Disposable products that are sent to landfill after one use are often considered the antithesis of sustainability, and perhaps one of the most recognisable of these is the disposable nappy. Every year 800 million of them are dumped in Australian landfills, making up approximately 5% of landfill content. The assumption is that reusable nappies are an environmentally friendlier choice but the devil is in the detail.
In general, reusable nappies have less impact on the environment throughout a comparable usage period of two-and-half years. However, the environmental benefits of reusable nappies is immediately undone when they are dried using a drier and not on the clothesline. This is the case in all states except Tasmania where the main energy source is renewable and the environmental impacts from the drier are therefore much less.
The conclusion from our findings is that if you live in a state with abundant sunshine, or have access to renewable energy for your domestic use, renewable nappies are the way forward. In other cases, disposable nappies are probably a better option.
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