Stefan Borowy
More than 150 packs of nappies have been sold and more
have been ordered to meet demand for the "Happy Nappy" scheme
run by the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
The scheme aimed to help reduce the amount of waste going to
landfill each week by offering starter packs of cloth nappies
with a recommended retail price of nearly $140 to new and
expectant parents at a subsidised price of $10.
Queenstown Lakes District Council solid waste manager Stefan
Borowy said in a statement the scheme was an instant hit when
it was launched in November"We knew that schemes like this
had proved popular in other areas, but the amount of take-up
in Queenstown and Wanaka was well above what we were
expecting," Mr Borowy said.
"All the available packs have now been distributed and the
council plans to contact families who purchased packs in the
next few months to see what effect their choices have had on
waste minimisation and cost saving."
Mr Borowy said more than six tonnes of disposable nappies
went to the Victoria Flats landfill every week.
"We're hopeful the Happy Nappy scheme will see a reduction in
that figure. It's a win-win situation. The families who swap
to cloth nappies benefit financially, as they're no longer
buying disposables, while the community as a whole gains with
less waste being dumped, thereby extending the life of our
landfill."
Mr Borowy said another evaluation would take place at the
one-year mark. If the scheme was found to be effective, the
council would be asked to include it as part of the annual
budget.
"The main aim of the trial was to promote sustainable choices
available to families. Benefits are shared among individuals,
families, the local community and the environment."
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