Real nappies

What are reusable nappies?

Reusable nappies are made from natural or synthetic materials and are a brilliant alternative to disposable nappies with many benefits for parents, babies and our planet. 

Redbridge Council offers a reusable nappy trial pack, worth over £35, for just £5 to residents with children under 18 months (limit of one pack per child).

Why use reusable nappies?

Money

Reusable nappies can save you up to £1000 over 2.5 years on a first baby and if used for another child, even more.

Health

Disposable nappies are made from crude oil, plastics and chemicals whose long term use has not been tested. Reusable nappies are made from natural or synthetic materials, such as bamboo or cotton, which do not contain active chemicals.

Waste

More than 58,800 disposable nappies are thrown away in Redbridge every day! Each one takes up to 500 years to break down and this amounts to thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money and tonnes of carbon emissions in production, purchase and disposal.

Carbon footprint

Reusable nappies use fewer raw materials. Choosing reusable nappies can lower carbon emissions of nappy use by 40%. 

Try reusable nappies with our trial pack

We are offering a reusable nappy trial pack worth over £35, for just £5 to residents with children under the age of 18 months (limit of one pack per child).

There are 3 packs to choose from depending on weight and stage of the child, containing all you need to try reusable nappies.

Pack 1: newborn up to 3 months

Includes:

This pack is suitable for newborn babies up to approximately 3 months.

Colours in the trial pack may vary.

Pack 2: 3 month up to 10 months

Includes:

This pack is suitable for babies from 3 months up to 10 months. 

Colours in the trial pack may vary.

Pack 3: 10 months to potty training 

Includes:

This pack is suitable for babies from 10 months to potty training. 

Colours in the trial pack may vary.

Try our trial pack

When you apply for a trial pack, you will have the option to pay online and have your pack posted out to you or you can choose to redeem your pack in person at One Planet Refill Store in South Woodford. Please note that you will not be able to redeem your pack at One Planet until you have received a reusable nappy voucher code from us. 

To apply for the pack please complete the application form below, you will need the following information and to upload the following attachments:

1. Photo proof that you are a Redbridge resident (council tax bill, utility bill or driving license)

2. Photo proof that you are pregnant or have a baby under 18 months old (MATB1 form, birth certificate)

3. Full name and address of parent applying

Please note our turnaround for processing applications is 10 working days. 

Apply for a reusable nappy trial pack

Privacy Notice

If you apply for a Reusable Nappy Trial Pack voucher we will securely hold your name, address, and email address for 7 years to comply with financial auditing purposes.

From time to time we'd like to inform you about cloth nappy events, meet ups or offer ongoing advice and support as your baby grows. We will not share your information with anyone else. We will send you a form to 'opt in' to this service.

Redbridge reusable cloth nappy friendly childcare settings

We've launched a new way to support parent choice when it comes to little one's nappies. Our new "Reusable Nappy Friendly" scheme is aimed at promoting sustainability and reducing waste within our community. We know there are parents and carers who are using reusable nappies at home or would like to start using them while their children are in childcare, but may hesitant to ask their childcare provider. This scheme gives parents and childcare settings confidence to choose cloth nappies, saving money and waste. For more info or to join the scheme, contact: ourneighbourhood@redbridge.gov.uk

 

Reusable Nappy Week 2025

The Our Streets team are proud to invite you to our FREE Under 5’s Event to celebrate our little ones.

Date: Thursday 1st May 2025

Location: In the children’s library at Redbridge Central Library (Clements Rd, Ilford, IG1 1EA)

Time: 10.30am to 12pm (extended Rhyme time!)

At the event you can learn about:

  • The cost and environmental benefits of our reusable nappy trial pack (worth over £35) that you can apply for £5 to residents with children under 18 month and view a live demonstration.
  • The different development stages of your child and how their brain develops so that you can read behaviours, tune into their needs, and help you recognise when your child is ready to start potty training through the Solihull Approach, which is an evidence based not-for profit NHS service for parents that supports the journey of parenthood. Visit www.inourplace.co.uk and use the code BRIDGE to access the courses for free.
  • Find out and learn more about Healthy Start – are you eligible?. The Healthy Start Scheme can help you buy healthy food, milk, and formula if you have children under 4.
  • FREE Oral health education, advice, information and training for all from the Oral Health Promotion Service including, how to look after your child's first teeth and prevent tooth decay, Bottle/Dummy advice, Diet advice, Tooth Brushing advice (overcome challenges) and How to find a Dentist
  • Learn about Redbridge - Our Streets projects that you can get involved with.
  • Hear from Redbridge’s very own Selina Flows, a newly launched initiative focused on sustainable and skin-friendly period care.

We will also be giving away a limited number of free reusable nappy trial packs to residents that bring all of the following documentation:

  1. Photo proof that you are a Redbridge resident (council tax bill, utility bill or driving license)
  2. Photo proof that you are pregnant or have a baby under 18 months old (MATB1 form, birth certificate)
  3. Full name and address of parent or carer applying

No need to book, we look forward to seeing you there.

Please email ourneighbourhood@redbridge.gov.uk with any questions.

 

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