By Dan Walsh
Work at home mum Kate Doyle from Enniscorthy opened The Nappy Market online last December to give Irish parents a choice when it comes to buying nappies.
One million disposable nappies go into landfill in Ireland every day and they take 500 years to break down and Kate hopes making reusable modern cloth nappies more accessible will help reduce the waste.
“Cloth nappies have moved on considerably from nappy pins and soaking terry towels of the past. The modern cloth nappies available today are easy to use, easy to clean and are an economical choice for families offering a saving over disposables,” claims Kate, who added; “They close with Velcro or snaps and can be washed in a regular washing machine just like clothes. They are as easy to use as disposables. The same nappy will fit a child from birth through to potty training, and can then be reused on a 2nd or 3rd child – significantly cutting down on the waste generated and savings families €1000’s.”
Statistics tell us that one child will easily need 5,000 disposable nappies between birth and potty-training costing anywhere between €1,000 – €1,500. In comparison a set of cloth nappies would be cost anywhere between €350 – €550 and can be reused on subsequent children.
The Nappy Market was developed from first-hand experience – Kate has been using reusable cloth nappies with her own daughter since she was born in April.
“As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I did what every expectant parent does – I googled and researched every aspect of what I needed to buy. The best pram, the safest car seat. I did all the antenatal classes, breastfeeding classes – and not once during all that research did I find anything suggesting I might try cloth nappies with my baby rather than disposable. I saw some for sale second-hand on Facebook under the baby category and that’s how I started,” Kate told WexfordLocal.com
She continued; “I couldn’t believe how easy cloth nappies were to use, and I just didn’t understand how this wasn’t more widely publicised or available. So, I decided someone has to make a start and give parents an easier way to buy nappies along with lots of content and support to using them – that’s why I set up The Nappy Market. The only way to tackle the growing mountain of waste is to offer people an alternative and to lead by example. It took me 3 months to build the website, I did most of it from my phone with one hand while breastfeeding!
“Real nappies are not that common in Ireland, there are a lot of UK retailers but since Brexit sourcing nappies from the UK has become an unfeasible option,” she concluded.
50,000 babies are born in Ireland every year and they will need nappies for the first two and half years of their life – sometimes longer. There are approximately 150,000 babies using 6-8 nappies in Ireland a day, when you start to work out the maths, the figures are staggering.
“If you are due a baby in 2023, consider putting modern cloth nappies on your baby budget and visit The Nappy Market that stocks a huge range of reusable nappies, wipes and accessories from over 50 brands offering an option for every budget. Supporting videos and guidance available daily on The Nappy Markets Instagram page. Gift vouchers are also available for those who want to give a green present.
For further details contact Kate Doyle on 089 2052171 / info@thenappymarket.ie
WexfordLocal.com 