THE inconvenient truth of washing reusable nappies could be a thing of the past if Swindon councillors agree new proposals.

A laundry service, that would cost parents £1 per day, could be rolled out under new proposals recommended by the council and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust.

At a meeting tomorrow councillors will be urged to support recommendations including a service that would collect dirty nappies from parents and return clean ones.

Swindon Council currently operates a voucher scheme to reward users of real nappies, but the new proposals would replace it with investment in providing rentable equipment and researching reusable products for child and adult incontinence sufferers.

The council estimates that up to 3,743 tonnes of waste could be diverted from landfill, meaning a saving of more than £215,000.

The nappy laundry is would be set up on a not-for-profit basis and an organisation has already been approached to provide the service to householders, organisations and Swindon Primary Care Trust.

Campaigners for real nappies have welcomed the proposals and say it would be a benefit to parents.

Vanessa Emanuel, of Swindon Real Nappy Network said: “I think it’s a very good idea because there are some parents who are put off the idea of using real nappies because they don’t want to wash them.

“Actually real nappies have changed a lot over the years and it’s quite simple to wash them now, but there’s no denying that it puts some parents off.

“There are so many benefits of using real nappies, both for parents and for the community.

“For the council they will be taking less waste to landfill.

“It also saves money for the parents – the cost of using disposable nappies is estimated at £1,000 per child.

“I brought my two children up on real nappies and I don’t think I spent more than £300 for both of them.

“There is also the health benefit. Disposable nappies are filled with a chemical gel that draws the moisture in to it. But it also draws all the good moisture away. At a time when parents are so keen on organic food for their children it seems madness to be putting chemicals so close to a very sensitive area.”

Swindon’s Real Nappy Network provides trial kits to parents and supports them in learning how to use them.

Anyone who wants more information or would like to volunteer can go to www.

swindonrealnappynetwork.org.uk or call 01793 815013.