Real Nappy Week has received the support of over 150 local authorities around the UK. Recognising the importance of this ground breaking waste reduction campaign more and more local authorities are joining the real nappy movement. See the list click here.

Real Nappy Week 2002 Awards Celebrating Working Partnerships - Shortlist
Of the 24 partnerships nominated for the awards to find the best UK real nappy promotional schemes, six have been selected for the shortlist:

The Birmingham Washable Nappy Partnership involves four local organisations, two companies and a hospital. This awareness raising project emphasises the money saving and environmental benefits of cloth nappies in disadvantaged areas. The Cornish Real Nappy Partnership distributes 'nappy toolkits' to midwives while nappy trials are carried out in hospitals, nurseries, by childminders and parents. East Sussex and Brighton & Hove Real Nappy Network involves seven local authorities, two hospitals, ten nappy companies, a nursery, a continence advisor and the local NCT raising awareness of real nappies through the NHS. The Isle of Wight Real Nappy Network Project 2002 disseminates information on real nappies in the form of nappy kits distributed to health professionals. The Real Nappy Project based in Bristol employs outreach workers to raise awareness via the NHS and baby and toddler groups with on-ward real nappy trials being launched in April. Sustainable Wales Projects Ltd involves eight local authorities, eight local organisations and a national park in promoting real nappies via an educational campaign and through the establishment of a community co-operative laundry service.

What's on in Real Nappy Week 2002 around the UK - a selection of activities.

Bedfordshire: Launch of real nappies at Bedford Hospital in conjunction with Cotton Fresh laundry service and Bedfordshire Council. Berkshire: Newbury Nappy Event demonstrations and displays at Newbury Library all week. Cambridgeshire: a nappy mountain representing the amount of disposable nappies a baby will use to be installed in Cambridge Market Square. Peterborough Real Nappy Roadshow will travel to parentcraft classes, baby clinics and NCT groups. Derbyshire: Chesterfield Borough Council is giving a real nappy trial pack to every mum who gives birth during Real Nappy Week. Dorset: the Christchurch Borough Council and Dorset Recycling Group roadshow will publicise nappy fairs in Dorchester and Christchurch on 23/24 April. Essex: launch of the Real Nappy Club in Colchester. Essex County Council will be giving out up to 3,000 nappy packs during the week and also have a £10 cash back offer to cloth nappy users with a roadshow touring to Clacton, Rayleigh, Basildon, Harlow, Chelmsford and Dunmow. Gwynedd: Sustainable Gwynedd Gynaladw is hosting the Clytiau Cotwm I Fabis (Real Nappies for Gwynedd) event in Glaslyn Leisure Centre, Porthmadog, on 25th April. Hampshire: Launch of the Real Nappy Project at Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester in partnership with Cotton Bottoms laundry service. London: Southwark Sustainable Energy seminar. West London Waste Authority Group are offering free nappy laundry service to fifty families. Greater Manchester: Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council and Cotton Tails are offering families a free trial of a nappy laundry service. Launch of Stockport Cloth Nappy Network while a mobile health promotion vehicle tours Stockport promoting real nappies. Norfolk: Display and information stand at Norwich Library and the Haymarket. Oxfordshire: Oxfordshire County Council launch of real nappy cash-back scheme with displays in council buildings, shopping centres and all libraries throughout Oxfordshire. Somerset: Somerset Real Nappy Centre will be hosting a series of talks throughout the week.

For further information or if you would like to attend the awards ceremony contact: Elizabeth Hartigan, Maeve Murphy or Liz Sutton Tel: 020 7481 9004 Fax: 020 7481 9144 email:nappies@wen.org.uk website: www.wen.org.uk/nappies

NOTES TO EDITORS

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.

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 (Bristol City, for example, spends £500,000 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.

Additional 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