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Manufacture Process

Disposable Nappies

Disposable nappies are made predominantly from paper pulp, plastics, and absorbent gel. The picture below shows the quantities present in an average nappy.



The wood pulp to make paper is sourced from managed monoculture plantations, they are not rich in biodiversity and do not absorb CO2 like ancient forests.(11) The 1992 WEN report Forests in Crisis(6) outlined how monoculture plantations threatened wildlife, decreased diversity and degraded river systems. These forests are intensively managed using pesticides and fertilisers. Sawdust is also used to make the paper pulp in nappies.(2)


The two studies carried out to ascertain which type of nappy was better for the environment did not take the wood used to manufacture paper into account. This was because it was classed as a renewable source . These studies appeared to make the environmental impact of disposable nappies comparable to cloth nappies. (Lentz (7) and Little (8).) More recent studies have taken these factors into account.( Landbank (9).)


More information on these studies can be found on the Life Cycle Analysis page.

Plastic

It takes a cup of crude oil per nappy to manufacture the plastics used in one disposable nappy(16) Oil is an unsustainable,fossil fuel. There are a few more biodegradable nappies which do not contain plastics (17)

Reusable Nappies

These are predominantly made from cotton, which is the crop which is treated with the most fertiliser and pesticides in the world. This can have major biodiversity implications. It is not relevant to discuss the heath implications of the cotton pickers within this report, but suffice to say their working and living environments can be severely degraded.

Not only this, but some cloth nappies are bleached, the by products of this impact on the environment. It is possible to use organic, non bleached nappies, though this choice is up to the individual parent.

Nappies can also be made from hemp, polyester fleece and flannelette. The associated wraps or outers are made from PUL, nylon, laminated cotton/polyester, wool or fleece. Although some of these contain plastics or made from non renewable materials, the fact that they are re-used hundreds of times negates their environmental impact.



The manufacture of nappies