  This report gained massive media coverage; it caused a sensation partly because it seemed so unbelievable.  And it's not surprising as it wasn't true!   In 2008 an update of the Environment Agency's report came out that said cloth nappies could have up to 40% lower carbon impacts than disposables (and of course they're virtually zero waste) but this report received scant media attention.

The myth has remained for the last 10 years that it's just a matter of lifestyle choice.  It's not.  People who use washable nappies are making a difference: they are significantly reducing the environmental impact their baby has on the planet.  And as you can see here in this 30 second film, it makes them feel good!

Please spread the word.  Sign up and get your £70 voucher to try real nappies today.

What are you planning for EWWR 2015?

European Week for Waste Reduction is fast approaching (21-29 November).  Can you hold an information workshop, social event or visit your local children's centre or sling meet to show off real nappies? 

Baby and maternity clothes swaps are very popular and can include real nappies.  Always remember, the more times people see reusables, the more likely they are to try them.

It would be great if you could all visit the EWWR website and pledge to hold a  washable nappy event and if that's too much, simply pledge to use washables on your baby for that week to prevent 7kg of nappy waste going to landfill/incineration.

What are you planning in your area?  Why not make it fun; a stroll in the park or a coffee morning at your favourite café.  Please let us know with a link for people to sign up or find out more. 

Or if campaigning is more your thing, let us know about that.

Guest post on Baby-Led Potty Training (BLPT)

Hi! I gave a talk to Hackney mums and dads at the Nappuccino at Hackney Central Library last Friday about my practice of BLPT (Baby-Led Potty Training). I wanted to share my experience of this technique with other parents first-hand to raise awareness of it and help change the cultural norms around babies wearing nappies 100% of the time.

To my surprise, a show of hands revealed that around 40% of the folks there had heard of BLPT in some form and several people were already interested in trying it. One participant even said that her mum had done BLPT with her when she was a baby! Others had never even heard of it and were interested to hear something new. Everyone seemed impressed at the basic messages of BLPT as a huge waste-reducer for environmental friendliness, no big and sudden change of message when the child reaches an age where it seems they should no longer wear a nappy, and it costs nothing-100% free to do!

I wanted to post some of the questions that I got asked as it’s likely that they will be relevant to other parents so here goes and I hope that you will find this helpful:

Q: Where do I start with BLPT?

A: The whole practice starts with nappy-free time. If you do some nappy-free time each day it gives you a chance to observe your baby’s signals and what they naturally do around when they pee or poo. They may give a small cry, or squirm or make a particular face or go very still. This will help you to tune into your baby’s toilet needs when they are dressed and gets the baby used to the causal nature of peeing making them feel wet and so on. Disposable nappies in particular are very effective at wicking the moisture away from a child’s skin so in nappies they may not have a sense that they have peed at all. BLPT doesn’t just foster a line of communication between parent and child about toilet needs it helps the child to be responsive to their own body. This is my main reason for practicing BLPT.

Q: Do you use sounds to help the child understand what to do?

A: Absolutely. Once you hold the baby in position over the potty, you make a ‘cueing’ sound: a ‘ssss’ or ‘ssshhhh’ for a pee and a grunt for a poo. My mom was pretty mortified when I told her about the grunting, but she gave it a go and was very pleased with herself when it worked. Some people run the tap as the sound of running water can help. BLPT also goes really well with a sign language practice so that once children start signing back (typically from 9-14 months), they can simply make the potty sign to tell you they need to go. Creating communication around their toilet needs will naturally become a 2-way process once you are in the habit of using the potty with your baby. They’ll tell you if they want to go or not! You can get free baby sign videos on YouTube but do be aware that British Sign Language is different from American Sign Language, so make sure you are doing the one you want to practice. It’s a nice thing to do with your baby anyhow.

Q: Do you find that you spend hours and hours holding the baby over the potty?

A: In the early months, you’re at home a lot anyway. When the baby is so small, the BLPT relies on the reflex of the child’s reacting to the sensation of fresh air. This is why babies often pee once you have removed their nappy for a change. Instead of doing the double dab (particularly for little boys), removing the nappy to let cool air in and then holding it back over so you don’t get pee in your face, you can pop the kid on the potty and catch it in there. It is not the idea to simply hold the baby in position for as long as it takes them to go. Sing a few songs to your baby to help them (and you) relax and if it comes, it comes. It takes practice! The curiosity to give it a try will mean you don’t perceive it as time-consuming, rather as just another activity that you do with your child as part of your routine.

Q: What do you do about night-time?

A: There are different approaches. Some people prefer not to do night-time BLPT and dry nights are among the last things to fall into place with a lot of kids. If you do want to do BLPT at night, just lie the baby on a sheepskin or soaker pad and when the baby wakes to feed, use the occasion for a potty moment. Day or night, a pattern emerges for your child’s natural preferences and these patterns will change as the baby grows. Like with most things with children, it’s best not to take a rigid approach but to do what works for you and be flexible.

Q: How does it work if you are sending your child to nursery?

A: You have to bear in mind when you set out to do BLPT that it is not the cultural norm and so nurseries are unlikely to make provision for this preference, particularly with very young babies. If your child starts nursery or other childcare once you have already established a BLPT practice, you could advocate for your key worker to include this in your child’s routine. You never know, the childcare professional may already have experience of BLPT or similar. Stranger things have happened and you don’t know if you don’t ask! In any case, you could keep nappy-free time and offering the potty at a couple of times consistently, perhaps at the beginning and end of the day, to keep BLPT in the mix. It’s your child and your practice so you have to navigate the situation as you think best and be realistic.

Q: Where can I learn more about this? 

A: I learned about BLPT after we experienced a friend taking her (pre-verbal) 18 month old to the loo when he told her he needed to go. We were totally astonished and she filled us in- it’s not witchcraft, it’s Elimination Communication! (That’s what they call it in the US.)

I read a book by Ingrid Bauer that I was handed down by my sister when I got pregnant (my sister had it handed down among many other pregnancy books and had never read it). I then asked my friend who had done EC/BLPT for a tip and she recommended reading and contacting Andrea Olsen. I have recently heard about Amber Hatch through the Real Nappy Network and she is a UK-based practitioner who has a book out. So there’s plenty of info out there if you’d like to know more.

I can be contacted via Hilary at Real Nappies for London if you have questions. If you’d like to come and chat with me in person I will be doing a little talk at the next Hackney Nappuccino, (run by the Hackney Real Nappy Network) on Fri 23 Oct October 10.30-12 Hackney Central Library with BLPT talk at 11am.

Julie Rose Bower

 

COMPETITION - Zero Waste Week 2015

Due to sickness, a lack of clarity on my part and no entries we're extending the deadline for the opportunity to win a copy of 'Nappy Free Baby' to next Thursday 24 September at 12 noon.  We just want you to post a comment below this blog post, your favourite way to reduce waste - eg reusable nappies.  As comments don't come with your email address please send an email to realnappiesforlondon@lcrn.org.uk to let us know you've posted.   Alternatively you could post on our Facebook page.

There are so many ways in which we could easily reduce waste without any effect on our quality of life, just by doing things differently.  Of course we love real nappies (which prevent 4.5-7,000 disposable nappies per baby going to landfill or incineration)  but we want to hear what else you do - or would like to do if you could. 

The prize?  A copy of Amber Hatch's wonderful book

 

 

 

Don't forget to send us an email to let us know your email address.  We will make a draw and let you know.   NB we will only post the prize to an address within the UK.

 

 

If you want to find out more about the prize visit www.nappyfreebaby.co.uk