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Notes
Funding:
Savings in disposal costs fund the West Sussex Cashback Incentive Scheme.
The County Council Members are committed to continual funding of the cashback
scheme, and the new 'Free Nappy Starter Packs'. WRAP funding of £65,000
for one year 2005/2006.
Aims:
- To enable the residents of West Sussex to have a choice of nappy
options to prevent disposable nappies from entering the household waste
stream
- To change residents' behaviour towards waste, and to normalize the
use of real nappies by increasing the number of
households participating in the initiative
- To continue to develop the existing West Sussex Real Nappy Initiative
as a sustainable Best Practice methodology
- To support the existing nappy laundering service/real nappy providers
and to build new partnerships
- To reach a target of 11% of parents using cotton nappies by March
2007.
History:
The West Sussex Real Nappy Initiative has already proven to be an excellent
example of how the public and private sector can work together to achieve
measurable results with all parties achieving their own goals.
Since June 1999 the Initiative has potentially diverted some 16 million
disposable nappies from landfill. This is a remarkable achievement as waste
prevention is known to be difficult to measure and most other nappy campaigns
around the country are based around an educational program and have not
been able to achieve any sustained and measurable results. The present division
rate has been achieved by offering a cashback incentive and by working with
St.Richards Hospital in Chichester to change on-ward policy to real nappies.
The West Sussex Initiative has pulled together partners from all sectors
including: the National Health Authority, St.Richards Hospital in Chichester,
district and borough councils, plus Nurseries and the retail industry to
deliver an initiative that provides an informed choice for residents of
West Sussex. The aim is to reach 11% of parents using cotton nappies by
2007.
The Free Nappy Starter Packs which are worth £100 to the resident,
offer parents a chance to use cotton nappies and to continue using them.
The nappies included are the newborn size, and one size nappies plus wraps.
Scheme:
In 1999 West Sussex County Council’s Cash Back Incentive Scheme started
- a payment of up to £30 for each child in cotton nappies, whether
nappies are washed at home or if registered with a nappy laundering service,
funded by savings made in disposal costs. In order to deliver a sound audit
trail and to prove continued use, the payment is split into three different
stages:
£10 at six weeks old
£10 at 12 months old, and
£10 at 18 months old.
If nappies are laundered then the audit trail is evident. However, if laundered
at home the audit trail needed to be established. This is achieved by asking
for a copy of the baby's birth certificate, a completed application form
and dated confirmation from a health professional that real nappies are
being used at home at six weeks old. To claim the subsequent two payments
dated confirmation of continued use is always required and a further completed
application form.
The
County Council is offering new parents a FREE Home Washing Nappy Starter
Pack worth £100.
The
Home Washing Nappy Starter Pack contains:
·
5 shaped cotton nappies (small)
· 5 shaped cotton nappies (one size)
· 2 nappy covers/wraps (one small and one medium)
· 2 snap in liners
· 3 rolls of biodegradable nappy liners
· Wet nappy bag
· Information Guide on fitting and washing the nappies
The
Home Washing Nappy Starter Pack is suitable for babies from 6lbs up to
about 20lb (9kg), although the one size nappy can be used until the baby
is 35lb (16kg).
The
offer is limited to West Sussex residents only. New parents are entitled
to one Home Washing Starter Pack per baby aged 0 to 4 months and it is
subject to availability.
Ordering
your Starter Pack
You
can order your free nappy starter pack up to eight weeks before your baby's
due date and from birth up to four months old. To order the pack before
the birth of your baby you will need to complete the application form
at the back of the booklet and send us a photocopy of your white NHS maternity
exemption card (prescription charge certificate). To order the starter
pack after your baby is born you will need to send us a completed application
form from the back of the booklet and a photocopy of your baby's birth
certificate.
OR
You
can order your free nappy starter pack up to eight weeks before your baby's
due date and from birth up to four months old. on line at www.bettertomorrows.org.uk
We
are promoting the schemes through our waste prevention booklet 'for better
tomorrows' which is door dropped to all West Sussex residents. Also through
the local media and local authority publications.
We
follow up the starter pack with a 6 week and 6 months postal questionnaire.
Promotion:
New mothers are targeted effectively at pre and post natal classes. The
on ward policy at St.Richards Hospital Chichester is to use cotton nappies.
This means that every baby born in St.Richards |Hospital Chichester can
use a cotton nappy. The project has been supported with an advertising
campaign to boost awareness among new fathers and grand-parents who will
be more environmentally conscious, and prompt new mothers to make the
change.
The over-arching message is:
- Raise awareness of the need to reduce disposable nappy usage
- Highlight that disposable nappies are contributing to the over dependence
on land fill sites
- Educate mothers that there is a laundering service available, and
also about the modern cotton nappies that can be
washed at home.
- Encourage new mothers to trial the Nappy 'starter pack' and claim
the cash back incentive.
Ongoing promotion of the initiative:
West Sussex County Council website
West Sussex County Council has supported and promoted 'Real Nappy Week'
every year
Cotton nappies are used in St.Richards Hospital Chichester, and promotional
literature is included in all new booking packs given out at all hospitals
in West Susssex.
Waste Strategy's waste prevention booklet 'For Better Tomorrows' has been
door dropped to all households in West Sussex.
Prior to the Waste Prevention Booklet nappy leaflets were used.
The booklets have also been distributed to the following locations, playschools,
nursery schools, play groups, registry offices, hospitals (booklets to
be put in pregnant mothers booking packs), antenatal clinics, midwives,
doctors surgeries, childminders, libraries and help points.
Posters in all West Sussex libraries and help points.
The Initiative is also internally promoted within the Council:
· Front Line customer services are made aware of all initiatives.
· Features in the West Sussex County Council staff newspaper 'Staff
Connections' which is distributed to all employees.
· Features in the Environment and Development staff newspaper 'The
Edge'
· On internal County Council intranet.
Scheme Monitoring:
To gauge the effectiveness of this campaign a number of customer monitoring
procedures have been put in place:
Free Nappy Starter Packs: Application form, follow up postal questionnaire
at six months to find out how customer got on with the cotton nappies
and if they are going to continue using them.
Free Nappy Sample: Registration card completed to be able to follow up
and see if new parents chose to use cotton nappies, and claim the cash
back incentive.
Cash Back Incentive: Registration targets set and monitored
Telephone call-monitoring system in place to monitor where parents heard
about the scheme for future marketing strategies.
Laundry Service: Registration targets set and monitored.
The number of new registrations indicates the ongoing success of the promotional
campaigns.
Achievements:
So far to date there have been:
1110
have registered on the laundry service
2589 have registered on the homewashing
16
million nappies have been diverted from landfill. Aim to increase registrations
to 11% by March 2007.
Benefits of the Scheme for partners involved:
The Hospitals have benefited by savings in chemical waste disposal costs
to the NHS.
Cotton Bottoms have benefited by being promoted in the hospitals and now
employ a full time hospital liaison person.
Local Authorities have benefited by money saved through disposable nappies
not going into landfill.
Environmental Impact:
All literature, booklets, and posters are printed on 100% post consumer
recycled paper.
Nappy starter packs are sent to parents directly from the nappy suppliers.
Local Partners attend antenatal classes to reduce transport mileage.
Funding:
WRAP
funding of £65,000 for April 2005 - March 2006 which was for a part
time project liaison officer, communications plan, and also funded extra
Home washing nappy starter packs and Free four weeks nappy laundry.
Further Information:
The
County Council has always believed in learning from the experience of
others in preventing waste and has also proven an ability to explore innovative
techniques.
This is evident by the success of the present Real Nappy Initiative which
has always pursued a strategic approach. The Initiative has pulled together
partners from all sectors including the health authority, district and
borough councils, a local nappy laundering company, childcare nurseries
and the retail industry. The Initiative was given the top award for Public/Private
Partnership at the 2001 Local Government Chronicle Awards, and also received
Crystal and Gold Green Apple Awards in 2001. The County Council has provided
advice to many other local authorities to enable them to develop Real
Nappy Initiatives within their own authority.
The authority is always in pursuit of continual improvement and looks
for avenues to increase participation. To this end, West Sussex County
Council has invested in a study, "An Evaluation of the West Sussex
County Council Real Nappy Scheme" (October 2003) by Teresa Ridge,
to assess not only the effectiveness of the initiative now, but also to
determine where the scheme could be improved.
The results of the evaluation and a recent internal audit of the scheme
have aided the County Council in delivering the desired continual improvement.
Cotton
nappies being used in West Sussex Maternity Hospital
St.
Richards maternity ward has set an excellent example to new parents by
becoming the first in the UK (England) to start using the Stork- Eco Nappy
designed by an NHS midwife. St. Richards Maternity Unit will use this
specially designed cotton nappy and wrap on all newborn babies. The St.
Richards in-house laundry service will launder the nappies and wraps to
high NHS standards. This means that the Royal West Sussex NHS Trust will
set an excellent president to other hospitals by not only being environmentally
sensitive but by also saving approximately £3,500 per year in clinical
waste disposal charges.
The Stork-eco nappy is only available for sale to the NHS. The Stork-eco
nappy has won the following environmental awards:
NHS
Estates Building Better Healthcare Awards 2004
Midwife of the Year Award 2004
The Green Apple Organisation 2004 award winner
Isle of Man Health Services
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