Disposable nappies cost Londoners millions of pounds every year. The collection and disposal of London's nappy rubbish runs to several million so it is hardly surprising that the Mayor has lent his support to Real Nappy Week - 22nd to 28th April 2002 - along with over 150 local authorities around the UK.

"The Mayor wants to give parents a fair chance to use the modern convenient alternatives to disposable nappies now available in a wide variety of cloth nappies. Through his draft strategy the Mayor is seeking for all London waste authorities to offer incentives to parents and work in partnership with hospitals as is done in well established schemes in West Sussex, Kent and Norfolk," said a spokesperson for the GLA.

The Real Nappy Week 2002 Awards - Celebrating Working Partnerships are being held for the first time this year in recognition of the importance of schemes such as these in achieving practical waste prevention. Six projects have been shortlisted and the Awards will be presented in a ceremony hosted by Paul Burstow MP in the House of Commons on Thursday 25th April 2002.

Real Nappy Week, now a well-established annual event, is jointly organised by Women's Environmental Network's Real Nappy Project, the Real Nappy Association and the National Association of Nappy Services (NANS). The week focuses attention on the environmental impact of nappies and raises public awareness of the availability of convenient shaped and fitted modern cloth nappies and nappy laundry services.

For further information or if you would like to attend the awards ceremony on 25th April contact: Elizabeth Hartigan 0771 886 5009, email:nappies@wen.org.uk


NOTES TO EDITORS

Waste Reduction
Responsible for 4% of household waste in the UK, nappies provide a prime opportunity to reduce the rubbish in our dustbins. 3 billion nappies are thrown away every year in the UK. Nappies make up 50% of the waste from a household with just one baby so families can cut their waste in half by using real nappies. With the cost to each local authority in hundreds of thousands of pounds per year on disposal (Essex County Council, for example, spends £1 million per year) it is not surprising that nappy schemes now play a key role in local authorities' waste strategies.

Waste Disposal
Each year Britain throws away enough rubbish to bury Edinburgh a metre deep. Landfill space is running out. Many local authorities are struggling to stop waste amounts increasing and many more incinerators are planned to meet the Landfill Directive. Incineration is not a trouble free solution. The emissions from incinerators cause controversy wherever they are sited and up to 30% of the waste remains as ash to be disposed of in landfill. Waste prevention at source is the most effective way of reducing our rubbish.

Cost
Parents can save £500 - £1,250 on the cost of keeping a baby in nappies. You can kit out your baby in real nappies on the high street for under £70. This includes all the nappies and waterproof covers you will need for the whole of your baby's nappy wearing life. The same amount of money will only buy your baby's first ten to twelve weeks of disposables. Even taking into account the total cost of laundering nappies at home, about £33 a year, the savings are still considerable.

Health
Why put your baby's bottom in a complex chemical environment when you have the option of a natural product? Disposable nappies are made of superabsorbent chemicals, paper pulp and plastics while real nappies are manufactured using natural fabrics. If you want the best solution, free of pesticides and other synthetic chemicals, organic cotton and hemp nappies and organic wool waterproof overpants are available at reasonable cost.

Useful Contact Details
For a free information pack send a large SAE with two stamps to The Real Nappy Association, PO Box 3704, London SE26 4RX www.realnappy.com

For details of your local nappy laundry service contact The National Association of Nappy Services, NANS, 0121 693 4949 www.changeanappy.co.uk

The Nappy Exchange Service is a source of second hand nappies. Tel: 020 7481 9004

The Real Nappy Project has been established to raise awareness of the environmental impact of nappies and the availability of modern shaped and fitted cloth nappies. For more information contact: The Real Nappy Project at the Women's Environmental Network, P.O. Box 30626, London E1 1TZ. Telephone: 020 7481 9004. Email: nappies@wen.org.uk