Our children today will hopefully one day reap the benefits of all our eco-friendly actions and we need to try and instil in them the need to care for the environment.
This page will look at ways you can help to reduce the environmental impact children make in their every day lives.
Real Nappies for Lewisham – claim your £30 start-up voucher whilst stocks last!
By the time a baby is potty trained they could have worn 4,000-6,000 nappies. Using real (washable) nappies rather than disposables can save hundreds of pounds and reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill.
The London Borough of Lewisham runs a Real Nappies Campaign in conjunction with the Real Nappies for London scheme, run by the Women’s Environmental Network (WEN).
The programme is designed to inform parents of the benefits of real nappies and encourage them to choose real nappies through a number of incentives, including a limited number of £30 vouchers which can be used to purchase real nappies and related services.
Why real nappies?
-
8 million disposable nappies are thrown away every day in the UK
-
nappies make up 4% of the total waste collected by Councils
-
if you are a household with a baby, nappies can be up to 50% of your weekly rubbish
-
the Real Nappy Association has calculated that savings from using Real Nappies for a first child alone can amount to £600
-
even if you only use Real Nappies some of the time, you are still helping the environment
-
most can be used for several children, meaning even greater savings
-
boiling terries and pins are a thing of the past and real nappies now come in a wide range of easy to wash soft and natural fabrics with popper and Velcro fastenings and breathable waterproof wraps in funky designs.
By signing up to the Real Nappies for Lewisham scheme parents and parents-to-be can receive:
- a Real Nappies for London information pack
- invitations to informal sessions and events
- a £30 voucher (valid for 6 months) to be exchanged for real nappies and accessories at listed retailers, or for a trial period with a nappy laundry service.
To sign up visit the Real Nappies for London website (link on the right).
For more information on the scheme in Lewisham contact Donna McAleer on 020 8314 2245 or Donna.Mcaleer@lewisham.gov.uk
Local suppliers
www.thenappylady.co.uk
www.bumbletots.co.uk
Clothes toys and other products
With children in your life you’re never short of opportunities to re-use and share. Got clothes or toys your children have grown out of? Give them to friends or family or take them to a charity shop. Or why not advertise them in your local newsagent.
When purchasing new toys, choose ones that are well made and durable. If possible, avoid those that require batteries, as batteries have a major environmental impact. If you do buy toys with batteries go for ones that use rechargeable instead of disposable.
Buy second hand toys if you get the chance. Re-use cardboard and plastic in arts and crafts activities. Children will love making all sorts of things out of cardboard boxes, egg boxes and plastic bottles.