Parents are being encouraged to ditch disposable nappies and switch to an environmentally-friendly alternative.

Real Nappy Week aims at encouraging the use of cloth nappies, which are seen as a natural and gentle alternative to the staggering eight million disposable nappies that are thrown away every day.

The national week-long initiative is to raise awareness of the benefits of using cloth nappies - also known as real, cotton, reusable, or washable.

“As a mother of a one-year-old, and as someone who uses washable nappies, I am aware of just how much waste can be diverted from landfill by not using disposables,” said Cat Chapman, street services operations manager at Uttlesford District Council.

“Reusable nappies offer a real alternative and there are a number of reasons to make the switch to cloth nappies – they are more eco-friendly, can be up to £1,000 cheaper to use compared to disposables, and can help with potty-training.

To give parents a helping hand to give cloth nappies a try, Essex County Council runs a scheme where residents can claim £30 back against a purchase of cloth nappies to help parents to try cloth nappies.

To find out more, visit recycleforessex.com/Reduce/Clothnappies. The £30 refund is available for parents who live in the Essex County Council area and have either bought cloth nappies or signed up to a nappy laundering service in the last 12 months. The pdf voucher can be downloaded from recycleforessex.com/Reduce/Clothnappies