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LCA reports disposable & cloth nappies have equal environmental impact

03 Jun '05
1 min read
A new report from the Environment Agency has suggested that cloth nappies and disposable nappies have the same impact on the environment, contrary to previous thinking.

The study published this week by a government commissioned life cycle assessment (LCA) said that neither disposable nor cloth nappy systems can claim overall environmental superiority.

The Environment Agency said that the study was the "most comprehensive and thorough" independent study of its kind ever done, suggesting that the results are conclusive.

However the method of the research has been criticised by the Women's Environmental Network (WEN), which pointed out that the study had only looked at the amount of energy used in the manufacture and washing of the nappies, meaning that cloth nappies still saved waste.

WEN spokeswoman Ann Link also told the Guardian that an A-rated environmentally friendly washing machine to wash the nappies could have a 24 per cent less impact on global warming than the report claimed.

While disposable nappies have decreased their weight by around 40 per cent over the last 15 years, they still make up roughly 2.5 per cent of household waste.

Energy Saving Trust
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