What the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State had to say to me about nappies
I have never considered myself a political person. I remember during my undergraduate drama degree feeling somewhat lost in the political landscape when reading manuscripts and finding it hard to understand the social contexts of the time the play was set in. Since I became old enough to vote, I have had many discussions with my parents about this, why they never overtly demonstrated their political leanings, and their answer has always been this: we wanted you to make your own judgements based on the values you choose to live by. My enthusiasm for voting was somewhat lackadaisical. Fast forward fifteen years, and 'unpolitical’ me has not just one, but two letters with the infamous House of Commons crowned portcullis letterhead in my possession, addressed directly to me.
Letter #1, the nappies (Environmental protections) bill and my mp
I wrote to my MP back in 2019. It was, of course, about cloth nappies. I wanted to ‘do my bit’ and call for my MP to support ‘The Nappies Bill’ after I’d heard about it through social media, and read more about it directly on The Nappy Alliance’s website. But I was too late. With Theresa May’s resignation, and a new baby of my own to contend with, I wasn’t quick enough. And as the Bill was tabled in the last Parliamentary session, it wasn’t carried over into the new session which began following Her Majesty the Queen’s Speech in October 2019. However, my MP wrote back to me, expressing that he too “share[s] my concerns about single-use plastic waste and strongly support[s] initiatives to tackle plastic waste.” For a while, I thought that was where my political interest would end. Then I decided to write a book.
During the writing process of The Joy of Reusable Nappies, I tried to keep the book as free from political bias as possible. I did not want to create something that was filled with statistics scaring people into the huge responsibilities we have as parents to manage the waste our children generate. I wanted readers to be filled with positivity, uplifted that they too can ‘do their bit’ without being bombarded with the mechanics of politics. When we become parents, our worlds are filled with so much fear just by the very nature of being responsible for another human being, who was I to add to that? But by writing the book, and expressing all my reasons for choosing cloth nappies, I was standing up for what I believed in. And to do that, I needed help. I needed to talk to The Nappy Alliance in person.
In July, I spoke to the Chair of the Alliance, Guy Schanschieff, who you may also know in his role as Managing Director of the reusable nappy brand Bambino Mio. At this point my book had been drafted, its pages laid out ready for the final checks. Something was missing. It felt like there was an elephant in the room, a hushed whisper restraining itself from roaring. Guy got what I was aiming for. He had a belief in me I didn’t truly have in myself. He offered to write the Foreword for the book and it was in that moment I knew that I could stand up with my values in one hand, my book in the other and both of them sharing my heart.
Letter #2, the Environmental Bill and the parliamentary under secretary of state
I am just one person. I am a stay-at-home mother with two small children, wanting to play a part in securing a better future for them and for all children. I was naïve to think my book was ever going to be just a practical guide to reusable nappies. By its very nature it is political because of my belief, backed by evidence, that reusables are better for our planet. If you’re reading this, I imagine you do too.
So I wrote to my MP again, this time asking for an amendment to the new Environment Bill to allow clauses from the Nappies Bill to be carried into the new bill. I did not expect a response (we’re in a pandemic after all.). To get a letter back via my MP from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Rebecca Pow MP, really did blow my socks off. This is what she said:
Letters #3, #4, #5, #6 …. from you to your mp
The original Nappies (Environmental Protections) Bill may not have been carried over into the new session, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be added to the new Environmental Bill. If you can, I urge you to spend a few minutes writing to your MP. The more voices we add to the choir, the further the song will carry.
To find out more about The Nappies (Environmental) Bill go to www.nappyalliance.co.uk/the-nappies-bill/
To write to your MP, you can do so online at www.writetothem.com/
If you’re not sure what to say, below you will find a transcript of my letter, which you might like to copy. I suggest editing with your own experiences in the paragraph in bold, particularly noting if you had difficulties in accessing information in your local authority, and whether or not they offer the reusable nappy voucher scheme.
Dear
I am writing again to ask for your support with an amendment to the
Environment Bill that would allow the clauses of the Nappies
(Environmental Standards) Bill to be included in it. This amendment
would incentivise local authorities across the country to roll out
reusable nappy schemes to help reduce disposable nappy waste and the
circulation of single-use plastics as well as seek stricter regulations
around environmental claims made by disposable nappy manufacturers.
The Nappies (Environmental Standards) Bill did not seek a ban on
single-use nappies, as they can be an essential part of managing busy
lives, but provided an important opportunity to give parents more
information about reusables and the chance to give them a try.
I myself struggled to gain access to information on reusable nappies back in
2018 and had to travel to the next county to visit the nearest reusable nappy
library to me. Also, in February of this year I tried contacting my council
to find out who managed the promotion of the reusable nappy vouchers -
an excellent incentive but which was currently unmanned due to the loss of the coordinator.
If I were a new or expectant parent hoping to try reusable nappies and struggled to gain
access to the voucher scheme, it would be very disheartening.
I do hope you will consider my letter and the support I request. I
believe wholeheartedly we can all make small changes to create a big
impact together, and reusable nappies is a brilliant way to do this.
Modern cloth nappies can be just as easy to use as disposables, they
just need some help to put them back in the mainstream.
Yours sincerely,
-LETTER ENDS-
What do you think about the contents of Ms Pow MP’s letter? Is it what you expected to read? I am delighted to hear that some new research is on its way, I only hope that The Nappy Alliance, and all other reusable nappy brands who are not a part of the coalition, alongside their consumers, have a fair chance to be a part of it.
Do leave me a comment below with your thoughts, I read every single one.
Bye for now,
Laura
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