It's Reusable Nappy Week
In the past six months over 200 families have participated in the scheme which provides them with a pack of 10 birth to potty reusable pocket nappies and inserts, and a pack of 12 reusable wipes, as well as ongoing support in their use through workshops, Facebook and WhatsApp groups.
The Cloth Nappy Scheme was created to make reusable nappies more accessible, reduce household waste, and support families who want to make more sustainable choices. Reusable Nappy Week is the perfect moment to begin to gather real experiences from the people who know the nappies best: the parents and caregivers using them every day.
The new participant survey is designed to capture real world insights. It asks about each family's nappy use, issues faced and support sought, waste reduction, nappy laundering, and overall confidence with cloth nappies. Every response helps build a clearer picture of the scheme’s impact.
A key aspect of the survey is to ask questions that will allow us to calculate CO2 equivalent emissions from use of reusable nappies in Ireland. International studies into this have found that reusable nappies can have much lower CO2 emissions than disposable nappies, and that household behaviour is the biggest driver of variation in reusable nappy emissions.
For example, a Dutch study found that while incinerated disposable nappies created 500–550 kg of CO₂e emissions per child per year, reusable nappy use created between 150-550 kg of CO₂e emissions per child per year depending upon the household behaviours.
Using the survey to ask Irish parents about washing frequency, load size, temperature, drying method, machine type, number of nappies owned and nappy reuse for siblings will allow us to calculate realistic, behaviour‑based emissions under Irish conditions.
Another important aspect of the survey is to look at the value of the support currently offered to participants. In previous years, families were provided with the nappies and wipes and printed information on their use. However, in 2025 and 2026 the scheme included an online workshop delivered by the Cloth Nappy Library as well as ongoing support through the Cloth Nappy Library Facebook page and WhatsApp group.
The survey will be sent out to families participating in the scheme whose baby is old enough to have been in the nappies for at least several months. The report from the survey will be published later this year.
