Cotton
nappies, Disposables and the Environment
What
are the cotton nappies like?
How
does the laundry service work?
How
much does the service cost and where do we deliver?
A few facts that you may not know about ‘disposable’ nappies:
- An estimated 9 million are used in the UK every day.
- Half the rubbish generated by a one-baby family will be made up of disposable nappies.
- They constitute up to 4 % of all domestic waste and in landfill will probably take between 200-500 years to decompose. Because of the conditions found in a landfill, many items that would ordinarily decompose quickly remain in the same state. For example, investigations into 25 year old sites have unearthed whole burgers still in their packaging. As the rubbish in landfill rots methane is produced, methane is a potent greenhouse gas. Even the more environmentally friendly throwaway nappies will take a long time to decompose in a landfill unless specifically composted.
- Public health could also be at risk from the untreated sewage being put directly into dustbins and landfill, not forgetting those that end up on beaches, in sewers, rivers and litter bins.
- At least 100 viruses found in faeces have been found to survive for over two weeks in rubbish. A baby will excrete live attenuated polio virus for several weeks after immunisation.
- Studies have indicated that 3.5 times more energy is required for the manufacture of disposables than reusables. The extra energy used by disposables comes mainly from burning wood waste to power the pulping process. Up to 30 times more land is needed to grow natural materials and 2.3 times more water is used. Using a nappy service uses even less energy than the homewashing option. (see WEN website and Footprinting I of W)
- Local authorities pay more than £40 million per year for the disposal of throwaway nappies. This averages £100 per baby.
What is a disposable nappy made of?
- Topsheet - Porous polypropylene
- Waistsheet - Polypropylene
- Pulp - Cellulose pulp
- Superabsorber - Sodium polyacrylate granules
- Tissue - Cellulose pulp
- Leg elastics - Rubber
- Fastening surface - Polypropylene coating: sprayed on
- Tapes - Polypropylene: glue
- Back sheet - Polypropylene
Cellulose pulp is made by pulping wood. The topsheet is the netting layer next to the baby's skin. Polypropylene is a plastic made from carbon and hydrogen similar to polyethylene. Most people do not realise that disposables are so complex, assuming they are made mainly from cotton wool. As well as the parts listed above there are chemical additives in the plastic and perfumes. Newer disposables have an increasing proportion of plastic and superabsorbing granules.
The ultra absorbing granules (sodium polyacrylate) were banned from tampons in 1985 after being linked to toxic shock syndrome. No one knows the long term health effect of having these chemicals against a baby's skin for several years. Few long term tests have been carried out on the numerous chemicals that are used in disposable nappy production.
The plastics used in nappies use PCB's in their manufacture, the waste from the plastics industry is poured into rivers or the sea. PCB's are fat soluble so pass quickly from water to living tissue and accumulate in the food chain. In otters and mink these chemicals have caused disturbance of the neuroendocrine system affecting puberty, ovulation reproductive function and foetal and neonatal survival.
Disposables not only have a high environmental cost but can plastics and chemicals next to a baby's sensitive skin for up to three years be considered healthy or responsible?
