Not only are cloth nappies better for the environment, they’re also an economical choice for families. Many local councils are already making moves to support families with rebates, subsidies and workshops to help reduce disposable nappies in landfill.
To see what councils across Australia are already supporting cloth nappy use, visit our directory.
Don’t see your council listed?
If your council is not yet on board yet, here’s what you can do to encourage your council to offer a cloth nappy rebate or subsidy.
Write a letter
Putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) is one of the best ways to get your council to listen. It’s your local Councillor's job to
hear what’s important to you and respond with relevant initiatives that serve the community and the local environment.
Tips for writing an effective letter:
- Find out who your local Councillor is and address them directly or the Environmental representative.
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- Queensland
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
- Check your voting details here and update before sending your letter.
- Make your letter personal by introducing yourself.
- Add the issue you want to address.
- Include a working example from one of the councils above to demonstrate that other councils have successfully implemented a modern cloth nappy rebate scheme.
- Explain why this issue is important to you.
- Finish by adding some action and don’t be afraid to follow up a few weeks later if you haven’t had a reply.
Free letter template download
We want to make it even easier for families to take action and have created a letter template for you to use. Click here to download our council letter template.Start a petition
If you have a passionate community or group of parents who believe in reducing landfill and protecting the environment, rally together and start a petition.Platforms like change.org are designed specifically for this purpose and make it to share your message and collect signatures.
We recently saw one by a resident of Bayside City Council in Victoria doing just that, check it out here and follow their lead! Then write your letter with your petition signatures attached.
There you have it!
Please share this post and take action to help make cloth nappies mainstream. Not only can you reduce waste and save money with cloth nappies, you’ll also know you’ve made an impact to keep our planet clean and green for future generations.