Are Reusable Nappies More Environmentally Friendly than Disposables?

In 2023 the UKs Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs carried out a life cycle assessment comparing the environmental impact of disposables and reusable nappies and it found that:

• Reusable nappies produce 25% less CO2 than single-use disposable nappies

• The environmental impact of production is over 90% lower for a reusable nappy than for disposables

• The environmental impact of disposal of a single-use nappy is 9x higher than for that of a reusable nappy

• Even when factoring in washing and drying, reusable nappies are still the best nappy choice for the environment

• Reusables use 97.5% less raw materials than disposables - 2.5 years of disposables use 128.36Kg v reusables that use 3.22Kg

On the ground here in Australia, local council authorities are becoming a driving force in working to reduce the amount of municipal waste sent to landfill and many offer monetary incentives to help families make the switch to cloth just that bit easier.