Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Published: 11 October 2007
Real nappies save money
• I AM writing about the North London Waste Authority’s decision on September 19 to stop funding the real nappy cashback. This scheme was launched in Camden in September 2003 as a means of giving parents a reward for using real nappies and thus saving the authority the cost of landfilling/incinerating a tonne of disposable nappies per baby.
Helped by the scheme and a growing awareness that reusable nappies do make a difference, real nappy use has been growing steadily. We estimate that in Camden alone the scheme is helping divert approximately 240 tonnes of nappy waste from landfill each year.
But this is not all. Rejecting single-use disposable nappies for a reusable alternative opens people’s eyes, through their own direct experience, to recycling more, composting and reducing household waste in other ways. Most of all it makes people realise they are responsible for the amount of waste produced by their own household and see they can make a difference.
I would urge the NLWA to think again about the impact of withdrawing this scheme.
While some boroughs will continue to promote real nappies through the Real Nappies for London voucher scheme, others such as Barnet, Waltham Forest and Enfield will be left high and dry, turning the clock back 10 years and wasting all the time, money and energy that has been put into building the use of reusable nappies and promoting waste reduction – which as we all know, is better than recycling. HILARY VICK
Nappy Ever After
Chalton Street, NW1
Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@camdennewjournal.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.