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The States of Alderney are supporting a ‘real nappy’ initiative aimed at promoting environmentally friendly and reusable products.
It’s thought nearly 10,000 nappies are binned every day in the Bailiwick and the States of Alderney have chosen to join the States of Guernsey in offering a cash back incentive to new parents.
The idea came from a member of the public and has now been approved by the General Services Committee and Finance Committee. An application form for the reimbursement is available ONLINE and parents simply have to provide it alongside receipts to receive £35 annual cash back.
Pictured: It’s thought only a fifth of new parents in Alderney use environmentally friendly nappies.
Parents will need 18-24 nappies at any one time, and it can cost as little as £70 to use ‘real’ nappies from birth through to potty training.
Finance Committee Chairman, Chris Harris, said: “This was a no-brainer for the Finance Committee as there are funds available in the Environment Grants budget to make this happen and do more to protect the island's environment while offering assistance to new families.”
The initiative will cut down on black bin waste, reduce the cost of shipping off-island and save parents up to £500 per child.
Pictured: ‘Real nappies’ can be made of cotton, hemp, bamboo and wool.
‘Real nappies’ have been successfully promoted by the States of Guernsey under a subsidy scheme since 2018. They’re now being encouraged by the Guernsey Real Nappy Network.
Network volunteer, Nikki Fallaize, spoke to Express during Real Nappy Week (25-29 April).
“My three-year-old, Megan, has had reusable nappies since she was born and I would never go back to disposable nappies,” she said.
“In years gone by people think of hand scrubbing and soaking and bleaching but things have progressed a lot; there is no soaking needed now and the nappies are machine washable. Most are also designed for tumble drier use too which, while not the most environmentally friendly drying choice, is a good option to have available.”
Parents in Alderney interested in the scheme should contact the States of Alderney Treasury by emailing states@alderney.gov.gg.
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