Interview by Kath Jenkins
In the fourth of our series of interviews connecting with other organisations in Wales which share our core values of waste reduction, skill sharing and community cohesion, I contacted a spokesperson at North Wales Nappy Collaborative.
1) At Repair Cafe Wales we are passionate about reducing waste so we try to repair what we can rather than throw it away. As with my previous interviews, I was keen to find out how North Wales Nappy Cooperative helps to reduce waste. I discovered that this insightful organisation not only helps parents to avoid using disposable nappies, but it is also engaged in other initiatives to supply reusable sanitary items and to reduce food waste:
“Through our nappy libraries, we support and enable the use of reusable nappies and accessories, with full support, reducing single use waste dramatically. Since 2015, we estimate that between our trial kits and long term loans, we’ve prevented over 3 million single use nappies from being used that would have ended up as municipal waste.
Through Given To Shine we have been providing reusable sanitary products to eliminate period poverty for around 10 years. To date we have prevented approximately 26,000,000* single use sanitary products from entering landfill by offering a cost effective, skin friendly and environmentally friendly alternative to this horrific manifestation of poverty.
Through our Given To Shine project, we relocate supermarket surplus food to families facing financial insecurity, preventing food waste and easing hunger. We have diverted the equivalent of 45,000 banana boxes full of food since Christmas Eve 2017, food that is safe and edible but was destined for landfill.”
*providing recipients use them for at least 5 years
2) At Repair Cafe Wales we promote skill sharing as our visitors are invited to sit with their volunteer repairers to watch and discuss the repair. I was interested to find out what skills North Wales Nappy Cooperative passes on:
“We educate about reusable nappies, accessories and menstrual products. We also have recipe books for families who are unsure about cooking from scratch. We develop volunteering skills and education for others to understand the struggles faced by local people.”
3) Repair Cafe Wales’ pop up repair café sessions connect local residents from different backgrounds through inspiring, low-key events. I wondered how North Wales Nappy Collaborative promotes community cohesion:
“We rely on local volunteers to help us support our community. This is totally inclusive and our volunteers come from all demographics including ex-offenders, NEET school leavers and people with disabilities”.
4) Current restrictions have meant that Repair Cafe Wales has been unable to hold public events, but we have been streaming virtual repairs here. I wondered how the COVID-19 situation has affected North Wales Nappy Collaborative and how it has adapted:
“All nappy library sessions are cancelled indefinitely. We cannot and will not risk clients’ or volunteers’ health by holding group sessions. We’ve found that food deliveries have increased dramatically, doubling in quantity. To meet this demand, parcels are now left on doorsteps. Recipients are prohibited from answering the door until our team has left for social distancing and safety purposes. We do also have to use single use gloves but thankfully Terracycle have a recycling scheme!”
If you would like to find out more about this fantastic organisation, why not have a look at their website: http://www.nwnccic.co.uk/
Join us next time to find out more about another Welsh organisation which shares our core values.
