Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle and Tristan Osborne MP, of the All-Party Parliamentary Sustainable Resources Group (APSRG), led a discussion at the House of Lords this week on the growing issue of nappy waste.
Nappies are a huge contributor to north London’s waste stream, making up the majority of the whopping 35,000 tonnes of waste created each year by ‘absorbent hygiene products’ (also including adult incontinence and period products). To tackle this issue head-on, North London Waste Authority (NLWA) and cross-party thinktank Policy Connect convened a meeting of the APSRG to discuss possible policy interventions.
Joining Baroness Bennett and Mr Osborne on the panel were a range of representatives from across industry and government, bringing together different perspectives and pooling their expertise. NLWA Chair Councillor Clyde Loakes outlined the challenges faced by local waste authorities, while Rhiannon Chapple of NappiCycle discussed the company’s innovative nappy recycling techniques (which see recycled nappies turned into material used in asphalt roads). Founder Elisabeth Whitebread discussed NappyLoop’s reusable nappy laundry service and the work they’ve been doing in nurseries, and UCL’s Professor Mark Miodownik talked about the behaviour changes that are most impactful in reducing nappy waste.
Mr Osborne, who chaired the event, praised the expertise of the speakers and the quality of the discussion, saying: “Nappy waste is a tricky issue, but by getting all the right experts in a room together, we can start to work towards tangible, effective solutions. The speakers and attendees all raised really interesting points and some great ideas for improving how we manage nappy waste without putting the burden on time-poor parents.”
Spanning government, the waste industry, academia and the third sector, the speakers presented a diverse range of perspectives, as did many of the attendees during an illustrative Q&A session. There were some key areas of agreement, however, particularly around the benefits of reducing the toilet training age and the need for a whole-system approach guided by a distinct government strategy.
“Nappy waste is a growing problem, and now is the time to act,” said NLWA Chair Councillor Clyde Loakes. “Waste authorities bear the brunt of the costly disposal of these items, which along with other absorbent hygiene products make up 8% of our total residual waste. But like all waste streams, change is needed at the top of the waste hierarchy, so it’s up to government to put in place the policy and infrastructure to reduce nappy waste – whether that’s a central government nappy strategy, research and development for recycling schemes, another extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme, or all of the above.”
