The iskreni.net. institute has been contacted by a number of families who wonder why the government has reduced the tax rate only on disposable nappies, but not on washable nappies. The new legislation foresees a tax cut this year only for disposable nappies, but not for washable nappies, which have many advantages for parents, babies and the state, as the use of washable nappies greatly relieves the state's landfill sites of waste. More and more parents are choosing washable nappies because they want to do good for everyone. And in these times of crisis, it would be good for them if prices were lowered as a result of lower tax - just as it is supposed to be the case for disposable nappies.
That's why we at iskreni.net are calling on you to call on the government to reduce the tax rate on washable nappies. We can also look to other European and American countries, which have been strongly encouraging parents to use washable nappies for more than 10 years.
Children become used to the wand at around two and a half years of age. By then they have used 5000-6000 disposable nappies, which "produces" 1.5 - 2 tonnes of waste that will not decompose in over 500 years! This means that there is around 52,000 tonnes of waste per year from disposable nappies alone in Slovenia. In contrast, one child needs about 20 washable nappies (if they are made to grow with the child, otherwise a bit more). Apart from the fact that the supply of washable nappies in Slovenia is very large, Racman washable nappies are produced in Slovenia, and the sewing of them employs Slovenian mothers and supports the Slovenian economy, not foreign multi-corporations.
We see the problem not only in ecology and waste, but also in health reasons, such as the chemicals contained in disposable nappies (from hormone disruptors, to absorbent gel, which causes various health problems...), the fact that the temperature is too high and the boys' testicles overheat, etc.
How is it abroad? Abroad, they are aware that it is not only the amount of waste but also the non-separation. Human waste does not belong in landfill sites, but should be disposed of in septic tanks, because in non-modern landfill sites, it can seep into the groundwater and bacteria can be spread by insects. Prevention has been addressed through strong promotion and financial subsidies for the purchase of washable nappies. Subsidies are practised by many municipalities and regions in Austria, Italy, France, England, Canada... In most cases, they subsidise 50% of the purchase, or between €100-200 per child, depending on the region. In some areas in Austria, 40% of parents already use washable nappies. In Germany, the tax rate for washable and disposable nappies is the same (19% for both).