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Contact Info

Martin Pearse
The Real Nappy Project
TRC
The CREATE Centre
Smeaton Rd
Bristol
BS1 6XN

Tel: 0117 914 3450
Fax: 0117 929 7283

Email

Map

Useful Links

For more information on how to use real nappies and where to buy them, please click here

Local suppliers and laundries
Click on these links for details of nappy suppliers. Also includes information on internet suppliers:

Bristol and South Gloucestershire nappy suppliers

Gloucestershire nappy suppliers

National Organisations
Womens Environmental Network

The Real Nappy Association

National Association of Nappy Services

The Real Nappy Project

 

Email Us

Throwaway nappies are costing the earth – literally.
For tomorrow’s world and today’s children : it’s time to rethink


 

The Recycling Consortium's Real Nappy Project

Babbies with mums

Real Nappy Project - Market stall

About the Real Nappy Project

Set up as a waste minimisation initiative in 2001, The Real Nappy Project encourages parents, nurseries, clinics and hospitals to use washable nappies and reduce the volume of disposables going into the waste stream. It is run by the Recycling Consortium; an awareness-raising not-for-profit organisation.

The Real Nappy Project works with appropriate groups, organisations and institutions throughout Bristol, Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire. It seeks only to inform the public and professionals about the benefits of using real nappies and does not promote the use of any one company’s nappy product.

Right from the start, the Real Nappy Project achieved impressive recognition with the award in 2002 of a national accolade received at the House of Commons. The award, for excellence at working with other agencies, was presented by Paul Burstow, MP, and Catherine McCormack, Head of Midwifery for the Department of Health, to Dr Mo McManus the Project’s Development Officer.

“It has been a wonderful achievement to get this award, especially as we have only been working on the Project for just over a year,” said Dr Mo McManus. “The award is a recognition that all of our hard work to get groups as diverse as community groups, hospitals, local authorities and environmental organisations all working together on this important issue, has really paid off,” she said.

Events that took place during Real Nappy Week 2008

Monday 21 st April - ‘Nappy Roadshow’ at Kings Chase Shopping Centre, Kingswood

Tuesday 22nd April – ‘Nappy fashion Show’ at Armada House, central Bristol
Click here to see a real nappy video made for television by HTV
Friday 25 th April - ‘Nappy Roadshow’ at The Mall Galleries in Broadmead, central Bristol
Saturday 26 th April - ‘Nappy Roadshow’ at Mothercare, Eastville

top of page What the Real Nappy Project Does

 

Baby with real nappy

Close up of real nappy

An outreach team work closely in the community with health visitors, hospital and district midwives and other health professionals, and directly with parents. They give talks and demonstrations in clinics, parent and baby groups, health centres, leisure centres, city farms, libraries and other public venues – wherever parents might be converted to a ‘new’ approach to an age-old job

  • The RNP set up displays and give presentations at public and professional events and work places
  • The project also runs a lending service, so that parents who wish to try out real nappies can do so without committing themselves financially
  • It distributes information widely and advises Councils and other nappy projects throughout the UK, and well as teaching on nursery nurses’ training courses
  • Our Real Nappy team can suggest ways of developing community initiatives, advise on how to give talks and reach a wider audience, and offer guidance on funding sources
  • The team works with other waste minimisation projects, liases with local authorities and is in regular contact with local nappy suppliers and laundry services
  • Nappy Incentive for Gloucestershire residents
  • Nappy Incentive for South Gloucestershire residents
  • Nappy Incentive for Bristol residents
 

top of page What the Project has Achieved

 

The real nappy award

Baby & nappies at health centre

  • Through the work of the Real Nappy Project, significantly more parents are aware of the advantages of washable nappies and now use them instead of throwaways
  • The Project has set up a local supplier in a health clinic, the antenatal clinic of Bath’s maternity hospital and in two healthfood shops
  • It has worked with 3 local family centres to sell real nappies at cost-price to low-income families who are recommended by health visitors
  • A series of successful training days has been run for people who are interested in setting up real nappy networks in their areas
  • Presentations at National Conferences on waste issues and minimisation have been made by the Development Officer
 
 

top of page Nappy Incentive Scheme

   

Parents and parents-to be have now got more reasons than ever to take up using washable nappies for their babies! If you live in Bristol, Gloucestershire or South Gloucestershire, you can sign up to an incentive scheme which will entitle you to money off your first purchase of nappies. Click on these links to download letters with more information on how to apply.
Bristol
Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire residents see below for a fantastic new offer!

 

top of page £90 Worth of Nappies for only £20!

   

A GIFT FROM YOUR COUNCIL may sound unlikely, but South Gloucestershire’s offer to all families with new babies really does come at a giveaway price. A special Starter Pack has been designed for parents in the Council’s area who want to try real, washable nappies but simply don’t know what to choose.

What do you get?
The Pack contains everything you need to give reusable nappies a proper trial at very low cost.  All items are made locally to the highest standards with premium quality materials, super-absorbent bamboo, microfibre and hemp, as well as cotton terry. Waterproof wraps are made from soft, breathable fabric and fasten with adjustable poppers or Velcro. Modern systems are easy to use and launder, colourful, stylish, with fashions to suit individuals. It’s all very different from the past; simply wash at 60 degrees along with ordinary family laundry.

The Starter Pack includes (contents may vary very slightly):

Nappy starter pack - £90 of nappies for only £20! 3 x bamboo nappy, small size
2 x wrap nappy (mixed colours)
inc. 1 x hemp pad, 1 x microterry pad
3 x wrap, small
5 x cotton terry sqaures
1 x cloth wipe
roll of liners
laundry net

PLUS a good quality bucket and lid, included at no extra cost if the pack is collected from Babeco, Beaconsfiled Road, St George, Bristol BS5. If you are unable to collect, p&p costs £6 and the pack will not include a bucket.

All for £20?
Yes, £90 worth of nappies for only £20, when purchased with the Council’s standard £30 Incentive Voucher (without Voucher £50). Click here for Voucher information. It's one of the best bargains to be found anywhere in the country!

Why?
South Gloucestershire’s Waste Contract Management Officer, Bruce Kent, is enthusiastic: “We are delighted to introduce this latest Incentive. Our disposal costs are soaring with 3,000 tonnes of nappies in household waste this year. That means over £72,000 landfill charges, in addition to collection costs. The birth rate is rising, and we hope more families will realise the all-round benefits of alternative nappies.”

Jean Scott, Outreach Worker for The Real Nappy Project, explains their aims: “Every baby will need more than 5,000 nappies in their first 2 ½ years. At present these can represent half of all household rubbish for families with just one child. It means that in the UK we send 9 million disposables to landfill every day – that’s about 3 billion a year; they’re wrapped in plastic and will take hundreds of years to break down. Apart from environmental benefits, families can save at least £600 by choosing reusable nappies for their first baby; they are ready for the next child, and laundry costs are just a few pounds a week. We celebrate the Council’s initiative, no local authority is doing more to promote good ideas for change.”

For more information email: realnappies@resourcefutures.co.uk

   

top of page The RNP Vision for the Future

 
 
 

Currently about 3% of household waste is made up of disposable nappies. We aim to reduce this figure to virtually nothing in our target areas. We aim to help communities become self sufficient in the buying and laundering of their own nappies. We wish to develop accessible local outlets and community nappy laundering services.

For more information on how to use real nappies and where to buy them from, please click here

Or contact:
Project Manager: Martin Pearse
Phone: 0117 914 3450
Email: martin.pearse@resourcefutures.co.uk

 
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