10 reasons to go reusable...

Many parents are turning to reusable nappies for the benefits they provide to their baby and their baby's environment...

1. Better for the environment - Eight million nappies are thrown into landfill sites every day. They take 200 - 500 years to decompose releasing methane gases as they do so.


2. Going green - The latest Environment Agency report confirms reusable nappies are 40 per cent better for the environment than disposable nappies.


3. They're cheaper - Taking everything into account you could save up to £600 per child by switching from disposables to reusables.


4. Financial help - Many councils offer incentives to families who use cloth nappies in order to reduce landfill. Incentives include cash-back on cloth nappy purchases, vouchers to buy cloth nappies or a free laundry service trial.


5. Potty train earlier - The average age at which toddlers potty train has risen from two in the 1970s - when disposables first appeared - to nearer three today. The problem is that disposables are so absorbent that toddlers never feel uncomfortably wet, so show no inclination to learn to do without them.


6. Better for bottoms - Many parents believe there is a link between skin rashes and the chemicals used in disposables. Cloth nappies are breathable, allowing air to circulate to the skin and helping to maintain a healthy temperature.


7. There's no excuse - It's a familiar complaint - "I'm too busy to use reusable nappies." True, they do take more work, as do all green initiatives, such as recycling your rubbish.


8. They deliver - Consider using a nappy laundry service. Used nappies are collected from your doorstep weekly and replaced by clean ones. They cost between £6 and £11, roughly the same as using disposables.


9. It's fashionable - You don't have to be a tree-hugging hippie to use cloth nappies. Up to 35 per cent of parents in the UK now use them, compared to two per cent, just 10 years ago.


10. They're cool! - Today's washables have evolved from the bulky terries and sweaty plastic pants used by our own mothers. Modern reusables are made from soft natural materials in stylish prints. They are prefolded and tailored for a better fit, and fiddly pins have been replaced by Velcro fastenings and poppers.