ECO warriors have gone to war on plastic, with disposable nappies and their toxic chemicals high on their hit list.

Throw-away nappies make up four per cent of household waste with the average baby able to fill 12 wheelie bins in one year alone, says the council.

With more than 8,000 births per year in Leeds, the authority has estimated that babies collectively produce more than 5,000 tonnes of nappy waste, most of which ends up in landfill.

And that is why this week – Real Nappy Week – Leeds City Council has relaunched an initiative aimed at persuading parents that cloth nappies are better. Advocates say they are cute, colourful, easy to wash and are even endorsed by celebrity parents such as Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay's Chris Martin.

Critics fear stereotypes such as boil-washing dozens of cloth nappies each week and hurting fingers on giant safety pins. But modern natural nappies are cut to size, have Velcro fastenings and can be washed at 40 degrees, say campaigners.

Furthermore, using cloth saves the average consumer at least £600 per baby from the birth to potty stage, according to Women's Environmental Network (WEN).

And if the funky, green and money-saving advantages are not enough to sway you there are two added bonuses – supporters say the breathable cloth is better for the baby's skin, while being able to instantly flush the mucky contents of a used nappy down the loo means less smell.

The change in room aroma has been a breath of fresh air down at Bramley Children's Centre, since staff banned disposable nappies.

Alex O'Brien, assistant centre manager, said: "We wash our cloth nappies in tea tree and lavender. Disposable nappies would be binned – waste and all – and then just left until they were collected days later. Disposables have chemicals that react with urine so they really pong."

She added: "When you work with children you think about what the world's going to be like for them in the future. We give them the skills to be successful later in life, but there would be no point if the world they lived in wasn't going to be safe."

And indeed the tide is certainly turning with around 15 per cent of parents now favouring the natural nappy, claim the national Real Nappy Campaign.

But not everyone has been taken by the cloth crusade.

Alison Atkinson, 36 , of Dewsbury, and husband Neil, 37, a plumber opted to use bio-degradable disposable nappies for four-week-old daughter Florence, after weighing up which was the greenest and most fuss-free option available.

She said: "We looked at using real nappies but did not fancy having a smelly nappy bucket hanging around in the kitchen. Then I heard about a laundry service which collects and washes the nappies each week, but they wash the dirty nappies at a really hot 100 degrees, and I didn't think it was good for the environment.

"Everyone is encouraging us to wash at 30 degrees to save the planet, so environmentally, the bio-degrable nappies were better for us.

"Some nappies available on the high street can take up to 50 years to degrade down, but I buy some called Moltex by mail order from a green firm called Spirit of Nature and when they go to the tip, they take just six months to decay."

Volunteers

Such reservations are what drive volunteers at Bramley-based group Terrapins Nappies, who have been educating mums about the benefits of cloth nappies since 2002.

Terrapins is a not-for-profit group that loans out (free) real nappy trial kits, so people can try out different nappies and wraps to see which suit their baby, budget and lifestyle and gives them a chance to have a go at a washing routine.

Founder Tamsin Constable, 40, said: "When my first son was born I found there was no information for natural nappies locally.

"I trawled the internet and found you could buy in bulk online but there was no-one around to help you trial them, or help you make the right decisions.

"It was an expensive lesson learning about them, and so I decided to at least help other mums and stop them from making the same mistakes by telling them everything I'd learned.

"I dragged a bag about everywhere I went to show people all the gear."

Today Terrapins has four mum volunteers, who dedicate spare time to spreading the gospel about real nappies that they used with their children.

For top tips including full washing instructions go to www.terrapinsnappies.co.uk

To celebrate Real Nappy Week (April 21 to 27) the council is TODAY re-launching its incentive scheme, organised in partnership with

Leeds-based Nappies-Direct. All week parents have the chance to pick up a free trial pack worth £31 per child, or get £20 cash back on purchases of real nappies when they spend over £50. One trial pack or cash back is available per child. The child must be a Leeds resident and aged under 12 months.


To apply for a free trial pack or £20 cash back contact Leeds City Council on 0113 3951520, or email info.recycling@leeds.gov.uk or visit www.leeds.gov.uk/nappy

HELP is at hand this week with real nappy experts at the ready to meet parents and parents-to-be, who also get the chance to win a free trial pack of real nappies.