The nappy way to a greener planet
Tuesday 10 April 2012, 12:58PM
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She’s been nicknamed the “nappy lady” and it doesn’t bother her in the slightest.
That‘s because Kate Meads is unashamedly passionate about helping to save the environment by changing parents’ nappy-buying habits.
Kate is promoting the use of cloth nappies over throwaway varieties as part of a council initiative to reduce waste. She has compelling statistics to persuade those who attend her workshops around the country to make the switch. There’s the cost savings (between $4000 and $5000 per child) and the number of disposable nappies that won’t end up in landfills (6000 per child).
And those are conservative figures, based on use up to the age of two and a half (many babies wear disposables for another year or two, and night-time nappies aren’t uncommon at age seven).
A modern cloth nappy contains absorbent material like its throwaway cousin, but unlike its predecessor of old doesn’t need lengthy soaking. That, she says, adds up to a lot of convenience. What’s more, a modern cloth nappy can be reused about 400 times.
Kate says she wants to normalise the use of cloth nappies. “You don’t have to be a hairy-armpit greenie to use them – it’s not an all-or-nothing decision. I encourage parents to use the cloth nappy at home – just like you wash and reuse your plates and cups – and treat disposables as a convenience item when you’re out. In time, you might make the switch to full-time reusable nappies.”
Her next workshop in Hutt City will be held at Life City Church, 1-3 Parkway, Wainuiomata. Hutt residents who attend will get a free trial pack of cloth nappies. To book, call Kate on (07) 549 2955 or text 027 22 11 242.