Green MP on nappy crusade

By RENEE KIRIONA and JAMES GARDINER

Disposable nappies add two tonnes per child to New Zealand's landfills and cost ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the thought of cloth nappies fills many parents with dread.

This is an attitude that Green MP Mike Ward is trying to change.

The cloth nappy versus the disposable nappy argument has been around for years but few are more passionate about it than Ward.

In launching the nationwide campaign last week Mr Ward described disposable nappies as being an "environmental disaster" but went even further when he suggested that local authorities should help parents with the costs of buying re-usable nappies and to use pick-up cleaning services.

"I know people are laughing about this but when you look at the bigger picture you will find that this is serious stuff - each baby who uses disposables puts two tonnes of waste into New Zealand landfills during their infancy."

However, National MP Simon Power, who has an eight-week-old baby boy, Sam, said Mr Ward needed to "get real".

"Young parents have got enough on their plate than to worry about cloth nappies.

"In an ideal world we would have enough time but the reality is that we don't."

Mr Ward, who is proud to say that he raised children in cloth nappies, said nappy waste was costing ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Although parents might fork out up to $30 a week for nappies, disposing of them has been an expensive task for the Auckland and Christchurch City Councils.

Tony Moore, a senior waste planner in Christchurch, said the local authority spent about $200,000 a year to get rid of the waste.

Although he thought the amount of food waste put into rubbish bags (about 40 per cent) was more important, he said nappy waste was a growing problem.

"At the moment we're in talks with manufacturers of disposable nappies trying to figure out what the chances of designing a biodegradable nappy are."

SCA Hygiene Australasia, which makes the Treasures brand, says that over the past five years, it has reduced the mass of its product by over 40 per cent.

Last year, Auckland City spent about $260,000 to dispose of nappies that are put into mobile green bins. Those put into rubbish bags were likely to cost even more.

"We should look to the 80 councils in Britain which are subsidising parents to buy reusable nappies and use pick-up washing schemes," Mr Ward said.

Plunket says it is neutral on the issue of disposable versus cloth nappies, despite receiving sponsorship from the Huggies disposable brand and allowing its name to appear on Huggies packaging.

Clinical services general manager Angela Baldwin said it was up to parents to decide what suited them.

The Plunket advisory booklet on nappies explains how to use both types.

One advantage of disposables is avoiding the need to wash, dry and iron.

Electricity supplier Contact Energy says the electricity required for a hot wash costs about 55c a load, a cold wash 5c a load, running an 1800w clothes dryer for an hour, 23c, and ironing, 5c a load.

The figures are based on electricity charges of 12c a unit and do not include laundry detergent costs or depreciation of washing machines and dryers.

SIMON POWER

National Party

Disposable-nappy dad, Sam, eight weeks

"My son is in the height of his nappy career and we just don't have the time to be dealing with cloth nappies. As far as I'm concerned, disposables are absolutely terrific, even if I have to wake up in the middle of the night to get them at the store."

KATHERINE RICH

National Party

Disposable-nappy mum, Georgia, 18 months

"Before the birth of my first child I had intentions of using cloth nappies but when the reality of motherhood hit home it did not last that long. I'm a disposable girl now. I think Mike's intentions are good but the call is not realistic."

NANDOR TANCZOS

Green Party

Cloth-nappy dad, Pirimaia, 14 months

"Using cloth nappies was an ecological choice for us and because we are busy people we use a nappy laundry service . We pay about $20 a week and get about 60 nappies dropped off and the dirty ones picked up."