13+5

So a fairly uneventful week really apart from usual work stresses and such like. I'm fairly sure I'm at that awkward stage where I don't have a 'bump' yet but just look like I'm putting on weight (which actually I haven't because they weighed me at my scan and I'm the same as before still). Thankfully I have quite a few loose clothes!

So I had an email back from the 'real nappies project' at resourcefutures, which gave me loads of really useful information but unfortunately they said that South Gloucestershire council are no longer running the incentive scheme for reusable nappy vouchers...boo! If I lived in Gloucestershire however, I would get £60 towards buying new nappies! What a pain :-(

Now I know I said before that I'm no eco nut, (and anyone reading this might think I'm a bit sad) but I felt the need to email South Glos about the issue. Here is what I wrote...

Hi,

As a South Gloucestershire resident and expectant mother of twins, I was investigating cost effective ways to reduce future waste and save money and found information on the internet about a 'real nappies incentive scheme' that it seems you used to run. I spoke someone at the 'Real nappies project' who told me that South Gloucestershire residents no longer qualify for this incentive £30 voucher but Gloucestershire residents still do.

I was disappointed to hear this as, with twins on the way, £60 towards the cost of nappies would be a huge help and I can't understand why more isn't being done to encourage the use of reusables, considering the massive amount of nappies it says on your website are sent to landfill in South Glos every year? Also, why are Gloucestershire residents continuing to receive this benefit but we aren't?

I appreciate that councils manage their own budgets but would be interested to know why South Gloucestershire have felt this isn't an important enough issue to continue to promote and incentivise reduction in disposable nappy waste?

I would appreciate knowing if there may be a change in this in the near future, so I may know if I could possibly benefit from any foreseeable schemes when my twins arrive in December.

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to my enquiries,
Mrs Katie Cater
I got an email back yesterday but it just says they have forwarded it to waste management team for a response. I will probably just get a boring response like 'we no longer run this scheme sorry' and that will be it. We shall see.