Following a 600% increase in interest for “sustainable baby products”¹ over the past 12 months, a new study from eco-friendly nappy providers, The Nappy Gurus, has unveiled the UK cities with the most sustainable parents.
According to the study which is based on insight from The Nappy Guru’s annual survey (The Great Cloth Nappy Census 2020²), website sales³ and search data⁴, the top ten UK cities with the highest number of sustainable parents are:
- Bristol
- London
- Birmingham
- Norwich
- Reading
- Manchester
- Glasgow
- Nottingham
- Coventry
- Liverpool
Taking the crown for the city with the most eco-conscious parents is Bristol. The largest city in South West England, has the highest number of eco-conscious parents, with 50% of people surveyed in the region stating they use reusable cloth nappies over disposable nappies, and 91% using washable baby wipes. The city also searches for ‘reusable cloth nappies’ on average 382 times each month, highlighting the city’s enthusiasm for sustainability.
Taking second place in the new list is London, with 48% of parents surveyed in the capital using reusable cloth nappies and a staggering 92% of parents using washable baby wipes. The UK’s capital searches for ‘reusable cloth nappies’ on average 2,092 times a month indicating there are a high volume of sustainably-minded parents living in the city. With London ranking 11th globally for environmental sustainability, it’s no surprise the city made it onto the list.
A major city in the Midlands, Birmingham, makes third place on the top ten list, with 45% of parents surveyed in the city declaring they use reusable cloth nappies and 86% using washable baby wipes. On average, there are 347 searches for ‘reusable cloth nappies’ every month, showcasing that Birmingham, known for its manufacturing roots, is helping the UK lead the way in sustainability.
Eco-conscious mum of two, Emma Reed spoke to Nappy Gurus about her sustainable parenting journey: “My sustainable journey began when I discovered how damaging disposable nappies are to our environment. Hearing that one nappy can take 500 years to degrade was a big trigger for me and so my very first sustainable swap was to reusable nappies. Once I made this first change, others quickly followed simply because my eyes had been opened to the needless waste we create. I began to look for other reusable options, plastic-free options and shopping more sustainably including choosing refill shops and secondhand sites.
“It is important for me as a parent to make more sustainable choices because I feel I have a responsibility to leave a safe place for future generations to live in. With the current climate crisis, with our ever-growing plastic and waste problems we have an awful lot of damage to reduce and, if possible, fix which is why I aim to take as many small sustainable steps as I can each and every day.”
In light of the findings from the study, The Nappy Gurus are launching The Great Big Nappy Census 2021 to find out more about sustainable parenting in the UK and around the world. Find out more about the survey and how to take part here.
Founder of The Nappy Gurus, Laura Davies, comments on the study: “With things like fast fashion and an increase in plastic waste posing an extensive threat to our planet, it’s great to see so many major cities in the UK make it onto our list of top sustainable parenting cities. From reusable nappies to reusable wipes, there are so many small ways we can all make a difference to the UK’s environment.
“Every day in the UK 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away, this equates to a staggering 3 billion a year. It takes over 500 years for a disposable nappy to decompose in a landfill, which is a huge contributing factor to global warming and climate change. I would really encourage all parents to consider switching from disposable nappies to reusable ones. Not only will this change positively impact the environment, but parents could save a substantial amount of money that they spend on disposable nappies by making the swap.
“Following our study, we’ve launched our annual Great Big Nappy Census 2021 and would love to hear from more parents in the UK and around the world about their nappy usage, sustainability and reusable baby products.”
To find out more about the UK’s sustainable parent capitals, please visit: https://www.thenappygurus.com/blog/blog-44.html
Sources
- Google Trends data for “sustainable baby products” correct as of September 2021
- The Great Cloth Nappy Census 2020 of 3,218 adults conducted by Nappy Guru’s
- Nappy Guru’s Google Analytics data, including demographic and traffic insight, correct as of September 2021
- Search data for “reusable cloth nappies” correct as of September 2021