Nappies never go in the recycling

Buckinghamshire has joined forces with environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy and other local authorities across the country to launch a new campaign aimed at stopping the millions of disposable nappies that are contaminating recycling.

The campaign comes after a new survey revealed that 7% of nappy users – parents, grandparents and carers – wrongly put their disposable nappies in with their recycling, which equates to more than *one million people across the UK.

Did you know, in the UK, 7% of parents and carers who use disposable nappies, wrongly put them in their recycling. That’s over a million people wrongly putting nappies in the recycling! #TedSays

Nappies never go in your recycling. Whether, wet, dry or dirty, disposable nappies cannot be recycled. If nappies do end up in the recycling bins, they can contaminate the other recycling which then has to be taken out and sent to energy from waste or landfill, instead of being recycled. Most people do the right thing and put their nappies in the rubbish bin, but it doesn't take many people getting it wrong to affect how much we can recycle.

Why are nappies being put in the recycling?

Confusion? Out of all parents and carers who use disposable nappies in the UK, 12% agree that disposable nappy packaging makes them think disposable nappies can go in their recycling. It might be that terms like "recycled content" or "biodegradable nappies" confuse people into thinking they can recycle them. Either way, the new campaign aims to make it clear, that nappies never go in your recycling.

What is even better than nappies in the right bin? 

No nappies at all. Have you ever heard of Cloth Nappies? Well more and more people in Buckinghamshire have and are using them everyday to reduce waste, save money and the environment. Find out more about Cloth Nappies here