News
3rd March 2005
Washable Please!
“I’m pretty sure if babies had a voice they would say “washable please”!, said Janey Le Grace, the Radio 2 presenter, at the launch of the Cornish Real Nappy Project “Get Real” campaign held at Chacewater on Tuesday March 8th.
The launch was attended by over 100 parents and their children who were delighted to meet self proclaimed real cloth nappy fan Janey. She added “The Cornish Real Nappy Project is a fantastic initiative to facilitate and raise awareness on this hugely important issue. Real cloth nappies are not just great for the environment; they’re great for your baby too”.
The aim of the “Get Real” project is to convert at least 20% of all parents in the county of Cornwall to stop (or indeed not to start) using single use disposable nappies and to choose washable nappies instead. Cornwall currently has 5000 births per annum and single use disposable nappy waste amounts to over 7,000 tonnes being sent to Cornwall’s landfill sites, at a cost to the Cornish taxpayer of an estimated £300,000 per year.
Gitty Ankers, Regulatory Waste Specialist at the Environment Agency stated “The Cornish Real Nappy Project's Get Real campaign is doing a great job in raising Public awareness of the positive environmental, financial and social benefits of using real cloth nappies, as well as reducing waste going to Landfill. The more waste we can minimise the greater the benefit for our Environment. "
To raise awareness of this important environmental issue, The Cornish Real Nappy Project team will be running over 100 Nappicinos each year throughout the county for the next three years as well as having a presence at all the major events and shows.
Nappicinos are essentially “serious fun” nappy focused coffee mornings for parents, carers and toddlers, which will provide an opportunity to access the information and support that the Cornish Real Nappy Project can provide and also realise the benefits, both financial and environmental, of using real cloth nappies.
The Waste & Environmental Services Co-ordinator for Cornwall Healthcare Trust, Sharon Butler, commented, “The NHS in Cornwall have been involved with the Cornish Real Nappy Project since conception and recognises the value that the project has had on sustainable waste management both within the NHS and in the community. The midwives and district nurses have embraced the assistance from the project to give new parents details of all nappy types to enable them to make an informed choice.”
In 2004 The Cornish Real Nappy Project (CRNP) was voted as one of the top seven innovative schemes in the country at the National Real Nappy Awards run by the Women’s Environmental Network, sponsored by the Waste Resources Action Programme.
Managed by Rezolve Kernow, CRNP is widely supported by both public and private organisations including Cornwall County Council, the Environment Agency, The Cornwall Primary Health Care Trust as well as a number of local, regional and national retailers. The majority of its work is funded through The Big Lottery Fund’s Community Recycling and Economic Development (CRED) Programme and through The County Environmental Trust.
Sara Gambrill – Waste Awareness Co-ordinator for CRNP stated, “The project seems to be going from strength to strength, the amount of support and interest that we are receiving from parents is quite incredible and this is reflected in the year on year increase in washable nappy sales. We have just had the results of cloth nappy sales in Cornwall for 2003 /4, and once again they have risen way beyond our expectations. The “Get Real” programme, launched today, will mean that even more parents will be able to access information, learn about good alternatives to disposable nappies and make a fully informed nappy choice that is both good for their baby and good for their pocket!” she added “
For further details and to find out where your nearest Nappicino will be running telephone 0800 3288175 or visit the website www.crnp.org.uk.
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