Real nappy roadshows hit Cumbria once again

Parents across Cumbria are being encouraged to ditch disposables and use real nappies to help save money and the environment.

Six roadshows are taking place around the county next week as part of the Cumbria Real Nappy campaign.

The roadshows, timed to coincide with the national Real Nappy Week (April 26-May 2), are aimed at highlighting the benefits of real nappies over disposables.

Run by Resource Cumbria -the strategic waste partnership between the county and six district councils -the roadshows will feature demonstrations on how to use real nappies, examples of the products available and experts are going to be on hand to answer real nappy related questions.

And as an extra incentive for taking up the real nappy option, Resource Cumbria is offering families £30 of vouchers for each child (under six months of age) to help buy what they need to get started with real nappies if they sign up to the scheme.

In the past two years nearly 2,000 people have signed up to the scheme in the county.

The roadshows are taking place at the following locations:

Monday April 26 -Carlisle city centre, 10am-3pm

Tuesday April 27 -Penrith town centre, 10am-3pm

Wednesday April 28 -Kendal market place, 10am-3pm

Thursday April 29 -Whitehaven town centre, 10am-3pm

Friday April 30 -Barrow indoor market, 10am-3pm

Saturday May 1 -Cockermouth Georgian Festival, 10am-3pm.

With around eight million disposable nappies being thrown away in Britain every day, more than two billion nappies need to be disposed of annually -many of which end up in landfill.

But it`s not just the environmental cost of disposable nappies that`s high -it`s the financial one too. Estimates indicate every single child uses on average 5,850 disposable nappies in their lifetime and to buy all of these would cost well over £1,000.

Cumbria County Council waste prevention officer Kate Burrows said: "Real nappies save people money and save disposable ones being sent to landfill so it really makes sense to use them -particularly with our voucher offer.

"Over the past couple of years the roadshows have proved really successful and I`d urge parents across the county with young children to try and get along to one of the events where they`ll be able to see for themselves the benefits of real nappies and ask any questions they might have."

For more information on the Cumbria Real Nappy campaign or to find out how to sign up for the £30 voucher, visit www.cumbriarealnappycampaign.org (external link)