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By: Ikedi Ani-okoye.

Introduction to the Nappy

It's not rocket science that disposable nappies like Pampers and Huggies are not enviromentally friendly. This style of nappy takes a very long time to break down, and as a result fills up landfills really fast. Although they may seem convenient, you have to remember they are usually treated with disgusting chemicals for extra absorbency. If you have ever broken a nappy up you can see the gel, which can rupture if heavily wet or soiled. If this happens then your baby can get a very bad nappy rash.

Nappy rash prevention

Nappy rash appears when your baby's skin is irritated by wee and poo contained in the nappy area. The skin appears red and raw due to bacteria and germs penetrating the normally protected layer of skin exposed to the irritants.Regularly changing your baby's nappy is the best deterrent of nappy rash, however it is most likely that nappy rash will appear at some stage during the time your baby is wearing nappies.

Nappy Types in the UK

Ordinary disposables they cost around 13p a nappy, the nappy service is 16p a nappy, 21p if you include wrap hire. The cost to the environment of ordinary disposables is well documented, according to the Women's Environmental Network they have ‘over two and a half times the impact of service washed nappies’. Eco friendly disposables work out at about 20p a nappy but are either bleached or contain gel and are not 100% biodegradable, also none of them are made locally so you can add poo miles onto their ecological impact.

Checking if the nappy is wet

Advances in technology allow us to keep the wet surface of the nappy away from the baby. Although this is great for your baby,it can make it difficult to tell if the nappy is wet. So how will you know if the nappy needs to be changed? A wet nappy will feel soft and squishy on the outside. It may also have increased in size. The moisture absorbing material within the nappy swells when it comes into contact with urine making it easy to tell if the nappy is wet.

CONCLUSION

With disposable nappies make the effort to use as little additional products as you can; use a nappy sack where necessary and ensure any packaging is recycled wherever possible. Some local agencies provide disposable nappy removal services where they dispose of the wasste in a more energy efficient manner than the usual waste management.