Try cloth nappies for free

The cloth nappy packs, worth £75 each, include five nappies along with “comfortable” plastic covers, and throw-away inserts, and are suitable for babies aged six months plus.

Declan Donnelly, Recycling and Education Officer at the council, told the Times how he uses the reusable nappies with his own baby and that they have been a success. As well as the environmental benefits, Mr Donnelly said they have also helped 10-month-old Rowan to avoid nappy rash.

“In my experience our son hasn’t had nappy rash,” he explained. “They’re very comfortable on, and they are cotton and the plastic outer is again a comfortable material.

“We were concious that a lot of parents shy away from using them as there is so much to do with a new baby. We’re trying to encourage people to think about waste and how they might prevent it.”

Modern cloth nappies are much like disposable nappies he said, in that they go on the same way, no longer need pins, and through the included paper liners, any solid materials can be flushed away, making them easy to wash.

“What we are trying to do here is to give people who previously had discounted the notion, a second chance. It might get a little bit of interest going.

“People use lots and lots of disposables and they just go to landfill - and it can take as much as 500 years to decompose,” he added. “It’s a personal decision, but we hope that through the scheme, or through support or advice, we can encourage people to at least think about it.”

For details call 028 2766 0226 or email [email protected]