Grab a nappuccino during Real Nappy Week

Mums and Dads around the county are being encouraged to cotton on to the benefits of putting their babies into real nappies as part of Real Nappy Week - March 11th - 18th.

Resource Cumbria - the waste partnership between Cumbria County Council and the six district councils in Cumbria - are running a series of special nappuccino events at libraries around the county during Real Nappy Week.

Nappuccinos are real nappy coffee mornings where parents can chat to people about real nappies, see a real nappy talk and demonstration and check out the types of real nappy available in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. All the events will be held in the children`s areas of the libraries from 10am - 12.30pm with a short talk and demo at 10.30am. The dates and locations are:

• Monday 12 March - Workington Library, Vulcans Lane
• Tuesday 13 March - Whitehaven Library, Lowther Street
• Wednesday 14 March - Kendal Library, Stricklandgate
• Thursday 15 March - Penrith Library, St Andrew`s Churchyard
• Saturday 17 March - Barrow Library, Ramsden Square

There will also be a real nappy roadshow in Carlisle city centre, outside the Old Town Hall on Friday 16th March from 11am - 1pm. Real nappy experts will be on hand to answer your questions and show you the range of real nappies available. Limited stocks of real nappy trial packs will also be on offer to Carlisle City Council residents at this event while stocks last.

Some parents pooh-pooh the idea of using real nappies because they think they are messy and difficult to use. But reusables are not to be sniffed at - nowadays they are easy to wash, simple to put on and available in many colourful designs. Using real nappies can also save you a packet in the long run - around £500.

For more information on these events and to find out more about real nappies, visit resourcecumbria.org

Notes

Some fascinating nappy facts.

An average baby will use around 5,000 disposable nappies before it is potty trained.

Disposable nappies make up 2.6% of average household rubbish every year. They make up 3% of the waste stream in Cumbria.

Eight million disposable nappies are thrown away every day in the UK that is around three billion disposable nappies a year. Estimates suggest that around 20 billion disposable nappies are used each year in Europe alone.

Nappies contribute biodegradable waste to landfill sites and by 2020, the requirements of the EU Landfill Directive mean that the UK has to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill to 35% of that produced in 1995 - i.e. a reduction of over two thirds.

Collecting and dealing with the hundred of tonnes of disposables thrown away in Cumbria alone costs council taxpayers here an estimated £600,000 a year.

There is evidence that ancient civilisations such as the Egyptians, Aztecs and Romans all used some form of nappy.

Innuit people used seal skins packed with moss and Native American Indian tribes are known to have used animal skins packed with vegetation.

Ancient Britons and other Europeans are likely to have used similar techniques.

Real nappies can be re-used time and time again and even passed on to other children, so families who have more than one child using real nappies can save more money and make a significant contribution to the environment.

Find out more about real nappies