I'm expecting my first baby in April. I'd like to be as environmental as possible, but I've got a limited budget. Re-usable nappies look like the answer - but they're a bit pricey and my friends say I'll be too exhausted to wash them all the time. The collection services look out of my price range too.
Give us a break
Speaking as a mother of three children who spent six consecutive years changing nappies on a daily basis, I would encourage you to be environmentally friendly in any other possible way. Recycle all the empty wine bottles that you consume to help anaesthetize your nerves. Recycle all the magazines and newspapers you buy but no longer have time to read. Recycle all the tins and jars since cooking a whole meal from fresh seems a distant memory. Mothers have enough responsibility, hard work and guilt to shoulder. Let them at least, after the sixth nappy change (and it's still only lunchtime!) bag it, bin it, and take a moment to actually enjoy the baby.
Vicki Way, Bournemouth
Summer babies can be greener
Remember that most disposables have a "lock away core" which will remove liquid from the baby's skin and leave them dry. Cloth nappies can't do this effectively, so you may be changing them more frequently. Another factor is the time of year. In winter water is colder and drying is done artificially, whereas for a summer baby, there's more free energy, which might tip the balance in favour of reusables.
Nick Gray, Southampton
Some disposables are better than others
Reusable nappies are greener than disposables but some disposables don't use the absorbable gel the regular ones use. The initial cost of washables is a drawback - ask friends and relatives for nappies as a gift. My parents paid around £80 for a complete set but they cost less than disposables. Do check out local nappy services; they are not prohibitive once the initial set up costs are covered. Compare prices at www.wen.org.uk. One thing - don't expect to use washables all the time - although my child minder was happy to indulge my little whim they are not really practical for holidaying with.
Claire Poyner, London
Do both
We used reusable nappies for two years with our triplets and saved loads of money, we did not find any increase in the cost of our washing, they had a decent resale value, and we felt very proud about not adding to landfill. However, we afforded ourselves the use of disposables at night. Do it - it's an initial outlay, but you will save money in the long run. Maggie Murphy-Bailey, east Sussex
No difference
The Environment Agency produced a report on this subject last year. They concluded that "there was no significant difference between any of the environmental impacts". My experience, as a parent, is that the best thing you can do is to potty train as soon as possible.
Neil Griffiths, by email
Buy used
Second hand washable nappies are much cheaper than buying new. I have bought many of mine from NCT nearly new sales - It's amazing how many people buy whole nappy systems and never use them. Check the NCT's website for sales in your area. Prefolds (rectangular nappies folded to suit the size of baby, covered by a waterproof wrap) are far cheaper than shaped nappies (similar to disposables in shape). Check out eBay. Coping with the washing is just a case of getting into a routine, much like coping with the rest of the laundry - it really doesn't add that much work especially if you have enough nappies and a big enough nappy bin. I do less than two additional washes a week.
Be willing to bend
Don't set inflexible rules but use nappies according to your baby's outputs and your time. We got a £30 grant from our council and bought reuseables second hand from friends and eBay. Get lots of one kind to minimise frequency of washing and sell them later to recoup your investment. Judge success by your bin bags. We put out one a week. Neighbours throw out at least two.
Dr Elaine King, Bucks
Go traditional
When you say reusable nappies are expensive have you been looking at the new fangled preshaped nappies? Good old fashioned terry square nappies are cheap, versatile and washing is no more hassle than bagging and binning disposable nappies to be discarded on landfill where they will still be when your great grandchildren are around. I bought mine from the factory shop so they were cheaper still, I've got two children in them at the moment and I reckon I've saved over £1,000 on my green babies.
Mrs Mary Jones, Manchester
It'll help your pocket
Go for reusables that have a separate inner and a waterproof cover. We invested £200 in a complete system that, even with the washing costs, worked out far cheaper than disposables, and are now using them for our second baby (and will then sell them on eBay for someone else to use). They don't need soaking, wash at 60 degrees and hang dry easily. But use common sense: they leak if left too long, so we used one disposable each night when our daughter was sleeping through and took disposables on holidays. We hope we have helped the environment, but know we have helped our pocket.
Heidi and Steve Brooks, Dursley
You don't need to spend a fortune
I started off using a laundry service for a few months, then bought some of the pre-fold nappies, which are relatively cheap and easy to dry, so you don't need a tumble dryer. (Use the washing line,a clothes horse and one of those peggy sock dryer things hung in the airing cupboard.) Don't rule out Terry squares either, again cheap and easy to dry. You can secure them with a "Nappy-Nippa" so no pins to worry about.
Hazel Rowcliffe, by email
It's about the temperatures
Reusable nappies are only environmentally friendly if washed on 40 degrees and dried without a tumble dryer. Buy clothes nappies second hand. You could try your local free-ads, NCT sales or internet auctions. My personal favourite is the 'Baby Life' nappy (slimline-fit, usable from birth). However there are many styles and some internet companies allow you to compile a "sample-pack" so you can try the nappy on the real thing. Lastly think about energy-efficiency in this way: if your partner (or family) is not into the idea, you will be doing all the washing. In this case I suggest mix and match: clothes nappies and Moltex nappies. Moltex nappies are disposable but 100% biodegradable and if ordered in bulk just as cheap as pampers Try Naturebotts.co.uk.
Nina Heptner, Portsmouth
Stick nappies in with the other laundry
We used real nappies, I just washed them with my work shirts, they don't take much more effort than any other washing, a quick hand rinse to get the worst of it off under a running tap. Most of it comes off on the liner that goes straight in the loo.
John Wren, by email
Birth to potty
We went for it, buying Cotton Bottom's birth to potty pack. We bought (new) from eBay and saved £50. It is a large upfront investment, but the total cost of disposable nappies can exceed £1,000. The savings are huge even if you only use them for one child. Chucking nappies in the washing machine isn't that tiring. Every disposable nappy ever used is still on the planet so real nappies has to be the choice for green babies.
Annette Watson, Worthing
Council grants
Get in touch with your council to see if there are any local schemes to assist with the cost of reusables. For example, in Edinburgh there is a scheme run by Lothian and Edinburgh Environmental Partnership which offers either a trial pack of reusables or money towards your initial costs.
Ailsa Garland, Edinburgh
Adopt a wait-and-see approach
I would wait until the baby is here to buy any reusables as you will have more of an idea of how you will cope. I realised very quickly life in a one bedroom city centre flat with no outside space and reusables was madness. As an alternative go to the Natural Collection website as they do a number of environmentally friendly disposable nappies including Moltex Oko which we have now used for almost two years. If you take the sticky tabs off a wet nappy they can even be composted, as can the bags they come in and they are very effective unlike some other eco nappies we tried.
Becky, by email
It's financially sound
Spending £750 to £800 for disposables over the nappy life of your child (all of which go into landfill sites) against an initial outlay of £150 to £200 for reuseables isn't financially sensible. Even costing in electricity and washing powder would still leave you in pocket. Reuseables are an investment and are great if you're organised. Get yourself a swing bin and bin liners. Use biodegradable nappy liners which can be flushed down the loo. That way the nappies stay cleaner. If the weather is fine wash the nappies and hang them out on the line. If the weather is bad wait for the bin to fill, (it won't take long) then ask your partner to make one trip to the launderette where (s)he can wash and dry the whole load for much less than a pack of disposables.
Hazel Warren, Rossendale
Have disposables on the sideline
We wash the nappies every other day on a 60 dregree wash and dry them in the airing cupboard and this hasn't been a problem - I think the key is to have disposables if you need them. Our baby sleeps in a disposable and we take them with us if we are going out for the day. So many things about motherhood make you feel guilty, using cloth nappies even just half of the time is doing your bit, and don't be too afraid of changing your mind as you can always sell the cloth nappies on eBay and get at least half your money back.
Katherine Wall, North Yorkshire
Make your own
My resourceful wife made reuseable nappies from cotton/gauze for our two daughters. Combined with nylon nappy covers they work wonders and the received wisdom is that they're better for the baby too. We combine them with disposables, which we use for excursions.
Martin Webb, London
Go organic
Even more eco friendly are organic nappies. We have some Imse Organic Terry one size, which work very well and either fasten with a nappi nipper (no pins) or use a velcro fastening wrap. Tots Bots also do a new non organic, but more eco friendly nappy, and there's Bamboozle, made from Bamboo towelling which is naturally antibacterial, very absorbent and dries faster. To save even more, buy second hand on eBay or other cloth nappy sale boards such as www.treehuggermums.co.uk or www.ukparents.co.uk. And www.thenappylady.co.uk offers good advice and sells nappies.
Mairi Rivers, Switzerland
Latest question: We're thinking of becoming a 'host family' for foreign students during the summer school holidays. We'll get around £85 a week for each student. We're not just in it for the money though - I think it will help my children appreciate other languages and cultures. What are the pros and cons of doing this? Will we regret it?
