Used nappies… going once… going twice…
An online auction service to parents to buy and sell used cotton nappies is going from strength to strength since its launch in April 2007, with more than 2,500 auctions completing in six months.
Leamington Spa based mum of two Sarah Bennett established The Used Nappy Company last year and http://www.usednappies.co.uk is now the number 1 site in the UK for second-hand cloth nappies, with over 2500 customers from 18 countries around the world.
Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “Using washable nappies saves money, is kind to babies’ skin and will greatly reduce household waste and environmental impact. Real nappies can be used on subsequent children or can be resold; recycling and reselling real nappies is doubly eco-friendly.
“Here in Warwickshire the county council runs a great scheme offering incentives to parents who want to use reusable nappies. In fact if every parent in Warwickshire already signed up to the scheme used them from birth to potty it would save the county 2,142 tonnes in waste over those who use disposable nappies.”
Approximately 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away every day in the UK, with the majority of these ending up in landfill.
Feedback has indicated that this is just the sort of service parents’ want, many parents love the funky designs of the nappies, the comfort factor for their babies and not forgetting that they are better for the environment and that they can save hundreds of pounds compared to the cost of disposables.
Even better news for parents is that Warwickshire County Council offer a cashback incentive for parents to try using real nappies. By providing proof of a nappy purchase for at least £50 and a short claim form signed by a health visitor parents can receive £25 towards the cost of cotton nappies.
If you want to find out more about cotton nappies, why not attend a Nappucino morning. These coffee morning events regularly take place across Warwickshire; here parents can have a chat with cotton nappy experts – those who are already using them.
For anyone already using washable nappies, rather than selling them through The Used Nappy Company once the baby is out of them, there’s now the option to donate second-hand nappies to a very worthwhile cause - The Nzirambi Orphans Talent Development Centre (NOTDEC) in Uganda, formerly known as Dorothy’s Orphans. For more information on how to donate to this cause and make a difference to babies’ lives in Africa visit http://www.usednappies.co.uk