Ideas for reducing baby waste

Babies can produce lots of extra waste for a household, from nappies and baby wipes to excess food waste when they start weaning. A lot of this extra waste ends up in your black bin and heading to landfill. To avoid this, our Waste and Recycling team has shared some tips to cut down your family’s waste.

• Use cloth nappies - check out the video about the benefits of reusable nappies.
• Use washcloths instead of wipes - throw cloths into the nappy bin to be washed when you are finished.
• Look for zero-waste skin care products.
• Pass outgrown baby clothes to friends with young children or donate them to a local charity.
• Get a stash of cotton flannel cloths - these can be used for swaddling newborns, towelling off, wiping up dribble, and even protecting your own clothes.
• Ask family and friends to buy you items you really need or for vouchers.

The UK disposes of around three billion disposable nappies each year, representing an estimated two to three per cent of all household waste. Although real nappies cost a few pounds each initially and need to be laundered, real nappies can save parents around £200 to £500 over two and half years for their first baby and even more if re-used for subsequent children.

If you’re not sure if reusable nappies are for you try contacting a local reusable nappy supplier like Lizzie's Real Nappies who are based in Chester and give one-to-one advice to parents. There are lots of options to choose from and you can cut down costs by purchasing pre-loved nappies.

There is also a nappy library based in Northwich who can provide help and advice about reusable nappies and loan packs for families to try out the different types.