LATEST
NEWS
02.03.2006 David Cameron and nappies – disposable nappy industry comment
To read the full text Click
here or download
as pdf
21.11.05 Shadow Environment Minister Bill Wiggin MP,
hosted a reception in the House of Commons today for the UK disposable
nappy industry.
To read the AHPMA Press release Click
here or download
as pdf
19.05.05 Environment Agency Report shows there is little or no difference
between the environmental impact of cloth nappies and disposable nappies.
To read the AHPMA and Environment Agency Press releases
Click
here for general media and Click
here for parenting media.
Click
here for details of our forthcoming sustainability
review on disposable nappies and continence care products
4th
March 2004 Nine out of ten mothers prefer disposable nappies! Click
for full text
15
Oct 2003 Second ruling against Cotton
Bottoms literature - Click for
full text
To
view previous press releases visit the archive
section
At a glance
facts about nappies
There is a great deal of misinformation currently
circulating about disposable nappies. If you want the facts, not
the fiction, read on.
Benefits:
- They are an efficient, convenient and healthy choice
- Designed to keep baby dry and comfortable
- Hassle free, easily disposed after use
- Readily bought almost anywhere
- No start-up costs - just buy as you go
- No washing - saves time
- Wide choice of brands, sizes and styles
- Compact - easy to store and carry around
- In keeping with modern lifestyles
Environment:
- Neither disposable or cloth nappies can claim environmental superiority
- Disposables contribute to UK waste, whereas laundering cloth nappies
consumes large amounts of water, energy and detergents
- Both types of nappy use energy in manufacture
- Trees used to make nappies are grown as a crop in well managed
forests
- Softwood trees only are used and more are planted than harvested
- Process used to cleanse and purify wood does not involve elemental
chlorine bleaching
Waste
Disposal:
- Disposable nappies contribute 2.4% of household waste (Gov't Strategy
Unit Report 'Waste not, Want not' November 2002.) This is a reduction
from 4.1% (National Household Waste Analysis Project 1994) A 30%
reduction in the size of nappies, and a drop in birth rate have
contributed to this.
- Disposable nappies only account for between 0.1% to 0.15% of the
total UK waste buried in landfill every year.
- Around 80% of a used disposable nappy and its content are biodegradable
and can degrade if conditions in landfill permit
- It cannot be determined how long it will take for any material
to break down in landfill as this depends on the construction and
management of each individual site
- Disposable nappies do not pose a public health problem when disposed
in landfill