Real Nappy Schemes -
Promoting Waste Prevention Through Partnership
| Women's
Environmental Network Real Nappy Schemes - Promoting Waste Prevention Through Partnership |
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This index has been compiled with the generous co-operation of the many organisations involved in real nappy partnerships. WEN would like to thank everyone who participated in its creation. The information published has been provided by the 'partnerships' and there are not yet any national standard methods for information gathering and calculations. Publication here does not imply endorsement by WEN of any particular methodology. If you are actively promoting real nappies in partnership with another organisation and would like your scheme to be included in our index please e-mail nappies@wen.org.uk |
Funded
by |
| The Implementation and Evaluation of Cotton Nappy Provision at East Surrey Hospital |
| Areas Served East Surrey |
| Type of Scheme Research |
| Start Year 2002 |
| End Year 2003 |
| New Real Nappy Users No Information Yet |
| No. of Temporary Jobs No Information Yet |
| No. of Permanent Jobs No Information Yet |
| Waste Prevented (tonnes) No Information Yet |
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Money Saved on Expenditure No Information Yet |
| Money Saved on Disposal No Information Yet |
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Notes Funding: £82,623 of funding was granted by SITA Environmental Trust, to research the extent to which providing cloth nappies on a hospital ward encouraged parents to choose this option. Aims: 1. To reduce the use of disposable nappies and therefore impact on the amount of landfill caused by this type of waste. 2. To identify the barriers to using reusable nappies. 3. Assess the impact the change of ward policy has on ongoing parent behaviour. 4. Measure parents’ attitudes towards using reusable nappies, with and without exposure to using them in the hospital ward. 5. Identify parent’s barriers to using reusable nappies through surveys and suggest methods of overcoming these barriers. Scheme History: The research period began September, 2002 with the collection of baseline data at East Surrey Hospital Maternity Unit. In January, 2003, Cotton Bottoms provided the hospital wards with everything necessary for parents to try using cotton nappies during their stay in hospital. Evaluation data was then collected and a final report was presented in October, 2003. Scheme: East Surrey Hospital Maternity Unit chose to change their ward policy regarding the use of disposable nappies. It was the case that parents supplied disposable nappies for their own use on the ward and these nappies were incinerated through the hospital. The maternity unit decided to supply Cotton Bottoms Nappies for free use by all parents during their stay in hospital. This meant that parents on the ward were provided with: a free supply of nappies to use until their baby was taken home; experience of reusable nappies during their hospital stay; and support and advice from trained staff. This change of ward policy was likely to impact on the amount of household waste generated in Surrey as it encouraged parents to use reusable rather than disposable nappies. In addition to the hospital experience with reusable nappies, this research supplied a sample of parents with a free home nappy laundering service, from Cotton Bottoms, for a short period once leaving the hospital. This indicated the extent to which cost was instrumental to using reusable nappies and highlighted other barriers, such as inconvenience, lack of knowledge and health issues which meant parents chose disposable nappies in preference to reusable nappies. Evaluation of the success of the new maternity ward policy has indicated the extent to which the hospital experience, the free home trial of reusable nappies, and the free nappy laundering service, has been instrumental on parents’ attitude and behaviour and the degree to which that behaviour reduces household waste. Promotion: The scheme was promoted at the hospital through: - Cotton Bottoms leaflets - advice from midwives - antenatal classes The report was promoted by: - a well attended launch presentation - the availability of press release - reported in Midwife magazine - through University of Surrey websites - through partner websites - through WEN websites Scheme Monitoring: All evaluation was part of the research. Achievements: - Parents’ awareness of cloth nappies has been raised during their stay in the post-natal ward - research findings have been used to develop implementation guidelines for similar schemes in other hospitals - suggestions have been made to improve the dissemination of information relating to cotton nappies - practical information to County and Local Councils which is now being used for the development of schemes to increase parents awareness and use of cotton nappies. - the generation of major interest amongst NHS maternity unit managers, and Local Council Officers, with many requests for a copy of the final report from across the UK. - results have informed the Waste Conference for Sustainable Wales and a Radio Four Programme. Benefits of the Scheme for partners involved: - The post-natal ward has benefited by adding an environmentally aware service to its post-natal ward - The maternity unit continues to benefit by reducing incineration costs - Training provided by Cotton Bottoms Team for all employees of the Maternity Unit of East Surrey Hospital - Local authorities have benefited with robust research findings upon which Best Practice Guidelines can be developed - Funding partners, from the County and Local Councils, received practical information which is now being used for the development of schemes to increase parents’ awareness and use of cotton nappies. Environmental Impact: - Travel was minimized where possible - All paper stationery used was recycled paper, printing was always double sided and paper etc was recycled after use - The use of the internet to provide downloadable reports. Future Plans: - Other hospitals are interested in installing this scheme, based on the guidelines recommended in the report. It is hoped that evaluative research will be carried out at the same time in order to develop training aids and promotional material. - Working with WEN to develop and evaluate incentive schemes for encouraging the use of cloth nappies. - The development and publication of research briefing note in order to disseminate good practice. This would take the form of a 4 page, colour research briefing providing a précis of the full report, available as a downloadable resource and/or a published document. - Putting research into action: the organization of one or more half-day expert seminars for Health professionals and local authority staff. A programme of short talks would be followed by a detailed discussion session in which attendees would have the opportunity to ask questions and air their concerns. - Further dissemination of results: attendance at appropriate conferences. Further Information: It is estimated that disposable nappies account for approximately 4% of household waste. It is therefore extremely desirable that more parents than the current 15%, choose to use mainly cotton nappies for their baby. A number of incentive schemes exist, run by Local Councils, which reward parents financially for their use of cotton nappies rather than disposable nappies. It is recognised however that there is a discrepancy between information provided by local councils and through maternity services of the NHS. Current practice at almost all maternity units is that parents are required to supply their own disposable nappies to use after the birth of their baby, which are then incinerated through each individual hospital system. Implicitly therefore, the NHS is endorsing the use of disposable nappies rather than providing a true choice. East Surrey Hospital Maternity Unit made the decision to provide cotton nappies on their post-natal wards for all parents to use during their stay in hospital. The opportunity to combine research with this policy change was seized, aiming to give valuable information relating to observable changes in parents’ attitudes and behaviour towards the use of cotton nappies. By providing a safe and supportive environment in which parents could try cotton nappies, this research was able to identify the factors behind a parent’s decision to use cotton nappies and the extent to which trying cotton nappies at the hospital affected their knowledge, attitude and behaviour. Additional outcomes of the project included a recommended method for the implementation of such a policy change in hospitals elsewhere, suggestions for improving dissemination of information relating to cotton nappies and, most importantly to our NHS partners, a major cost saving to the hospital by reducing incineration requirements. Funding partners, from the County and Local Councils, received practical information which is now being used for the development of schemes to increase parents awareness and use of cotton nappies. The final report for this project was produced on time and to budget, at a well attended launch held at the University of Surrey. Furthermore, the research generated major interest amongst NHS maternity unit managers, and Local Council Officers, with many requests for a copy of the final report arriving from across the UK. The report is now a downloadable resource at the Environmental Psychology Research Group website through the University of Surrey. The research team has provided information for a Waste Conference on behalf of Sustainable Wales and a Radio Four Programme. In association with the Women’s Environmental Network (WEN) the research is being applied to the development of innovative incentive schemes for encouraging the use of cotton nappies. It is hoped that monitoring and evaluation research will be incorporated into the development of these schemes to be able to identify the most effective methods of increasing the number of parents choosing cotton nappies for their baby. |
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