Why recycling nappies is a better than a nappy tax!

When the Daily Mail recently reported that a tax on disposable nappies was being considered by the government, there was a huge media hullabaloo on behalf of all busy and disgruntled parents.

The newspaper reported that the so-called "nappy tax" could be imposed to reduce the amount of disposable nappies going to landfill and to encourage parents to switch to “more eco-friendly alternatives”.

Now that Downing Street has denied there are plans to introduce the tax, most parents are breathing a sigh of relief. 

But although disposable nappies offer the ultimate in convenience for parents, they really are making a mess of our planet. According to Wrap, the UK throws out three billion disposable nappies each year.

Disposable nappies, including Pura’s, contain some form of plastic and so can take up to 500 years to degrade, causing microplastic pollution as they hang around in landfill.

While Pura is constantly striving to make our nappies as eco-friendly as possible, we’ve also identified another eco-awesome solution to the problem of plastic nappy waste.  

Nappy Recycling

Many people think nappies cannot be recycled. But they can. In fact, they are already being recycling right here in the UK.

Back in 2009, the innovative company NappiCycle came up with a concept for a cost-efficient nappy and absorbent hygiene products recycling facility in Wales.

It was in response to the challenging recycling targets set by Welsh Government as they strive towards Zero Waste. NappiCycle now provides a kerbside collection to all 22 Local Authorities in Wales for used nappies and adult hygiene products or incontinence materials.

How it works

Nappies are collected and cleansed and plastics and cellulose fibres are separated for re-use. The recovered cellulose can be used in the manufacturing of packaging, along with notice boards for schools and offices, panelling, under laminate flooring and other insulation. The plastics are sent to secondary re-processers for recycling.

100% of the soiled nappies processed by NappiCycle are recycled, so absolutely nothing is sent to landfill; the company even reutilises the urine extracted from the nappies! In the last year alone, NappiCycle diverted more than 8,000 tonnes – the equivalent of 40 million nappies - from landfill in Wales.

Nappy recycling for all

Pura is proud to be partnering with NappiCycle to bring this fantastic nappy recycling service to the rest of the UK.

We're not saying it's going to be child's play, but starting with a small pilot test in one area of the country later this year, we’re working out the logistics of being able to offer this service to every UK parent who wants it eventually. We’ll keep you posted on our progress. 

Do you think nappy recycling is a good idea? Send us a DM on our social channels, we’d love to hear your opinion.