Nappy Lady's efforts boosted

Katikati's own "Nappy Lady" - known for her sustainable and environmentally friendly product - has seen her business named a finalist in this year's Bay of Plenty Sustainable Business Network Awards.
Kate Meads' NappyDays was announced one of three finalists in the Emerging Business category at a Tauranga BA5 on September 14.
Despite Kate's high profile and the growth in her cloth nappy company, this is the first awards she has entered and already she is happy with the result.
"We're at a stage where we felt comfortable entering and the main reason we did was the entry process, which makes you stop and look at your own business in terms of sustainability," she says. "By stopping to take a deeper look at how you do things, the way you work, your processes, ethics and the reason you're in business, you get a renewed passion for it," she says. It's hard to believe the Katikati mother-of-one needs to renew her passion.
In five short years, she has built her cloth nappy business from scratch, appeared on television show Good Morning, formed the Nappy Alliance with seven leading cloth nappy companies in tow, writes for magazines, speaks on radio and has online blogs as an expert in the field. She has even approached councils on the issue of waste minimisation, notably disposable nappies.
Kate admits that at times she feels she's pushing her message up hill. "You sometimes think, 'am I making a difference or am I just screaming and no-one is listening?' - although parents' excitement makes you feel good."
To some business owners the word sustainability is overwhelming, says Kate. "But if you take it one chunk at a time, it is easily achievable." Kate, who has created a high profile of herself as the "Nappy Lady", now writes articles as a sustainable parent - and says she tackles sustainability in the home just like in her business "one step at a time".
"As a family, we began reducing the amount of packaging we bought in the supermarket; we built a vege garden, then a worm farm and another vege garden and it was an easy process over five years."
Kate is "excited" to be a finalist in the awards, "because you're already being recognised as being on the right track".
Long term, Kate wants to help other businesses with their sustainability.
"I don't want them to think of it as a great big cloud hanging over their head because it's not hard to be sustainable - you just have to change your thinking."
Winners will be announced at a Bay of Plenty Sustainable Business Network Awards dinner in Rotorua on September 30.