We are keen to help reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill, and our Waste Minimisation Grants can help with funding initiatives that do this.
One of our latest grants has gone to ‘Little Green Steps’, a group supplying and promoting the use of cloth nappies instead of disposables for newborn babies.
A newborn can go through at least eight nappies every 24 hours, which means that by using cloth instead of disposables, around 728 disposable nappies will be diverted from landfill over a three-month period. At about 40 grams per nappy, that’s about 36.4 kg of waste.
Disposable nappies are one of the biggest contributors to household waste for families with new babies, making up 3% of the waste in our landfills.
Little Green Steps sought funding to purchase full newborn cloth nappy sets to be loaned to Tasman District families for this early stage of life.
Newborn cloth nappies can cost the same amount as a regular-sized cloth nappy, so many families don’t wish to invest in newborn sizing for only three months of use.
By reducing financial barriers through a koha or low-cost hire model, the initiative makes cloth nappies accessible to a wider range of families.
Families are guided through methods of washing and sanitising the nappies, providing confidence that they are just as clean and safe as new ones.
You can find Little Green Steps on Facebook.
We have Waste Minimisation Grants for events, projects, and activities by schools, early childhood centres and community organisations. Find out more at tasman.govt.nz/waste-minimisation-grants(external link).