Recently there have been incredible advances in technology and manufacture that make using cloth nappies simple, cheap and environmentally sound. Some of the new nappy systems are made with hemp, flannelette, terry cotton and some are fitted and require no folding. Plastic pilchers have been replaced by breathable PUL fabric, wool or polar fleece.

Cloth nappies have the major environmental benefit of greatly reducing amount of rubbish going into landfill. Studies have shown disposable nappies take up to 500 years to decompose. A disposable nappy can take up to three times the energy to produce than a cloth nappy. One disposable nappy uses eight times the amount of landfill to create and dispose of compared to a cloth nappy. Disposable nappies take up to 500 years to decompose. This is certainly food for thought.

Hemp Nappies are usually neat and slim nappies. They are usually comfortable and long wearing. Hemp is extremely absorbant, which means nappies last longer and they are an excellent choice for overnight when babies tend to wet heavily. Hemp is environmentally friendly to grow as it can be cultivated without chemicals as it is very resistant to disease and tends to outgrow weeds whereas cotton will usually require a lot of spraying for both weed control and pests.

Flannelette nappies are slimmer-fitting and thus quicker to dry and are an excellent choice for a newborn baby, but flannelette nappies don't have the absorbency to cope with a toddler. Flannelette is slightly cheaper than a traditional flat terry nappy. As both are so cheap, one might consider using flannelette nappies for the first few months and then using a a more absorbent nappy suited to an older baby.

Fitted nappies work like disposables do - they have an hourglass shape when folded out and once they are on they are in roughly the shape of underpants. Shaped nappies have extra layers of cloth sewn into the areas which require most absorbency, and are brief at the hips and thighs. Fitted nappies usually have elastication at back and waist which provides extra leakage protection. A good quality shaped nappy is an excellent alternative to using disposables. They require no folding and can be used with a PUL, wool or polar fleece nappy cover for added protection from leaks.

A PUL cover is made of cloth but the inside of the cover is laminated and looks like a wax waterproofing. This provides a high degree of water-resistance whilst in most cases maintaining breathe-ability. It wears well when cared for properly. They can usually be washed with the nappies and dry in minutes. They easily cope with very wet daytime nappies, and depending on moisture levels can be effective overnight.

Fleece and wool covers work quite differently from PUL. With PUL, the cover is supposed to contain the moisture, while still allowing air to circulate inside the nappy. Fleece and wool allow much more air in and out of the nappy and this air-flow causes evaporation of moisture from the nappy. Instead of just containing the moisture, fleece and wool covers work to get rid of some of it, which makes them particularly good for overnight use. The only time when fleece and wool covers are not very effective is when there is not much air-flow, (eg very long periods spent in a car seat or a pram) and the nappy cover could leak. This is due to lack of air circulation and therefore evaporation of excreted liquids. Wool and polar fleece covers are highly water resistant and can be used with great success overnight for babies who are heavy wetters.

Most good quality cloth nappy systems cannot be purchased in shops and will need to be purchased online or via mail order. As outlined above there are many types of nappy systems to consider depending on the age of your baby, washing frequency, cost and type of nappy that suits a family's lifestyle. Cloth nappies are easy to use and more environmentally sound than disposables. They are comfortable for your baby and should be gentle on their sensitive skin. A nappy is the most used piece of baby equipment in your household and is the closest thing to your babies skin all day and night for years. Cloth is an alternative that is certainly worth considering.

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