Mum saves £1,500 by switching to reusable nappies and going plastic-free

When stay-at-home mum Sara Dallat, 24, welcomed her daughters Maggie, one, and Elena, eight months, she started to worry about what the future will look like for the next generation.

She decided to make a change, starting by dropping the amount of plastic she uses in the home.

One major swap was trading in disposable diapers for reusable nappies, which she says has saved her £1, 500.

Sara is now sharing her journey of going plastic-free – and how much money it’s saved her – in the hopes of inspiring other parents to do their bit to lessen their impact on the environment.

The mum, from Coleraine in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, said: ‘When I became a parent, I realised that the damage people were causing to the planet wasn’t just impacting my future, it was impacting my children’s future too.

‘I don’t think people realise that if we don’t start looking after the planet now then it’ll be a disaster for everyone.

‘It will be a catastrophe for the natural world. First the animals will go, then people will follow.

‘I’ve definitely saved money being more eco-friendly.

‘I’m just getting what I need, and I’m not overbuying or stockpiling.

‘Especially in terms of stuff for the girls – with nappies alone I must’ve saved £1,500 in two years by using reusable cloth versions.’

It’s not always easy to go zero-waste straight away.

Sara is keen to encourage people to start small and do what they can – even if that’s simply picking up a bit of litter when you’re strolling through the park.

Her journey to doing more for the environment began back in 2018, after she gave birth to Maggie and decided to start reducing her household waste.

‘To me it was a no brainer,’ she said. ‘I wanted to raise my children in an environmentally-friendly way.

‘I was a first-time mum with no experience of using normal single use disposable nappies, so I went straight in for cloth versions.

‘They come in all sorts of funky colours and patterns and one size fits all.

‘The nappies I’ve got vary from £4.99 up to £17 and have fitted Maggie since she was a baby right up until she was potty trained.

‘Literally all you do is chuck them in the washing machine, hang them out to dry and use them time and time again.’

With disposable nappies costing up to just £17 to be used time and time again, Sara says it has also meant large savings for the family.

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