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'Reusable nappies no greener than throw-aways'
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| LONDON (Reuters) - Reusable nappies may be no friendlier to the environment than disposables, according to a study on Wednesday.
An Environment Agency report found there was little to choose between their green credentials.
Although throw-away diapers led to nearly 400,000 tonnes of landfill waste a year, re-usables affected the environment in other ways -- such as the energy used in washing and drying.
The study looked at the environmental impact of disposables, worn by 95 percent of British babies, of home-laundered re-usable nappies and of commercial-laundered re-usables.
"Although there is no substantial difference between the environmental impacts of the three systems studied, it does show where each system can be improved," said Tricia Henton, Director of Environmental Protection at the agency.
Among recommendations to buyers of re-usable nappies were to wash in bulk, look at washing at lower temperatures and to air dry rather than tumble dry.
As for disposables, the onus was more on the manufacturers. They were advised to consider the use of recycled paper fibre and to use electricity from renewable sources. |
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