Green Christmas for district's youngest residents

Date:  03 January 2006

Two of Three Rivers' youngest residents celebrated their first Christmas by making it a green one.

Five-month-old Florence Elliot and ten-week old Sophia Thorpe are getting to grips with real nappies, as the lucky recipients of 'birth to potty packs' won through District Council competitions run in 2005 as part of its campaign encouraging families to try the reusable alternatives.

Mums Liz Elliot from Chorleywood and Kings Langley resident Sinead Thorpe got together ahead of the festive season to share tips and advice on parenthood and using real nappies.

Liz says she finds using reusables on her daughter easy:
"I originally chose reusables because they are so much cheaper in the long run, but now I prefer them for lots of reasons. They're a doddle to use and wash and are really soft and cuddly on Florence. I put out far less rubbish, have fewer shopping bags to lug about and never have to worry about running out of nappies. I'm glad that Three Rivers is promoting real nappies, as I'm sure that if they tried them, most parents would realise how good they are."

Councillor Phil Brading, Public Services & Health portfolio holder, says:
"In the spirit of New Year's resolutions, we are encouraging parents to try something new and give real nappies a go. It's one of the many simple ways to make a big difference, and if we all make an effort to further reduce our waste at the start of 2006 hopefully it'll be one resolution we can keep. Thanks also to all our residents for their efforts in 2005 to recycle and reduce waste, making us one of the country's top recyclers."

Three Rivers District Council runs an award-winning nappy cashback scheme - parents in the district can receive up to £80 cashback for using real nappies. Contact the Council on 01923 776611 for more information.