Ask any parent what the modern world's greatest invention is, and they will probably point to the disposable nappy. It freed parents from the time-sapping routine of constantly washing and drying cloth nappies and has had a transformative effect on family life.

Yet what humanity did not know when the first mass-produced disposable nappies reached the market in the late 1940s was just how destructive their environmental impact would be.

Single-use or disposable nappies are made from wood pulp, cotton, viscose rayon, and several plastics – polyester, polyethylene and polypropylene – according to a 2021 report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Disposable nappies thus have environmental impacts across their entire life cycle and cause a significant strain on local authorities that are often tasked with their disposal.

In addition to containing plastics, nappies are usually thrown out with babies' waste, making them more difficult to recycle. The statistics are stark: the disposable nappy market is worth US$71 billion a year and is among the biggest contributors to public waste globally. Every minute, more than 300,000 disposable nappies are incinerated, sent to landfill or end up in the environment.

One solution to this is reusable nappies, which have been making something of a comeback. These nappies are unlike the terry cloth and safety pin nappies that parents in the past used, which needed to be changed up to 15 times a day before being soaked, washed and dried. The new breed of reusable nappies are less prone to leaks and need less water, as they can be put straight into the washing machine.

"Single-use nappies are convenient, but they come at a great cost to our environment" says Elisa Tonda, Chief of the Resources and Markets Branch at UNEP. "Switching to reusable nappies can help reduce plastic pollution and promote a healthier planet for future generations."

Shifting towards reusable nappies

The UNEP report found that reusable nappies generally have lower environmental impacts than single-use nappies. While the use of reusable nappies require electricity and water for washing, their overall environmental impact will lessen with every reuse, and as countries transition to low-carbon electricity.

Consumers can further reduce these impacts by washing full loads in their washing machines, choosing water- and energy-efficient washing machines, using more sustainable soaps, washing below 60°C, line-drying nappies and reusing nappies as many times as possible.

Founded in 2003, the Nappy Alliance is a UK-based coalition of independent providers of reusable nappies that promotes their economic and environmental benefits.

"Globally, 250 million single-use nappies are thrown away every day," says the Nappy Alliance's Elisabeth Whitebread, who is also Head of Purpose at the reusable nappy brand Bambino Mio. "At least two-thirds of disposable nappies are plastic, and they are impossible to recycle."

While many disposable nappy brands claim their products are compostable or biodegradable, the reality is more complex. Many of these nappies end up in the same place as regular disposable ones: the incinerator, the landfill or the environment.

"Given there is no internationally agreed definition of 'biodegradable', that term doesn't mean anything beyond marketing speak," Whitebread says. "But even a nappy that could technically be composted could [only be done] in the right type of hot composting facility, and they are, in most cases, not available."

The effects of single-use nappies on the environment are often worse in the developing world due to the lack of organized waste infrastructure, signalling the importance of strong policymaking and financing.

In 2019, Vanuatu – a South Pacific archipelago of 65 islands with a population of 300,000 – announced a plan to ban disposable nappies due to their environmental impact. Yet the pushback was swift, with locals highlighting the lack of available alternatives.

In an effort to promote reusable nappies in Vanuatu, Bambino Mio worked with local social enterprise Mamma's Laef to help it produce reusable nappies on the island of Efate in an effort to build a sustainable, job-creating local industry. Part of this involved a community trial to educate locals about the benefits of reusable nappies. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with 96 per cent of participants saying they liked the reusable nappies, and 85 per cent saying they wanted to buy them.

Cost is one barrier to the greater take-up of reusable nappies. Globally, upfront costs for reusable nappies are higher than single-use nappies, but they are more cost-effective in the long run.

Entrepreneur and mother Kiersten Rich recently switched to Loop Diapers, a California-based start-up that delivers reusable cloth nappies to customers' homes and collects dirty nappies for cleaning.

"Traditional cloth diapers cost around US $10 each. When my son was born, he would go through 15 diapers a day. And you need to wash and dry them, so you need twice as many as you would use. That's a big investment," Rich says.

"Nappy service" models like this one are among the recommendations of UNEP's report, given that centralized nappy washing services are more sustainable than at-home washing. They also encourage new customers who may not have the time to wash and dry multiple nappies a day.

"Reusable nappies didn't make more work, which is important when you are a new mom," Rich says."It's not harder, it's not more expensive and it's more convenient as the clean diapers are dropped off and the (dirty nappies) picked up from my porch."

“Ultimately, stakeholders must work together to encourage a shift towards reusable products, including nappies, to protect human and environmental health," says UNEP’s Elisa Tonda. “Tackling plastic pollution requires an approach that addresses all stages of plastic’s life cycle, from production, to consumption to waste management, reducing pollution and waste at each stage.”

For more information on how you can help tackle the plastic pollution crisis, download the Beat Plastic Pollution Practical Guide. To learn more about the comparison between single-use nappies and other alternatives, read the available resources

About World Environment Day

World Environment Day on 5 June is the biggest international day for the environment. Led by UNEP and held annually since 1973, the event has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach, with millions of people from across the world engaging to protect the planet. This year, World Environment Day will focus on solutions to the plastic pollution crisis.