Fforestfach youngster Steffan Roberts and his mum Eleanor are helping lead the charge for a greener Swansea and saving cash with swish reusable nappies rather than disposables.
They’ve taken advantage of a long-standing Swansea Council scheme which is offering a £100 cashback to families who live in Swansea and want to switch from disposable nappies to something better for baby and the environment.
The popular scheme has recently passed a landmark 1,000th application which will have resulted in hundreds of tonnes of disposable nappy waste being saved from landfill.
An average child will get through around 5,000 disposable nappies before potty training – amounting to as many as 156 black bags a year.
By switching to re-useables parents will divert tonnes of waste from landfill and save themselves up to £500 a year on disposable nappy costs in the process.
Parents have the opportunity to claim up to £100 back towards the cost of buying reusable nappies to encourage parents to make the switch. The scheme which is one of the most generous of its kind is available to all expectant families in Swansea or already have a baby in nappies.
Baby Steffan has been wearing reuseable nappies for months now and mum says she’s delighted with how it’s going.
She said: “I first made use of it when I had my twins nine years ago. I still have those nappies and used the scheme to add to my stash with Steffan. It allowed me to try cloth without the initial outlay, and I loved it.
“It’s a myth to say reusable nappies are hard work. It’s one extra load of washing every couple of days. They’re just as easy as disposables to put on and they save a fortune.
“I love the patterns on the nappies, how easy they are to use and knowing I’m not sending waste to landfill every time I change a nappy.”
Thomas Williams, from Swansea Council’s Recycling Team said: “Parents can make a real difference by choosing to use reusable nappies as it is both beneficial for the baby and the environment. Reusable nappies are easy to use, easy to wash and come in a wide range of designs and fabrics.”
