As next month's annual Cloth Nappy Week approaches, the "Nappy Lady", Kate Meads, is on a mission to tell parents about the benefits of cloth nappies.
Mead says close to a million disposable nappies end up in New Zealand landfill each day, based on a conservative estimate of 145,000 children under 18 months using six disposable nappies a day.
The figures do not include products used to combat bedwetting in older children, or adult incontinence products.
"Over the past nine years since I had my son, the number of new disposable products available to new parents is amazing," she says. "It is also scary to think there are so many more new convenience products that are going into landfill after a single use."
The amount of waste inspired the creation of recycling company Envirocomp, based in Christchurch and Wellington, which recycles nappies and sanitary products. Envirocomp's website says these products represent about 3 per cent of landfill waste nationwide, about 96,000 tonnes a year.
A 2009 Consumer New Zealand report found cloth nappies were the cheaper option and using them exclusively until a baby was 18 months old could cost $700 for a traditional nappy through to about $2200 for fitted cloth nappies in two sizes.
In comparison, disposable nappies would cost about $4100 over the same period, Consumer NZ found.
Meads says families can save about $4000 a child by using cloth nappies, but parents don't have to choose them as a complete solution.
For instance, parents could use disposable nappies for convenience when out and about, and cloth nappies at home.
"If every baby in nappies in New Zealand used just one cloth nappy each day, this would prevent around one million disposable nappies from entering our landfills every single week.
"It is not hard - we don't all have to be environmental saints - we all just need to do a little bit and that is better than doing nothing."From March 23-30, Meads will be touring the country to promote easy-to-use modern cloth nappies.
She says teaching parents about the modern versions of re-usable nappies and dispelling the "silly myths" about cloth nappies are the main focuses of her workshops, but she will also include new information on cost-effective ways to reduce waste.
Attendees will each go home with a free trial pack of modern cloth nappies. The value of the packs vary from region to region and can be worth up to $170.
This year, Meads is challenging parents who attend the workshops to commit to using one cloth nappy every day on their baby.
For information on regional workshop dates go to www.clothnappyweek.co.nz
