Cloth nappy and reusable sanitary product rebates are being successfully trialled and rolled out by Local Councils across Australia. These rebates recognise the benefits of cloth nappies and reusable sanitary products while making them accessible for the community.

I am starting this petition to show Kingborough Council that residents in the community would like access to a rebate for cloth nappies and reusable sanitary products.

A rebate on reusable nappies and menstrual products would help achieve Kingborough Council's goal, according to the 2017 Waste Management Strategy: 
"Avoid and reduce the generation of waste by changing the behaviours of households, businesses and the wider community through education, engagement and involvement."

What is a cloth nappy and reusable sanitary product rebate?

A household can receive up to fifty percent of the purchase back on new and secondhand items with proof of receipt at limit of $150. These reusable items can include:

• Cloth nappies (for all ages)
• Swim nappies
• Nappy liners
• Cloth wipes
• Wet bags
• Nursing breast pads
• Cloth menstrual and incontinence pads
• Menstrual cups
• Period underwear
• Period wet bags

The initial financial outlay for reusable products can be a barrier for some. Rebates help ease costs while also reducing social stigmas around these items.

Why cloth nappies and reusable sanitary products are worth considering:

They reduce waste. Disposable nappies make up a huge proportion of weekly landfill waste for many families. In Australia, 95 per cent of all nappy users rely on disposables. That makes roughly 5.6 million nappies per day, or 2 billion nappies per year. Each child using disposable nappies produces 700 kg of waste that goes to landfill each year. That's around 6,000-7,000 nappies per child. Women use roughly 12,000 pads and tampons in a lifetime. Cloth pads can last up to 10 years, which can save a significant amount of waste and expense. Disposable nappies and menstrual products can take around 500 years to decompose, and potentially longer in landfill.

They save households money. On average, disposable nappies will cost $3,500–$4,500 per child. Reusable nappies cost around 1/4 of this price and can be passed on to siblings, reducing their cost (and waste) further. 

They save councils money. If the amount of waste sent to landfill is reduced, the cost of disposal, transport and management can also be reduced. Just one nappy placed in a recycling bin will contaminate a whole truck load of recycling and require it to all be sent to landfill. Reusable  cloth nappies can help avoid this problem and can help make waste and recycling processes more efficient.

Cloth nappies use 2.3 times less water, less energy and a smaller area of land for raw materials than disposable nappies. Reusables use less plastic - the average menstrual pad can contain up to 5 plastic bags within the pad itself! When you add the packaging, it's a lot of plastic! Supporting people to buy reusable nappies, supports Kingborough Council's goals for action on climate change. 

*Only residents within the Kingborough municipality are encouraged to sign this petition.