Nappy subsidies prove successful, funding increased

21 December 2006

With almost 600 trial packs of washable nappies sold in the first month of the Christchurch City Council’s Nappy Subsidies Scheme, additional funds have been allocated to allow the trial to continue for another month.

Through a network of local suppliers, Council will continue to provide a $20 discount to decrease the initial start-up cost by about 40 per cent.

During November, Council began subsidising the packs in a bid to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill - currently, disposable nappies occupy 2 per cent of the total waste system.

The campaign was first mooted by Hillmorton resident Fiona Summerfield during this year’s Community Plan hearings and also aims to cut the amount of rubbish households using disposables currently put out by up to 60 per cent, and to save them about $650 for the time that children wear washable nappies.

“That’s 60 rubbish bags per year, which will take about 200 years to break down in the landfill,” says Council Network Planning Team Leader Simon Collin.

The promotion is funded by the Council’s Community Waste Minimisation Scheme and aims to contribute to the Council’s Waste Management Plan which exists to increase the Christchurch community’s participation in reducing, recycling, reusing and recovering material from waste.

Following the trial period, the Council will conduct a survey of all those that purchased the trial packs, to allow it to assess the community’s opinion on them.

Further information about the scheme can be obtained by phoning the Council on 941 8999, by visiting the Council website at www.ccc.govt.nz/waste/nappysubsidies/ or from participating online suppliers: Ecobots, Natural Parenting, Joel-Eze, Funnibunz, Real Nappies, Cotton Tails, Milk, Mum&Bubs, Bumbles and Bohny Babies. Retailers: Mum&Bubs 34 Breezes Road and Milk 1025 Ferry Road.

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