Sector:  Other
No.of Employees:  1-20
Region: Scotland

Summary
The Scottish Nappy Company's environmental target to "Reduce landfill - Minimise the 'disposable' nappy mountain" is synonymous with its financial survival - a strong incentive to succeed.

Background
The Scottish Nappy Company provides residents in the central belt of Scotland with a weekly home delivery of fresh cotton nappies and collection of soiled ones and their subsequent laundering.

Responsible business objectives 

• Encourage the use of cloth nappies by highlighting the environmental advantages of cloth nappies over disposable nappies.

• Build credibility. The entire process of establishing the new organisation has been permeated by environmental considerations - from selection of operational site, to choice of chemicals, energy, vehicle, machinery, packaging materials and marketing. Any significant environmental disadvantage would have had serious adverse impact on the business's credibility.

How they do it

• Clearly articulating the environmental benefits of cloth nappies. As each customer ceases to take the Scottish Nappy Company service they are provided with confirmation of their individual contribution to this landfill saving.

• Working with the public sector to reward cloth nappy users. Throughout the past year the Company has been in partnership with a local authority to establish a financial reward scheme for ratepayers who choose to use cotton (either a laundry service or home laundering) and reduce the council's landfill needs.

What impact it has

• Reduced landfill. The major environmental benefit is the significant saving in landfill generated by our customers using cotton nappies rather than 'disposables'. On average every customer saves between 1 and 2 tonnes of landfill.

• Significant benefits of cloth nappies. Compared to cotton nappies, 'disposable' nappies use 3.5 times as much energy, 8 times as much non-regenerable raw materials and 90 times as much waste water; produce 60 times more solid waste and they require between 4 and 30 times as much land for growing natural materials as reusable nappies.

• Charity Donations. Nappies found to be below standard for further issue to customers are sent to a charity for recycling.

• Reduced water pollution. Chemical selection - non-biological detergent and oxygen based bleach used in laundry process, reinforcing the minimal impact on waste effluent as measured by Scottish Water.