Waltham Forest
The London Borough of Waltham Forest works with Real Nappies for London to promote reusable nappies as an alternative to single-use nappies.
If you are a parent with a baby under 18 months, or a parent-to-be, living in Waltham Forest you are eligible to apply for a free £54.15 voucher to buy reusable nappies or contribute to a paid-for washable nappy laundry service. The incentive is to help you save money and reduce the amount of nappy waste being thrown away in the borough.
Why Switch to Reusable Nappies
In the first 2.5 years of a baby’s life, they will have needed at least 4,000 nappy changes. If of the single-use kind, they will all be sent for incineration or landfilled, which is not great for our environment. It also costs the local authority to dispose of this waste.
Parents switch to reusable nappies for three main reasons:
Better for Baby
Breathable soft natural fabrics, which are comfortable and gentle on your baby’s skin.
Reduce Waste
By using just one reusable nappy a day instead of a disposable nappy, you will save 912 disposable nappies from incineration.
Save Money
Using reusable nappies full time over 2.5 years can save you on average £488. Further savings can be made if the same nappies are used on a second child.
What are reusable nappies and how to get started
What are reusable nappies?
Reusable nappies come in three main types: All-in-One, Shaped and Flat. Modern designs make using, washing and drying easy. Find out more about the different types of reusable nappies and what else you may need.
Ready to Make a Real Change?
Reusable nappies will save you waste, save you money, and are very easy to use. On our get started page, we offer tips and advice on what you need to get started, how to wash and dry reusable nappies, and where to you can buy them.
Reusable Nappy Voucher
Apply for a FREE reusable nappy voucher worth £54.15
If you are a parent living in Waltham Forest with a baby under 18 months, or parent-to-be, you are eligible to apply for a free voucher worth £54.15 to help with the initial cost of buying reusable nappies or for a paid-for washable nappy laundry service. Find out more on our apply page.
Upcoming Events
In this introductory reusable nappy demonstration taking place on Monday 19th April at 10am (start of Reusable Nappy Week) you will learn about the main types of reusable nappies and how to use, wash and dry them. Real Nappies for London will provide impartial advice to questions you may have. The demo will start at 10am and go on for approx 30 mins with Q&A after. Please register to join us on Zoom. After registering, you should receive a confirmation email with the Meeting ID and Meeting Password to access the Zoom session. If you need help, please email us info@realnappiesforlondon.org.uk or call 020 3150 2023. It’s Reusable Nappy Week! Join us in this virtual relaxed meet up for London based parents/caregivers with babies in nappies, or those expecting a baby, to discuss reusable nappy promotion across London and how you can get involved. A hot drink and something nice to have to snack on throughout the meet recommended 🙂 Babies welcome! Real Nappies for London will highlight the activity they have planned for the upcoming months, particularly the newly launched Nappy Exchange and Meet up Facebook group, so that you can find out how you can get involved. The meet up will offer an opportunity for reusable nappy advice and support if needed and on request. The session ends at 11.30am. Please register to join us on Zoom. After registering, you should receive a confirmation email with the Meeting ID and Meeting Password to access the Zoom session. If you need help, please email us info@realnappiesforlondon.org.uk or call 020 3150 2023. In this very first London Reusable Nappy Festival during Reusable Nappy Week, from 7pm – 8pm on Wednesday 21st April 2021, participants will join a Breakout Room Session joining experts on different reusable nappy topics to learn about Cloth Nappy Libraries, Washable Nappy Laundry Services, and a Nappy Workshop to gain the skills necessary to make your own baby’s nappies, reusable wet wipes, accessories and to make repairs. Each breakout room session starts at 7pm: Breakout Room 1: INTRODUCTION TO LONDON CLOTH NAPPY LIBRARIES Breakout Room 2: INTRODUCTION TO LONDON WASHABLE NAPPY LAUNDRY SERVICE Breakout Room 3: NAPPY WORKSHOP: HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN & MAKE REPAIRS Please register to join us on Zoom. When registering, please state which breakout room your would like to join so we can pre-assign you. You will then receive a confirmation email with the Meeting ID and Meeting Password to access the Zoom session. If you need help, please email us info@realnappiesforlondon.org.uk or call 020 3150 2023. In this introductory reusable nappy demonstration taking place during Reusable Nappy Week and on #EarthDay, you will learn about the main types of reusable nappies and how to use, wash and dry them. Real Nappies for London will provide impartial advice to questions you may have. The demo will start at 10am and go on for approx 30 mins with Q&A after. Please register to join us on Zoom. After registering, you should receive a confirmation email with the Meeting ID and Meeting Password to access the Zoom session. If you need help, please email us info@realnappiesforlondon.org.uk or call 020 3150 2023. Please register to join. After registering, you should receive a confirmation email with the Meeting ID and Meeting Password to access the Zoom session. If you need help, please email: info@hackneyrealnappy.net. Join Real Nappies for London’s first online Reusable Nappy Swap via Zoom on Friday 23rd April 2021 at 2pm till 3pm. Greater London residents only. It’s been a year since we’ve hosted in-person give and take meet ups and we’ve been working on bringing them back through an online medium when we cannot all meet in person. During this event, participants can either give away, or take, reusable nappies for free. Whether you are a parent or carer in need of reusable nappies to try, complementing what you already have, or want to pass-on no longer needed good quality reusable nappies, then we hope to see you there! This will also be an opportunity to ask those “What’s…?” and “Which..?” nappy questions that we all want to know before picking up second hand. As this will be a new form of online ‘give and take’ some guidelines and rules have been put in place to ensure everything runs smoothly. These details will be sent with your booking confirmation email and we ask everyone who attends to follow the guidelines and rules. We will be learning a lot from this pilot – how it goes, how people engage, how we can ensure exchanging of items is as fair as possible for all. Help us make it great! Can’t make it? No problem. Join our Real Nappies for London Nappy Exchange and Meetups Facebook Group… to be officially launched on Monday 19th April 2021. In this group, participants can pass-on, or look for, good quality second-hand reusable nappies for free. We aim to host in-person give and take events when we can, and also run a series of online meet ups in the future (if the pilot goes well!). Please note: NO SELLING ALLOWED during this meet up as well as on the Facebook group. Please register to join us on Zoom. After registering, you should receive a confirmation email with the Meeting ID and Meeting Password to access the Zoom session. If you need help, please email us info@realnappiesforlondon.org.uk or call 020 3150 2023. Please register to join. After registering, you should receive a confirmation email with the Meeting ID and Meeting Password to access the Zoom session. If you need help, please email: info@hackneyrealnappy.net. Please register to join. After registering, you should receive a confirmation email with the Meeting ID and Meeting Password to access the Zoom session. If you need help, please email: info@hackneyrealnappy.net. Please register to join. After registering, you should receive a confirmation email with the Meeting ID and Meeting Password to access the Zoom session. If you need help, please email: info@hackneyrealnappy.net.
Speakers include, Clair from the Waltham Forest Cloth Nappy Library and Eilidh from South London Nappies, who will run a session on introducing what cloth nappy libraries are and how people can support them.
Learn about what a washable nappy laundry service entails from hearing from parents who have signed up and used the service.
Anna will talk through how to make your own flat nappy using a T-shirt or towel; accessories like reusable wet wipes from left over pieces of fabrics and fleece liners from an old PJ pants. There will also be an opportunity to watch Anna show and tell repairs she has made for side leg elastics, patching a hole in Polyurethane wraps and replacing velcro/cleaning out velcro with tweezers.
LOCAL REAL NAPPY ADVISORS
WALTHAM FOREST CLOTH NAPPY LIBRARY
Waltham Forest Cloth Nappy Library exists to help parents and parents-to-be navigate through, what can feel like, the bewildering world of cloth nappies. They hold monthly, free demo sessions where you can look at and talk with them and other parents about the different types of nappies, how they work and how to get started using them.
If you would like to try some nappies out before buying, they have trial kits and individual nappies available to loan. Their friendly and supportive chat group, Waltham Forest Cloth Bums, is the place to buy, sell or swap nappies with other local parents, seek advice and keep up-to-date with events and discount codes. Do get in touch with them via the Facebook library page or email – wfnappies@gmail.com
NAPPY EVER AFTER
Nappy Ever After hold drop-in demo’s every Tuesday from 2pm till 6pm and once a month Saturday demo’s (booking advisable) at their shop located at 81 Murray Grove, London N1 7QJ. You will be given impartial advice on all the different types of real nappies available as well as having the opportunity to redeem your real nappy voucher. Nappy Ever After also offers parents living in North London with a cloth nappy laundry service. Please contact them for further information.
HACKNEY REAL NAPPY NETWORK
The Hackney Real Nappy Network is a group of real nappy users who offer free advice, based on their own experience. They hold real nappy demonstrations at antenatal classes in Homerton Hospital, and attend many events across Hackney to show people how easy real nappies are to use. Nappuccinos are hosted on the last Friday of the month at Hackney Central Library during term time – 10.30 am to 12 noon. Please see the events diary above for upcoming dates.
EAST LONDON SLING LIBRARY
The East London Sling Library is a not-for-profit volunteer run facility, collecting and offering for hire many different types of baby carrier to parents and expectant parents. They offer advice and support you to use the carriers comfortably and safely. At each session experienced babywearers attend to help ensure you and your little one are comfy and safe. Advice is free and hires cost between £5 and £10 for 2 weeks hire. The money they charge for hires goes directly back into the library to get more carriers in order to help more people!
Where: Farmilo Road, Walthamstow, E17 8JP
When: Every Friday – 10.30am – 12.30am
Contact: To book your appointment – info@eastlondonslings.co.uk | www.northlondonslings.co.uk/eastlondonslings
Reusable Nappies
Your Guide to Getting Started
Where to Buy
Buy Reusable Nappies
Get Involved
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