Debate contribution: Disposable Nappies: Collection and Recycling Scheme

Debate contribution by Mr Gerry Carroll on 27 January 2025.

MLA

Mr Gerry Carroll

Party at the time

People Before Profit Alliance

Date

27 January 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Disposable Nappies: Collection and Recycling Scheme

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4759344

Read the official Assembly record

Text

As has been said, three billion nappies are thrown away every year just in the UK, accounting for around 3% of household waste. They are sent to landfill sites for 500 years, although I should declare an interest as somebody who has probably contributed a few thousand of those nappies in the past couple of years by using them at home. There is no doubt that reusable nappy products are more sustainable and better for the environment, but we should also remember the poverty premium that many struggling families face everywhere, especially in my constituency. Disposable nappies cost, on average, around £25 a month, and that does not include the cost of wipes and other accessories. Using cloth nappies can cut costs in the long run, but reusable cloth products require an upfront investment that many people simply cannot make, making buying them unrealistic for many parents and carers. Some families also lack access to a proper washing machine that works adequately. We can see that with the rise in the number of washing machines popping up in shopping centres. Some people simply do not have the time or the money to wash reusable nappies as often as they need to. Reusable nappies are environmentally better, but there is also a real pressure on families that is often not factored into the debate. Those with more disposable income are likelier to have the time, energy and resources to develop environmentally friendly parenting styles, while others who are more concerned with paying the bills and simply staying afloat are unable to do that. Non-statutory guidance for councils, as proposed by DAERA in the consultation on 'Rethinking Our Resources', should be the bare minimum. A logical next step would be to improve and expand existing schemes. They include Belfast City Council's cloth nappy scheme, which offers parents the chance to try washable nappies for free for, I think, the first two weeks, and, if they then decide to continue to buy reusable nappies, they get £30 in cash back. That scheme should be extended to all council areas. A range of disposable and reusable nappies should be available for free in key public buildings, including in places such as 2 Royal Avenue, which is the former Tesco building in the city centre. It has an excellent facility, of which I availed myself recently, that provides parents with access to free nappies. The MAC also has such a facility, and I am sure that other buildings across Belfast do. Such a facility should be standard across the board. As far as I am aware, no nappies or related products are available in this Building. I am happy to be corrected on that, but I do not believe that they are. The Commission should rectify that quickly. If we are serious about rethinking the way in which we use resources and reducing the amount of our plastic waste that goes to landfill, we need to remove the real economic and social barriers to accessing reusable and sustainable products and aim to make reusable nappies and hygiene products free and easily accessible for all families, beginning with public spaces such as this Building. We also need to recognise that, while parents struggle to pay for nappies and there is increasing demand for baby banks and hygiene banks, massively wealthy corporations are doing what they do best, which is profiteering. Pampers made around $9 billion from global sales last year. The top UK supermarkets recorded a 97% increase in profits as the cost of living continued to soar. Pressure needs to be put on such organisations by taxing them and making sure that they cover the cost of the schemes. Climate action can and should be taken at the individual level, and moving away from using disposable nappy products should be part of that, but we should always place the blame for climate breakdown and excessive resource consumption firmly where it lies: with the corporate profiteers and not with individuals. I am happy to support the amendment and the motion.

674 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:51 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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