September is the busiest time of the year in maternity hospitals and while newborn babies may be beautiful, the number of disposable nappies they go through is not! It’s good news then that the Cloth Nappy Incentive Scheme has reopened to new parents attending Cork University Maternity Hospital for the third year running!
The Cloth Nappy Incentive Scheme is a programme run in partnership with the Cloth Nappy Library to support families into using modern reusable nappies and wipes in place of single use disposables. Through the scheme parents can avail of a free cloth nappy and wipes starter bundle as well as ongoing support in their use via online cloth nappy workshops and chat groups.
The scheme is funded by local authorities and supported by maternity hospitals. “We’re delighted to offer our parents the chance to try cloth nappies. This initiative puts sustainable healthcare at the heart of our hospital, helping reduce the carbon footprint of nappy use,” noted Dr Cathy Burke, Consultant Gynaecologist/Obstetrician, Cork University Maternity Hospital.
Single use disposable nappies are a huge problem environmentally, both from a waste and climate change perspective. Disposable nappies are now the third largest waste stream in household waste bins and disposable nappy use is increasing with rising potty-training ages. A move from disposable to reusable nappies also makes sense from a climate perspective, with the carbon footprint of reusable nappies 25% lower than that of single-use nappies across their full life cycle.
Fergal Dennehy, Lord Mayor of Cork said “An estimated one million disposable nappies are sent to landfill in Ireland every day, so we are delighted to further support the Cloth Nappy Incentive Scheme. Cloth nappies are a powerful way for families to reduce waste and save money over time.”
Participants in the scheme take part in follow up surveys, so we can see the impact of the programme! From previous participants we have found that 61% of households more than halved their reliance on disposables, 100% of participants stated that they are likely to continue using cloth nappies and 96% of participants stated that they would recommend cloth nappies to other parents.
The scheme is massively popular with parents and this is reflected in the take up. Just two days after the scheme opened in CUMH the places for Cork County Council area households were full! A few places remain for households in the Cork City Council area.
“We are proud to support the Cloth Nappy Incentive Scheme once again in Cork. We believe that small changes like this can make a big difference in creating a more sustainable future and we encourage families in Cork to apply for a free starter kit,” says Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, Mayor of the County of Cork.
If you would like to see the scheme become available in your local area, contact your local authority and let them know about it!
The CUMH scheme is funded by Cork City Council, Cork County Council and Kerry County Council.
