What's So Bad About Disposables?

My sister, Stephanie, asked "What's so bad about disposables anyway?" Great question.

1. Disposables cost more over time than reusing the same thing again and again. How much do you spend each week on nappies, sanitary products, kitchen towels, cleaning wipes, baby wipes etc
2. Disposables add more to landfill than reusing things. Disposable nappies, for example, make up 4% of the UK's household rubbish, and 50% of all the rubbish in a one-baby family
3. Disposables require more resources to make, simply because we use more. For example, a typical woman uses 10-15,000 sanitary towels , tampons and applicators in her lifetime, but they could all be replaced by a few dozen washable pads
4. Some disposable products contain non-biodegradable substances (such as plastic) which aren't in their reusable alternative. For example the plastic layer in sanitary towels and pantyliners, or the absorbent gel in disposable nappies
5. Reusable products are a great opportunity for recycling. Old clothes can become dusters, old bedding can become hankies, face flannels that are too threadbare or stained for use can become cleaning cloths and so on
6. Disposables create more packaging waste - imagine the plastic wrapping you throw away each week from your kitchen roll, nappies, sanitary products, baby wipes etc. Especially things like baby wipes and cleaning wipes that come in plastic dispensing boxes
7. Disposable products such as tissues, nappies, sanitary products etc. are bleached using a process which releases dioxins, one of the most toxic substances known

These are the major reasons, but I can think of many other benefits of using reusable products:

• Fewer toilet blockages. Say no more
• Kitchen towels are advertised as being "strong", well they're not nearly as strong as a woven cloth
• Baby wipes and cleaning wipes contain cleaning chemicals which you have no control over. You can use a washable cloth with plain water or any other cleaning liquid you choose
• No need to dash out to the shops when you realise you have run out of nappies or sanitary products (although you do need instead a laundry schedule that ensures you don't run out of clean ones)