Free reusable nappies for Nillumbik families

Published on 22 September 2023

Reusable nappies have transformed from the old-fashioned folded cloth varieties – they are now easy to use, adjustable for growing babies, and come in a range of patterns and colours.

To help families familiarise themselves with reusable nappies, we’ve joined The Nappy Project, an initiative of 14 councils across Victoria to help support residents to embrace reusable nappies instead of disposables.

Nillumbik residents who are ‘cloth curious’ are invited to attend a free workshop on reusable nappies at Edendale Community Environment Farm, which will cover:

• The different types of reusable nappies and how to choose one
• How to get the right fit, and how to adjust resizable nappies through the different stages of your baby's growth
• How to store and wash dirty nappies
• The cost savings of reusable nappies
• The health and waste benefits, and
• Hands-on activities to try reusable nappies.

For those who don’t want to fully commit to a reusable regimen, the good news is that even using one reusable nappy per day will mean saving 365 nappies from landfill in one year for one baby. 

Mayor Ben Ramcharan said a switch to reusable nappies can make a big impact to both the household budget and the amount of waste sent to landfill.

“Nappies are an essential item for young families but it is well-known that disposable nappies take an extremely long time to break down in landfill,” Cr Ramcharan said.

“As part of our commitment to climate action, Council is proud to offer events like this to assist busy families to reduce the waste they send to landfill and support them to make environmentally sound decisions,” he said.

The free workshops will be held from 10.30-11.30am on Tuesday 10 October and Sunday 12 November at Edendale Community Environment Farm.

Free nappy packs are available for Nillumbik residents who attend a workshop and agree to assist with follow-up surveys and feedback about their reusable nappy use. The packs contain three reusable nappies, two reusable wipes and a reusable wet bag.

For more information and to register, visit nillumbik.vic.gov.au/the-nappy-project