NappiCycle interview, November 15th on Radio 4
Costing the Earth – How can I be a more sustainable parent?
Since becoming pregnant, environmental historian and broadcaster Dr Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough has aspired to bring up her two children as sustainably as possible. In 2017, a Canadian study recommended that people could reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the number of children they have by one. It also pointed out how much bigger the carbon footprint of a child is in the West, compared to a child brought up in Malawi.
Despite Eleanor’s best efforts, she has found that raising ‘eco babies’ is not all that simple. From clothes and toys, to food, nappies and transport – parenting brings with it a whole pram-load of unexpected environmental impacts. And regardless of good intentions, parental pressures like a lack of support, the need for convenience and the price of eco-alternatives often means people fall back on more carbon-intensive options. So what needs to change to make it easier? Being a new parent is tough enough, without the feeling of failing the planet being added to the burden.
In this programme, Eleanor asks Rob Poyer how NappiCycle is contributing to making parenting more eco-friendly, discovering that approximately 1/3rd of all nappies in Wales are diverted from landfill directly to NappiCycle in Carmarthenshire for recycling. By re-utilising these resources, and with a definite emphasis on innovation, the recycled products are used for a variety of end processes, including the production of asphalt, concrete and extruded plastic products.