MONDAY marks the start of International Real Nappy Week with a series of county-wide roadshows. This year is the 10th anniversary of the event in Cambridgeshire, which aims to encourage parents to use real nappies rather than disposable ones which are ha

MONDAY marks the start of International Real Nappy Week with a series of county-wide roadshows.

This year is the 10th anniversary of the event in Cambridgeshire, which aims to encourage parents to use real nappies rather than disposable ones which are harmful to the environment. The county council wants to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill sites.

International Real Nappy Week runs from April 24-29. The event will be launched with a recycling bus at the Sainsbury supermarket in March.

Parents who already use real nappies will be on-hand for advice. The first 10 parents who board the bus will be given free nappy kits and there will be a draw to win a washing machine.

Victor Perez, the county council's waste campaigns officer, said: "It is estimated that every child uses around 5,850 nappies in its lifetime, which is the same weight as a family car. In Cambridgeshire 6,650 tonnes of nappies are landfilled every year, which is the equivalent of over 1,000 cars."

Mr Perez said modern cotton nappies are easy to use with a vast range available, most with re-sealable fastenings. All new parents can get free trial packs of nappies from their local district council offices.