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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-10-17 Daily Xml
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KESAB CLOTH NAPPY LIBRARY

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:04): My question is to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation. Will the minister inform the chamber how the state government is assisting households with young children to reduce the number of nappies going to landfill?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) (15:04): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. The usage of—

The Hon. J.S.L. Dawkins: Are you going to put them in with the pine posts?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I'm not sure that we like to mix up the deposits that go into landfill like that, the Hon. Mr Dawkins. The usage of modern cloth nappies significantly reduces the volume of disposable nappies going to landfill, but I am also advised that they are also a significantly cheaper option for families with young children. It is for these reasons that I am therefore pleased to advise that the state government, through Zero Waste SA, has awarded $30,000 to Keep South Australia Beautiful Environmental Solutions—a division of KESAB, of course—to promote the use of modern cloth nappies.

With assistance from a private business known as Eco Bums, KESAB is now running a cloth nappy library program to encourage households with young children to consider the benefits that cloth nappies provide. The program provides subsidies to families to purchase a 'try before you buy' kit. This will enable parents to experiment with the various cloth nappies on the market and decide on their suitability for their family.

It has been estimated, I am told, that the cost of providing cloth nappies for a child from infancy to three years of age is around $1,000. This compares reasonably favourably with $3,500 for disposable nappies. I should also add that cloth nappies can be used for future children as well, reducing the cost further.

The Hon. S.G. Wade: You can't use them before they're born.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: No; children as they come along, the Hon. Mr Wade. The program also offers demonstration and education sessions that are being held at various councils around Adelaide over the coming months, and I am told that, following the library's first appearance at the Coromandel Community Centre, already some 44 families have taken up the opportunity to trial cloth nappies.

Research by the University of Queensland has shown that home-washed, re-usable nappies are certainly more environmentally friendly than disposable nappies. This study found that on solid waste alone, re-usable nappies generate 20 times less solid waste than disposables. In relation to energy, home-washed nappies were found to use less non-renewable energy over their life cycle than disposable nappies. I should also add, for any energy conscious members of this place, that home-washed nappies washed in front loader machines were the best in terms of water efficiency performance.

In separate research in 2003, it was found that 2.1 billion disposable nappies were being sent to landfill each year. This is a huge amount and if we are committed to reducing our amount of waste, nappies should also be a target. It is pleasing to see work such as this program getting off the ground, offering and educating parents about an alternative to the use of disposable nappies.

I can advise that the cloth nappy library program will be next appearing, I am told, at the Alexandrina Council's Goolwa library on 26 October from 6.30 to 7.30pm. If members or indeed their constituents have any queries as to how they can get involved in the program, they can find more information on the website www.ecobumsclothnappies.com.au.

I certainly would like to congratulate KESAB and Eco Bums for developing this program and of course their ongoing efforts to reduce waste entering landfill and offering an alternative for families to consider in terms of cloth nappies versus disposables.

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