'Have I really been wasting my time handling and washing wet, pooey cloth nappies?'

As any parent knows, poo is central to life. Size, consistency, and regularity are a continual concern as is the containment of the dreaded substance. So over the last few months, with the help of five month old Anya, I have been researching into poo and its entrapment.

Particularly timely it appears, as the Environment Agency has made an intriguing announcement. Apparently there is no difference to the environment whether we use disposable or reusable nappies.

We finally switched from paper to fluffy cloth nappies three months ago and have road tested various types. Several hundred changes later I feel I have some authority on the issue.

I have to confess I only know about breastfed poo. For the uninitiated it is generally mustard yellow, occasionally green and very, very runny. Unlike bottle fed babies, breastfed babies can poo anywhere from every few hours to every week. And believe me when they do an explosive poo, it can and does go everywhere, as Anya’s cranial osteopath will testify!

Hence, nappies are somewhat central to our life. Regardless of environmental concerns the big question is, 'what can stop the force of Anya’s poo coming through the feet of her clothes?'

Leak

I am pleased to testify that we have never had a leak from our cloth nappies. Whereas on the occasions that we have used disposables of various makes, we have had pooey clothes aplenty.

As to the Environment Agency’s claim – are reusables really the answer, especially when there is a new breed of eco disposable? Have I really been wasting my time handling and washing wet, pooey cloth nappies?

Well here are some facts: an average baby will need their nappy changed approximately 5300 times. Nearly 3 billion disposable nappies are thrown away every year in the UK alone. The average disposable nappy will take between 300- 500 years to decompose.

Surely this on its own provides a pretty good case against disposables? However with the advent of decomposable nappies we need to look at the wider picture. Moltex nappies are one of the most 'natural' disposables on the market. If put in a wormery they are apparently 100% decomposable within 8 weeks.

My washing machine runs every two days and the tumble drier is used every week or so if necessary, to keep Anya’s bum covered. Would it not be better to use such paper nappies?

Apparently not. Even with the huge amount of water and energy I use, it does not compete with the making of disposables. According to Women’s Environmental Network disposables use 3.5 times the energy and 2.3 times the amount of water of that than reusables. This includes the manufacturing process of both and factors in washing and tumble drying.

Greener

If I were to use a nappy laundry service which are now in many areas, I would be even greener as the washing is done on mass and uses less energy and water despite the delivery by van.

The Environment Agency does not seem to tackle these issues very effectively. Their report is not helped by the fact that cloth nappy users makes up just over 5% of the total number of people interviewed.

They seem extraordinarily unaware that no longer do we have to use bulky terries nappies and nasty old plastic pants. Now there are shaped nappies in various guises and much improved, comfortable, non-plasticised water proofing.

The agency also assumes that we all use disposable wipes and liners which we flush down the loo each change. Odd considering the main reason for using cloth nappies is to protect the environment. Every cloth user I know uses fleece liners and wet flannels instead of anything that might be binned or flushed.

Nor does the Agency allow that most parents wash as instructed at 60 degrees not 90, and only use tumble driers when necessary. (We have only used the tumble drier for a full cycle once in three months.)
The most amusing assumption however is that parents iron nappies – what time do they think we have? Far more worrying is the conclusion that the disposal of paper and gel nappies is not an issue as they can be incinerated. Have they not heard any of the arguments against the gases emitted by such a process?

Advocate

As you can tell I am a zealous advocate of the cloth nappy, but the world is larger and more confusing than you might think. To help you through, Anya has kindly road tested a few.

We are using Tots Bots nappies and Motherease wraps. They are fluffy, thick nappies which are shaped rather like a disposable. The Motherease wrap is a nice breathable material that stops her clothes being wet and stained. It also has cute animals printed on it. The down side of Tots Bots is they take a long time to dry but they are so absorbent they cope with wet nights really well.

Motherease nappies themselves are great and easier to dry. They also only need one size throughout. However they are quite broad and for my tiny framed daughter just aren’t as comfortable.

I have also used Cotton Bottoms which are the most widely available on the high street – Boots and John Lewis sell them. These are padded squares of material that you fold and put into a water proof wrap. Very easy to dry but I just found I had to wash the wraps more often as the pads didn’t catch the poo as well as the shaped nappies.

The new technology does of course mean more money but the £300 I will have spent by the end of potty training is nothing compared to the £700 - £1000 I would have spent on disposables. It is even better value if I have a second child and use them again.

If you are really keen and not suffering new parent shock syndrome, there are also Diddy Diapers supplied by Nature Babies. Very cute, shaped tiny nappies for newborns.

You don’t have to spend a fortune. I have since discovered that Spirit of Nature sell knitted cotton nappies very cheaply – 3 for a fiver which is superb. They do look rather hippy and have strings to tie but Anya seemed perfectly happy in it.

Bulky

In case you are wondering why I have ignored Terries; most babies’ clothes have been tailored to fit a slim papered bum. Anya generally wears trousers that are the next size up. What she would have to wear for the even bulkier Terries?

Unless you are in the know it is easy to become sucked into this paper and gel world thinking that there is no real choice. Fortunately there are plenty of people to help. I used the Nappy Lady who asked numerous questions about my priorities (eg environment, cost etc) and child’s size before making a recommendation.

Now I have bought the nappies from them, I have email and phone support until Anya is potty trained. It was great to be reassured after the first day of using cloth nappies when Anya’s bum was red - apparently due to her adjusting to the switch. I can confirm we have had no nappy rash at all and actually she seems more uncomfortable in disposables.

So all in all cloth nappies rock. And something smells about the Environment Agency’s report and it is not Anya’s latest nappy!

• Read Charlotte’s other ethical parent articles