Why reusable nappies?
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​On top of the costs savings, reusable nappies reduce waste dramatically, saving a lot of space in your bin.

They are also free from skin irritants like chlorine bleaches and absorbant crystals that can be harsh on baby's skin. 

Less waste

Used nappies can take up a lot of space in your bin. With the State Government 2030 waste reduction target, nappies and food waste are priority items to reduce waste to landfill, which means no more stinky bins, and bins won't fill up quickly. 

Cost benefits

Modern cloth nappies are a lot more user friendly than the reusable nappies of the past. They are designed to mimic the fit and performance of a disposable nappies and suit babies of all shapes and sizes.  

​Cloth nappies are cheaper than disposable nappies over the two and a half years of your child’s nappy wearing years, even when you factor in the cost of washing cloth nappies at home.  

​Until the age of two and a half, a baby will go through at least 6,000 nappy changes. During that time disposable nappies will cost you between $2,000 – 3,000, compared to about $800 for brand new modern cloth nappies. If you use the same cloth nappies for your next child, you can save up to $5,370.

For each subsequent child, the savings compound. 

​If you use other reusable items such as reusable wipes and washable change mats you can save even more.

Reusable cloth wipes designed for nappy changing can be used instead of disposable wipes. A set of 25 cloth wipes can cost between $30 and $50 compared to $600 for disposable wipes over 2.5 years.

Instead of reusable wipes you can use face washers, squares of old towels or flannelette sheets. 

Costs vary across brands, usage habits and households. Figures used are a middle ground estimated from the upper and lower end of average costs in Australia. 

What about the cost of washing?

Washing cloth nappies can require up to four extra wash cycles per week, including the pre-wash and main wash cycles.  Accounting for detergent, electricity and water use, this can add an average of $200 per year. 

For detailed costs on disposable versus reusable, and for washing, this great article from Darlings Downunder goes through the costs in detail.