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Real nappies

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Real nappies

If you have a baby or take care of babies and small children, why not think about using real nappies as an alternative to disposables?

What are real nappies?

Real nappies are reusable nappies made from breathable materials, which are absorbent and kind to delicate skin as they don't contain the chemicals or gels that can be found in disposable nappies. They are available in lots of modern and funky designs, and fasten with poppers and Velcro, or nappy nippa's so there's not a safety pin in sight.

How do they work?

Real nappies come in a variety of types and are made from different materials such as cotton, hemp, bamboo and fleece. They are either one or two layer systems, but all have a waterproof outer to protect clothing. Disposable biodegradable liners can be used to dispose of solids.

Types of nappy

There are four main types of nappies available. Most of these are available in a variety of colours and materials. Nappies are available in one size and use poppers or Velcro to increase the nappy size as the baby grows, or in a range of sizes depending on the babies weight.

	Flat Nappies	Flat nappies are sheets of material that need to be folded before they can be put on your baby. They also need a separate waterproof cover, similar to those used with shaped nappies.
	Shaped Nappies	These nappies come ready for baby to wear and are usually fastened with Velcro or poppers. They have a separate waterproof cover that fastens in the same way.
	Stuffable Nappies	As the name suggests, a flat absorbent material pad is "stuffed" into a waterproof cover and then put onto baby as one item. Again, these generally fasten with Velcro or poppers.
	All-In-One Nappies	These are similar to shaped nappies but have a waterproof cover attached to the nappy so you only have to put one item on baby.

Benefits of real nappies

A baby goes through about 4,000 to 6,000 nappies in its life. By using reusable nappies, families could save up to £300 compared to buying the same amount of disposables.
Using real nappies helps reduce the amount of waste we create. Currently in the UK, more than 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away which go to landfill where they can take hundreds of years to rot away.
Real nappies are soft, breathable, naturally absorbent and contain no chemicals or gels and are therefore kind to baby's skin.

Washing

Contrary to what many people think, real nappies don't require any boiling or soaking. A 60^oC wash in a normal machine is all that is needed to get nappies clean and keep them hygienic.

Nappy sellers

There are a number of nappy sellers available in and around York and North Yorkshire. To find your nearest seller please click on the table below showing local sellers. There are also a number of websites available stocking a wide variety of new and used nappy systems.

Nappy Sellers [84kb] [pdf]

The York and North Yorkshire waste partnership do not currently offer a financial incentive for purchasing reusable nappies.

Weblinks

Please note: All external websites open in a new browser window and NYCC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
Baby Centre
Information on buying reusable nappies.
Go Real - The Real Nappy Information Service
Information on all aspects of reusable nappies.
The Nappy Lady
Advice and stockist's of a range of reusable nappies.
The Nappy Site
The Nappy Site offers a platform for buying and selling used nappies, as well as sharing advice with other parents and carers.
The Used Nappy Company
The Used Nappy Company enables you to buy and sell used, preloved washable nappies!
Womens Environment Network
Womens Environment Network campaigns to raise awareness of the environmental impacts associated with disposable nappies and to promote the use of washable cloth (‘real’) nappies to reduce that impact since 1989.