In today’s show we have three interviews with people doing sustainable babies in very different ways. Firstly Joan Webster tells us how it was back in the day when you boiled a copper to wash all your clothes, including the cloth nappies (diapers). Then I speak to new parents Alex and Mark, about using washable nappies these days… finally I have a chat with Nickie and Miles about how they raised their daughter nappy free!
Some fast facts about nappies:
“Although disposable diapers need to be exposed to oxygen and sunlight to decompose, they do not degrade well in a landfill. What’s more, disposable diapers take about 500 years to decompose. The millions of tons of untreated waste added to landfills each year through plastic diapers can contaminate ground water.” Source
“Every child has about 6500 nappy changes, generating one tonne of plastic waste each. Damage is caused by nappies disintegrating into the environment, forming microplastics which can maim and kill fish, mammals and birds, and filter into the food chain for humans.” Source
Resources:
Diaper Free: The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene by Ingrid Bauer
The Continuum Concept: In Search of Happiness Lost by Jean Liedloff
Washable Nappy advice website. They also have a great facebook page where you can ask your questions and get support.
If you LOVE poo… listen to Episode 2 where we talk about sustainable ways to manage your dog’s poo. And Episode 10 where we looked at what to use when there is no toilet paper to be found.
This episode was created in 2020 as part of a series called Turning the Goldfields Green. This series was created with support from MASG, MAINfm and the Community Broadcasting Foundation.
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