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Cornish Real Nappy Project Now in its 3rd Year

The Cornish Real Nappy Project (CRNP), a project of ReZolve Kernow, is now in its third year. CRNP provides free independent information and advice on the financial and environmental benefits of using washable nappies ultimately working to decrease the amount of disposable nappies being sent to landfill sites.

The project 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.

Cornwall currently has 5000 births per annum and single use disposable nappy waste amounting to over 7,000 tonnes all being sent to Cornwall’s landfill sites, at a cost to the Cornish taxpayer of an estimated £300 000 per year

This project has outstanding environmental benefits by reducing the amount of nappy waste going to landfill. The aim of this project is to convert at least 10% of all parents in the County to stop (or indeed not to start) using single use disposable nappies and to choose washable alternatives.

In addition new parents could save anything from £400 to £800 by using washable nappies as opposed to buying single use disposable nappies. Each baby born needs approximately 4500 nappy changes before potty training; this can cost parents anything from £800 to £1,200 in single use disposable nappies. Income levels in Cornwall are below the national average so new parents can often ill afford this unnecessary expense.

In 2004 The Cornish Real Nappy Project 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 and sponsored by the Waste Resources Action Programme. This follows on from their success in the 2002 Real Nappy Awards when it was awarded Highly Commended even before the project had gone live!  

Now in its third year CRNP has a staff of six committed real nappy enthusiasts and March 8^th 2005 will see the big launch of our countywide “Get Real” programme, funded for three years by the CRED Programme, running over 100 Nappicinos each year throughout the County.

The Nappicino Programme will be launched by the Radio 2 celebrity, Janey Lee Grace, a presenter on the Steve Wright Show.  Janey is a great cloth nappy fan and has taken time out of her very busy schedule to come to Cornwall especially to support the Cornish Real Nappy Project.

Nappicinos are essentially nappy focused coffee mornings that will provide an opportunity for parents and carers 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.

CRNP will also have a presence at all the major events in Cornwall throughout the next three years.

If you would like further information or want to find out where your nearest Nappicino is being held call the freephone 0800 328 8175 or visit the website www.crnp.org.uk 

Supporting Quotes

“Since the conception of The Cornish Real Nappy Project it has grown from strength to strength, which indicates that providing Cornish parents are given a choice of a washable nappy against the, use once and throw away model, they see the sense in buying reusable products which are considerably cheaper and bring with them an environmental benefit by reducing the amount of waste we dispose to landfill”

Richard Bower Waste Management Officer Cornwall County Council

“The Cornish Real Nappy Project is an excellent scheme, and I am proud to give it my wholehearted support. Real nappies are good for the environment, not to mention the pocket, and CRNP is helping to keep Cornwall a clean and green county. I wish the project every success”.

Mathew Taylor – MP

“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. "

Gitty Ankers - Regulatory Waste Specialist - Environment Agency