[entwisi]

We looked into the recycleable nappies when Siobhan was born. They cost more than buying brand name nappies and then the enviromental impact is rarely considered correctly. the disposable will take years to decompose(although they are using better materials now and research means it will only get better) but they use no energy in that process, in fact, they produce methane which can be captured and used. The 'green' nappy scheme uses cloth nappies with a liner(made of teh same stuff as nappies) which is thrown away or flushed down teh loo. However the material parts are washed and sterilised before reuse which uses energy to heat the water and run the machines, detergent which is finding its way into the water table via rivers and streams often to the adverse effects on local wildlife etc. There is also the collection and delivery wagons burning fossil fuels and emmitting all sorts of dodgy gases(both in running and the initial manufacture/decommissioning of said vehicle) to make sure that you have your clean supply.


Its a shame that people very rarely consider the complete environmental impact of something before claiming its green status. I have recently started car sharing with a guy from Burnley. He drives a Toyota Prius. He bought it for its 'green' status. now I've enlightened him regarding just how dirty they are end to end lifecycle he's rather embarrassed about the whole thing. e.g. my 180,000 mile Volvo on LPG is significantly 'greener' /mile than his car will ever be.