Madam, - As director general of the Absorbent Hygiene Products Manufacturers' Association, the trade association representing UK manufacturers of disposable nappies, I read with interest Louise Holden's recent article on the subject (Education and Parenting, July 13th).
The headline and copy suggest that disposable nappies will take centuries - "perhaps 450 years" to break down in a landfill. This is pure speculation. Firstly, disposable nappies have been in general use only for about 30 years. Secondly, over 80 per cent of disposable nappies and contents are biodegradable. And thirdly, the rate of breakdown of all material sent to landfill depends on the design and management of the site.
Ms Holden also writes that disposable nappies take up between 3 per cent and 6 per cent of landfill space. This is quite wrong. Disposable nappies may well constitute between 3 per cent and 6 per cent of household waste, which is only a fraction of the waste sent to landfill. In the UK disposable nappies make up 0.1 per cent of the total waste sent to landfill and it is unlikely the statistics in Ireland would be substantially different.
The article contains a number of references to the environmental or "green" benefits of using washable nappies. In fact, there is little to choose between the two systems from an environmental perspective. Disposable nappies create waste that is largely disposed via landfill whereas laundering cloth nappies literally thousands of times requires large quantities of clean water, energy and detergents. Several life cycle analyses (LCA) published in a number of countries have confirmed this and it is confidently expected that the latest, commissioned by the UK Environment Agency, due to be published in the autumn, will come to the same conclusion. Neither type can claim environmental superiority.
The article claimed that substances used in the manufacture, such as bleach, dye and sodium polyacrylate can cause a reaction with sensitive skin. Sodium polyacrylate is arguably one of the most tested products on the market. More than 450 studies, including tests on skin contact, swallowing and inhalation, have consistently demonstrated that this material is safe.
Members of AHPMA are committed to supplying safe and effective products. To ensure this commitment is met, all members use raw materials which have been rigorously tested and proven to be safe. All new raw materials are tested with human volunteers for their potential to generate allergic reactions and to ensure they have a low irritation risk.
However, the human population is very diverse and every person is unique. The tests aim to use a broad spectrum of people, but the possibility that there is a very small percentage of the population that is sensitive to the products/materials still remains. The same would apply to other types of nappies.
The article claims that in the Europe, US, Australia and Canada parents are moving over to using cloth nappies. Penetration of cloth nappies has fallen in the US over the past two years from 10 per cent to less than 5 per cent, is currently at between 5 per cent and 8 per cent in Australia and is very low across the rest of Europe. We do not have data for Canada but in the UK the figure is 5 per cent or less, not 10 per cent as quoted.
Some of the costs quoted in the article appear to be extremely modest for cloth and rather expensive for disposables. I do not know the situation intimately, but from my experience of Irish supermarkets, they are always extremely competitive; prices generally compare with the UK and profit margins are often lower. The cost of disposable nappies quoted in the article was far higher than we would expect in the UK where the average cost per nappy is 16 pence (24 cent).
Average use over two-and-a-half years is between 4,000 and 4,500 nappies per child. Therefore the total cost would be between €960 and €1080 or €7.4 to €8.3 euros per week, not €10 to €20 euros per week as quoted. It therefore follows that some of the savings quoted may also be exaggerated.
Disposable nappies have been one of the most successful product innovations of the 20th century. They are healthy, easy to use, cost-effective and in keeping with today's busy lifestyle. - Yours etc.,
T.PETER STEPHENSON, Director General, AHPMA, Godalming, Surrey, England.