Nappies: Waste Disposal

(asked on 22nd July 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the increase in the average age at which children potty train from 2.5 to 3.5 years on the (a) volume of plastic waste generated from more single-use nappies being used and (b) burden on local authorities tasked with dealing with those nappies through landfill or incineration.


Answered by
Rebecca Pow Portrait
Rebecca Pow
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This question was answered on 10th September 2021

The independent analysts carrying out the environmental assessment of disposable and reusable absorbent hygiene products have taken into consideration the recent YouGov survey to establish current ages for potty training.  The sources of the information used in the study, as well as an explanation of the methodology and assumptions made, will be included in the final report which will be published later this year following peer review.

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