When disposable nappies were first sold, they seemed like a clever idea. Mums (and some dads) said goodbye to washing soiled cloth nappies and tossed the new plastic-lined disposables into the rubbish bin. We now know that more natural nappies are much better for your baby’s skin, and for the environment.

Disposable nappies lined in plastic are made from synthetic fibres that contain deodorizing chemicals, bleaches and highly toxic dioxins, which are now known to be harmful to a baby’s skin and to the environment. It is estimated that a plastic disposable nappy may take up to 500 years to biodegrade.

Kinder alternatives

Now the pendulum is swinging back to using cloth nappies and biodegradable disposables. Cloth nappies can be made from cotton, wood, silk, hemp and even bamboo fibres. Fitted cloth nappies that are easier to use are now available. They have velcro fastenings and disposable, flushable inner linings that make them just as waterproof and a great deal kinder to your baby’s skin. They are also more absorbent than plastic nappies.

There are also new types of disposables available, which are made from more natural, chlorine-free, biodegradable constituents that don’t make use of super absorbent gels and are free from perfumes and other harmful chemicals.

The average baby will get through approximately 5,000 nappies.

Advantages of using nappies made from natural fibres include:

No chemicals – Cloth and biodegradable nappies contain no harmful bleaches, dyes and hormone-disrupting chemicals. Plastic-lined disposables contain a super absorbent gelling material known as sodium polyacrylate, which can soak up to 30 times its own weight in liquid. This gel releases an oestrogen-like chemical close to the baby’s skin.

Less nappy rash – The absorbent gel material in plastic disposables can make a nappy feel dry even when it is wet. As a result, parents may be tempted to leave their baby in a nappy for longer. This exposes your baby to ammonia, which urine produces as it breaks down, and which can irritate skin and produce nappy rash.

Economy – Washed carefully, as you would any other item of clothing, cotton nappies should last you through two (or more) children. Cloth nappies can be washed and reused up to 200 times, and then used as lint-free cleaning rags.

Preserving the earth’s resources – The manufacturing process involved in producing biodegradable disposable nappies does far less harm to the environment than plastic disposables because no bleaching agents are used.

The facts on plastic disposables

• Every day in the UK alone, 9 million disposable nappies are tipped into landfill sites. It is estimated that nappy waste comprises 4% of all household waste.

• Viruses in soiled disposable nappies can survive for over two weeks, and run-off from landfills containing disposable nappies can contaminate groundwater supplies.

• Plastic disposables use 3.5 times more total energy. 8 times more non-renewable materials and 90 times more renewable materials than cloth nappies. They produce 60 times more solid waste and use 25% more land for growing the materials in their manufacture.