Auckland airport

I just had to blog about my experience at the auckland airport this afternoon. I got off the plane from queenstown and ran off to the loo as normal and i went in sat on the toilet and then all of a sudden it flushed all on its own.....and of course i got a wash free of charge. It gave me a hell of a fright so i got all dried off and i sat again and the jolly thing did it again. When i came out i told the lady who was cleaning the toilet that there was something wrong with it.

She looked at me and said no the toilets are programmed to flush on their own every minute. I couldnt believe it.! What a waste of water! It may be a good idea to keep them clean but every minute seems a bit excessive and if they are not being used it is a huge waste of water.

Also with them flushing every minute it hardly gives u enough time to sit pee and stand up before the free (cold) bum shower commences. You certainly woulnt want to do number 2s because there wouldnt be time.

What is the world coming to? Now the toilets are so convenient they flush themselves and clean your bum without us having to lift a finger!

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The Nappy Lady In Southland

I am in southland this week...yay!! I cant wait to catch up with my friend Tam and her family, but I am also looking foward to being instore at H & J smiths card holders evening and Lots for tots for the day on friday.

I adore the south island especially the people down there because they are always so laid back and casual!!

Ask The Nappy Lady – New Zealand’s Cloth Nappy Expert

Ask The Nappy Lady – NZ's Cloth Nappy Expert

Monday, 23 November 2009, 11:32 am

Did you know that just one cloth nappy could replace over 400 disposable nappies (see attached picture)

While times are still tough and parents are trying to get by on only one income, many are still effectively depositing their hard earned cash into landfill. It has been estimated that New Zealand parents may be using around 1 Million disposable nappies per day which is a huge amount of waste from one singular product going into our landfills.

“If parents purchased just one cloth nappy, they could prevent hundreds of disposables from entering our depleting landfills” This is the message The Nappy Lady™, Kate Meads is getting out to new and expecting parents across New Zealand

„There are couple of common barriers that sometimes put parents off considering cloth nappies‟ says The Nappy Lady.

“The first is generally cost because of the initial outlay involved when investing in a cloth nappy system. The set up cost may be from $500 - $1500 depending on the style of nappy. However when you consider parents will spend thousands on disposables, the cost of cloth nappies is significantly less.”

“The other is, over time we have been led to believe that they are inconvenient and time consuming. When in actual fact, the only time consuming part of a cloth nappy system nowadays is making the decision regarding which nappy you want to use because there are so many to choose from.” Says Kate

Gone are the days of soaking, scrubbing, folding and pins! Today technology does all of the work. With the advancement of fabrics, washing machines and powders there is more time to spend with your family.

The Nappy Lady wants New Zealand parents to know that cloth nappies today are easy, super cute, better for the environment and can save parents thousands of dollars. They are not what most people expect, especially when they find out that there are even nappies being made from bamboo which is sustainable, antibacterial and great for baby‟s sensitive new skin.

Every day Kate talks to parents who are completely overwhelmed because of the amount of information available online. She decided to provide parents in New Zealand with quality, unbiased, unbranded information to help them on their nappy hunt.

It started with antenatal classes, then workshops for different regional councils, some TV interviews where she was originally given the title of The Nappy Lady and then quickly grew to include a dedicated cloth nappy information website www.thenappylady.co.nz .

The website has grown in popularity since it was recently launched and the number of parents emailing The Nappy Lady for advice is growing every day.

Now The Nappy Lady is being invited by different groups around the country to provide parents the opportunity to come and talk to an expert, touch, try and see the different styles of nappies available today.

“I have really embraced the title of The Nappy Lady over the past year, and apart from people thinking I am far older than I actually am, I love being able to offer expert advice to parents and helping them to succeed in using cloth nappies on their babies!”, says Kate

“Using cloth nappies makes cents and the dollars look after themselves.”

Should New Zealand Parents Feel Guilty About Using Disposable Nappies

Should New Zealand Parents Feel Guilty About Using Disposable Nappies

"For as little as $1.75* per week you can now feel guilt free about using disposable nappies." The Enviro comp website states.**

"I applaud the fact that disposable companies are making an effort to reduce the massive impact that they obviously know their disposable products have on our landfills. However it seems that there is still very vague information regarding where the disposable compost is going to be used and by whom."

Recently there was an article about how a company making clean green compost was struggling to get their compost used in Christchurch, which would make me wonder how they intend the compost made from baby poo and disposable nappies to be used by the public.

It also appears that there is little or no information regarding what the additional environmental impact of a disposable nappy may be considering the additional natural resources that are used to compost them i.e. power, plus the impact from their individual collection by a truck every week.

There is also the other issue that around 13% of the nappy is non biodegradable which has to be disposed of (land filled) away from the composted parts of each nappy.

“Considering that around 1 million convenience nappies go in to NZ landfills every day, the possible 60,000 nappies that could be composted at this plant is only likely to be the equivalent of around 10 - 12 children’s nappies from birth to around 3 years getting composted per day.” Says the Nappy Lady, Kate Meads

“Using cloth nappies is still the most eco friendly option for New Zealand babies. This is mainly because parents have full control on the impact of their nappies. As more parents become aware of the ease of modern cloth nappies, more of them are making the smart switch to washable nappies.” Says the Nappy Lady

“When you consider that just one cloth nappy could replace up to 300 disposables this not only prevents 300 nappies from filling up our landfills but it screams that re-usable nappies are still the most economic option for people who are currently struggling financially.”

Using cloth nappies just keep making cents

Notes

* This is the very least parents may be paying if their collection is funded by their council. It may be costing parents up to $8.50 per week to compost their nappies if there is no council funding available.
**http://www.envirocomp.co.nz/Home-0.html


For more information or to contact The Nappy Lady (Kate Meads) please call (027) 22 11 242 or (07) 549 2955 or email info@nappydays.co.nz

Washing Reusable Nappies is As Simple As 1 2 3

I have many parents who ask what the best way to wash their reusable cloth nappies is. Generally parents get their own routine after a time but to start with they may be nervous about using cloth diapers. So I decided to break down washing into a simple to understand step by step guide which will hopefully answer your questions. If you have other questions that are not covered in this, it pays to contact the manufacturer of your product.

Step one: Removing the nappy
Firstly you must take the soiled nappy off your baby. Use an old ice cream container in which you can place any soiled diapers and used wipes in while you pop the clean nappy onto your baby.

Solids in the nappy? Then you must dispose of all solids in the toilet (this is the case if you are using a disposable nappy as well) If you are using flushable liners, carefully remove the liner from the inside of the nappy and flush the liner down the toilet. If you are using reusable liners, take the nappy and the liner into the toilet and hold the re-usable liner in the toilet and flush the toilet onto it to remove any solids that are on it. Then wrap the liner up in the nappy ready for washing together.

Step 2: Dry Pail your nappies
Now days we do not have to soak our reusable nappies because the detergents and machines now do the work that our soakers used to do. If parents do soak their nappies they may wear the elastics and fabrics out earlier than expected because some of the soakers can be quite harsh on some modern fabrics. This is why we suggest using a dry pail which is simply a dry bucket with no water or soakers in it. This is also much safer for baby (no buckets of water around) and will save you from lifting heavy buckets into the washing machine.

Step 3: Wash the nappies
When you have a load of used reusable nappies or perhaps less but are ready to wash them, tip the contents of your bucket into the washing machine. To minimise the amount of washing, save more money and to lower the reusable diapers eco footprint, some parents will put them through a rinse cycle first and then add all of their babies other clothes into the same cycle. Some washing machines even have a special cycle just for nappies.

When you wash your nappies you only need to use a fraction of the amount of liquid / powder you would normally use to wash your clothes. We suggest around 1 - 2 tablespoons. Pop this in your machine as per your manufacturer's instructions. Turn the machine on and.....walk away....the machine does all of the nasty work for you while you have time to spend with your baby and family. Step 4: Drying your nappies
Once your machine has completed the task of washing your nappies (wow that was easy), it is time to dry them.

You can pop them on the line to dry with the rest of your washing and then walk away and let the sun dry, bleach and sanitize them while you spend time with your family. Or if you are short of time, you can tumble dry the diapers on a cool setting but we do recommend line drying wherever possible. Line drying saves you money and reduces the eco footprint of a reusable nappy.

Step 5: Folding your nappies
This is the best part, you take your diapers off the line or out of the drier and you pop them in your chosen storage place near where you change your baby they are all ready to go - NO FOLDING involved leaving you time to do many other things or sit and enjoy the evening on the couch!

Step 6: It is so easy!
It may have all sounded a bit ominous when you first start researching using reusable cloth nappies, but when you consider that:
- you do not have to use all of the nasty chemicals you may have thought you would have to use
- the nappies are likely to be far simpler to care for than you were led to believe
- Plus you will save thousands of dollars over a 2 - 3 year period so you would be crazy not to give it a go!

Does Using a Disposable Nappy Really Save More Time Than Using a Cloth Nappy?

Did you know that some disposable nappy companies suggest that just because parents using cloth nappies have to wash, dry and fold their nappies, that this may use up quality time which many parents may prefer to save for their families?

I have to say, what is really so hard about putting nappies in the washing machine and turning it on? We all wash our own underwear so what is the difference? And it is not like parents using cloth diapers stand at the line waiting for them to dry and even better, most cloth nappies today require no folding.

With small babies, we all use our washing machines daily! The hardest thing sometimes is to get into a routine - many people simply alternate clothes washes with nappy washes and some people just throw it all in together!

Also when using disposables I certainly found myself doing far more washing than I expected because they continually leaked through my newborns clothing and bedding, essentially creating more washing.

Modern reusable diapers are shaped to fit just like disposables. Sometimes the wrap is separate from the cloth nappy but most parents dress their baby in a number of items of clothing every day, so one extra item of clothing makes very little difference.

Another common complaint is 'having to handle the poo when you use cloth'. By using flushable liners in re-usable nappies, we don't have to deal with any of the nasty stuff, you simply just flush it away!

I am amazed at the number of parents I have spoken to, who have not read the small print on disposables where it quite clearly states that any solids should be disposed of down the toilet. It appears that most parents just wrap up the nappy, poo and all, and dispose of it into the bin to go into our landfills - just because it is a disposable nappy.

This means there could well be tonnes of untreated human waste sitting in our landfills.

With our economy the way it is and with the price of disposable nappies increasing, disposables may actually cost your family more time than you think. Consider how many extra hours a parent may need to work each week just to pay for the $50 worth of disposable nappies their baby is likely to use per week.

The amount of time one parent would have to work just to earn enough to purchase their disposable nappies would far outweigh the amount of time it would take for mum to turn on the washing machine 3-4 times a week and to hang out 4 loads of washing.

Modern cloth nappies have become easy, low cost, eco friendly alternatives to disposables and will not cost a family any more time than what their daily washing routine already does.

Articles

I love reading articles online. Over the past few months I have read many really interesting articles about all sorts of environmental issues and I came across this one which I thought was really interesting!

It is really awful but true that we are living in a plastic fantastic world and that from the day we are born, we are exposed to plastics of all different varietys!

A great read but a very real worry!

kates interview on good morning

This week I was interviewed on Good Morning. I have linked to my live interview from Monday. It went really well and the questions were really great. They are a fabulous bunch of people and wonderful to work with!

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/video_popup_windows_skin/2679331

Nappy Week competition

$3000 worth of prizes up for grabs on Good Morning this week!

Kate

Real Nappy Week 2009

Parents Combat the Credit Crunch with Cloth Nappies
Today marks the beginning of International Real Nappy Week 2009. The message across the globe confirms many times over just much money parents can save by using cloth nappies.
The New Zealand Nappy Alliance (www.nzna.org.nz) has calculated that parents using reusable nappies can save up to $5000.
“Families who invest in modern cloth nappies could have an extra $30 - $50 per week to spend on groceries, pay off debt or spend time doing things with their family” says Kate Meads Spokesperson for the NZNA. “Disposable nappies are generally purchased alongside household groceries, so many parents may not realize exactly how much nappies are costing them long term.”
Nappy Alliance members encourage kiwi mums to lay-by their nappies while they are pregnant. Over nine months (40 weeks on average) the cost of paying off a full time cloth nappy pack may cost around $22 per week which is far less than leading disposable nappy brands which could be up to $50 per week for approximately 130 weeks after the baby is born.
“I started using cloth nappies on my second child because we simply could not afford to buy disposables every week. My cloth nappies are so easy to use; I only wish these had been around when I had my first....I cringe at the amount of money I could have saved!” Says Rebecca, mum to two girls Ella (5yrs) and Maddison (6 months), “I don’t need to soak, use pins or fold my nappies like most people assume. Best of all I will sell them on Trade me when I am finished and get money back for them, what a bargain”
Real Nappy Week provides kiwi parents with the opportunity to find out all about washable nappies and their numerous benefits. Along with all of the obvious financial benefits, parents are attracted to the environmental benefits as well. A recent government study in the UK compared cloth nappies to disposables, and found that if used correctly, cloth nappies can be up to 40% better for the environment.
“It makes far more sense for parents to deposit cloth nappies into their washing machine and their money into the bank instead of a landfill”, suggests Kate
For further information about Real Nappy Week, images, samples or interviews, contact NZNA Spokesperson Kate Meads (027) 22 11 242 or kate@nappydays.co.nz
Nappy Facts:
o The New Zealand Nappy Alliance provides support and advice to parents, manufacturers, and health and childcare professionals on choosing and using washable nappies. The Alliance campaign aims to educate people on the cost savings of cloth nappies and the environmental benefits that cloth nappies bring.
o Parents can save over $5000 by using real nappies over leading disposable brands, more if they are used on subsequent children.
o Three billion nappies a year, eight million a day - are thrown away in the UK. They are estimated to weigh 690,000 tonnes and 90% end up in landfill. In New Zealand it has been estimated that there are approximately one million disposables going to landfill every day
o A recent Government report stated that real nappies are 40% better for the environment than disposables when simple washing guidelines are followed

Have we had the wool pulled over our eyes?

Disposable nappies only contribute a small amount to landfill.......so it would seem....

Acording to a leading brand of disposable in New Zealand, the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment suggests that disposable nappies make up around 1.9% of NZ Landfill. On their website, this company compares this figure to that of Plastics and food waste. Obviously when you compare disposable nappies at 1.9% to plastics at 9.1% as shown in the graph above, this all sounds like it is nothing at all to worry about because nappies are only contributing 1.9% of all landfill waste after all.

However when I did the maths I was truely shocked. When you stop to consider that only about 4%* of our entire population** contributes one single product (disposable nappies) to landfill and that this one single product contributes a whopping 1.9% all on its own this figure is actually shocking! Think of every plastic procuct that could possibly end up in our landfill, the list would be almost endless yet all of these plastic products only contribute to 9.1% of landfill and 100% of the population would contribute to at least some of this plastic waste.

Then when you consider that disposable nappies are solely responsible for nearly 2% of landfill waste and only 4% of the entire population uses them, these figures actually started to make me think that we may have a serious nappy waste issue.

Does anyone stand around and wait for their nappies to dry?

I was astounded to read recently that two disposable companies have been implying that parents using cloth nappies would have no time to spend with their families because they would have to spend so much time washing nappies and standing at the washing line.

What is really so hard about putting nappies in the washing machine and turning it on. With small babies, we all use our washing machines daily! The hardest thing sometimes is to get into a routine - many people simply alternate clothes washes with nappy washes and some people just throw it all in together!

Modern cloth nappies are shaped to fit just like disposables. Sometimes the wrap is separate from the nappy but one needs to dress baby in a number of items of clothing every day so one extra item of clothing makes very little difference.

Another common complaint is ’having to handle the poo when you using cloth’. I am amazed at the number of parents I have spoken to, who have not read the small print on disposables where it quite clearly states that any solids must be disposed of down the toilet. It appears that most parents just wrap up the nappy, poo and all, and dispose of it into the bin to go into our landfills – just because it is a disposable nappy. This is potentially very dangerous as there could well be tonnes of untreated human waste sitting in our landfills.

By using flushable liners in re-usable nappies, we don't have to deal with any of the nasty stuff, you simply just flush it away!

With our economy the way it is and with the price of disposable nappies increasing, disposables may actually cost your family more time than you think. Consider how many extra hours a parent may need to work each week just to pay for the $50 worth of disposable nappies their baby is likely to use per week. The amount of time the parent would have to work to earn enought to purchase their disposable nappies would far out weigh the amount of time it would take for mum to turn on the washing machine 3-4 times a week and to hang out 4 loads of washing.

Modern cloth nappies have become easy, low cost, eco friendly alternatives to disposables and will not cost a family any more time than what their daily washing routine already does.

Nappy Workshops in Hamilton

More Nappy Workshops for 2009
Overview of Nappy Workshop Itinerary for 2009

• 20th February at 7pm @ Parents Place 87 Boundary Road Hamilton
• 21th February at 10am @ Parents Place 87 Boundary Road Hamilton
• 27th March at 7pm @ Parents Place 87 Boundary Road Hamilton
• 28th March at 10am @ Parents Place 87 Boundary Road Hamilton

The cost of attending is $15 per couple or individual. Limited numbers available.

Huge interest and positive feedback from last year's workshops has led to four more workshops being scheduled for early 2009. Hamilton parents have raved about how informative these seminars are and how it totally took the mystery out of choosing modern cloth nappies.
Both workshops will be presented myself.

These have proven to be very popular especially considering parents want to learn the benefits of cloth nappies for their baby and also how they can save families $1000's and reduce their household’s carbon footprint.

To begin with there will be a 45-55 minute presentation. I will cover:

• The 5 Main nappy options available to parents today – Disposables, Pre-folds with covers, Pocket nappies, Fitted nappies with covers and All in Ones.
• Liners and boosters – what are they and why would you use one
• Fabrics – what modern nappy fabrics are available today?
• How to choose your nappies – Which one will be suitable for your baby
• Washing your nappies – You wash your underwear it’s no different
  

Then I will go through in detail the main styles of cloth nappies available in New Zealand. I explain what is involved in using each system and show how each brand and style is different.

Parents will then have the unique opportunity to try the different nappies for themselves on dolls supplied at 4 nappy stations and I will be open for questions through this time. Parents will be given tips on choosing which system will suit them and their baby.

Best of all, each pregnant mum attending will take home a free pack of nappies that has been supplied by one of the NZNA members and is funded by the Hamilton council. Each pack will be valued at around $70.00.

They will be fun, enlightening and educational workshops. You learn something new everyday so why not come and learn about nappies.

There is a limit of 10 pregnant women plus support person/partner per workshop so registrations are essential. To register please contact me on 07 549 2955 or 027 22 11 242.

Can parents afford not to use cloth nappies?

As the world’s recession becomes a reality, redundancy rates rise and many young families are struggling to get by on one income, a growing number of parents are now making the smart switch to modern cloth nappies.

Many parents are discovering that they can save up to $50 per week on their grocery bill which can come to an astonishing $6300* over 3 – 3.5 years.

Generally when couples have their first child they drop from two incomes to one so their weekly income is literally cut in half.

These now single income families are providing for a new baby who will cost a small fortune in their first few years of life.

“The main issue that puts parents off using cloth nappies is the initial investment because it can be anything between $500 and $1500 depending on the chosen brand,” says Kate Meads, cloth nappy expert and spokesperson for the New Zealand Nappy Alliance (www.nzna.org.nz)

“However if you had to go and purchase all of your disposable nappies up front, you just wouldn’t buy them because who could afford to spend such a huge amount of money up front on a product you will only use once”–

“We suggest parents purchase their reusable nappies while they are still pregnant and pay them off while they make the most of still having two incomes to draw on,” Says Kate Meads who is also director of Nappy Days Limited (www.nappydays.co.nz)

“These parents can then be happy in the knowledge that they won’t have an additional expense buying disposable nappies each time they go to the supermarket.”

“With a little bit of education, parents are discovering that using Modern cloth nappies take no longer to use than disposables and they are finding out first hand how much these wonder nappies are saving them on a weekly basis.”

Kate also knows many parents become overwhelmed when researching their nappy options because of the amount of information available online.

This resulted in her writing a book titled ‘Modern Cloth Nappies’

“I wrote ‘Modern Cloth Nappies’ to help parents decide which type of nappy would most suit their lifestyle and to dispel the many myths surrounding cloth nappies today” Says Kate

Kate has provided her book to Waitakere City Council who is jointly publishing it so they can use it as a resource in the Waitakere City area.

"This book is clear and informative for anyone who is starting out with cloth nappies. The book covers all the various types of cloth nappies available on the market while being an easy read - a great resource for cloth nappy users." Says Jennifer Aschenbrenner, cleaner production officer, Waitakere City Council

“I am hopeful my book will be used and supported in future by other councils and that it will make choosing and using washable nappies far easier for parents, potentially saving them thousands,” says Kate