Making a ‘Cheeky’ Change to Wet Wipes
Here at St. Michael’s Nursery, we believe that teaching the children to care for their environment, will ultimately make a difference in the world we live in. Forest School, Wild Hygge, Mindfulness sessions, growing vegetables in our allotment, sorting rubbish into materials for the recycling bins, respecting the wildlife and insects, reading stories and trips out are all ways that we regularly learn about our environment. We recently took part in World Ocean Day and this inspired us to continue to look at ways to take positive steps to be even more eco-friendly. We had babies dressed as sharks and the grown ups were all kinds of wonderful creatures too! The Pink Hall’s display especially captivated the inquisitive minds of how on earth a creature could tell the difference between a piece of plastic and a jelly fish!
After some conclusive research about the astonishing number of wet wipes used in the UK and the impact they are having on the environment, we immediately took steps to reduce the amount we use in nursery. We discovered that wet wipes can contain as much as 80% plastic (excluding the packaging) and therefore when they eventually start to break up in landfill, sadly they can cause problems with microplastics entering our food chain. According to an investigation in 2017 conducted by Water UK, wet wipes made up to more than 90% of sewage blockages. These eventually make their way into the ocean along with other types of plastic pollution. Even the flushable wipes can drastically cause problems and we’ve all heard of Fatbergs!
Cheeky WipesTM pose the question; ‘What if you could get that botty clean, protect your baby, the future of the planet and save money? All with a baby wipe?’ (www.cheekywipes.com). Well, naturally we are all excitedly jumping up & down with a “YES, YES, YES!” The 0-2 year team have been trailing ‘Cheeky Wipes’ the incredibly soft, natural, reusable wipes. The whole team are buzzing with excitement after one week using the wipes which have proved to be completely hassle free, eco-friendly, convenient and incredibly soft.
Team Leader Amanda explains “they’re easy, convenient & easy to wash. They are the perfect size and shape and really soft.” Amanda is so impressed with the wipes she excitedly explained how she would “highly recommend them and they are brilliant for our environment.”
As a busy nursery, we are thrilled that the wipes are so easy & convenient to use daily. Nursery Nurse Emma explains how easy this process is, “We prepare the tub ready for the day, simply fill with water to the line and then we have a mucky box with a liner ready to pop in the wash later that day. We even have kits for going out and about.”
Another easy and positive change is the use of wet flannels to wipe faces after mealtimes. “Really buzzing, positive and for here (nursery) it’s a good decision and a good start for going green”, Nursery Nurse, Altea enthuses.
Nursery Manager Sarah Sexon is delighted by the change and the positivity amongst the staff; “I am very excited at the prospect in becoming a green nursery and am pleased that the Cheeky Wipes trial has had positive feedback from the 0-2 team, who love them. The wipes are bamboo and so soft and the washing of them daily is so easy, and hygienic in the design.”
We have made the move and astonishingly we have NOT had to purchase our usual box of 768 wet wipes for the nursery this week! This means we have severely reduced the amount of waste we make, and the children have enjoyed 100% water on natural bamboo or cotton wipes for all wet nappies.
We hope that you are inspired by this. We realise life is busy and you are already doing an amazing job, so we really are not wet wipe shaming! We simply want to pass on the message that we have made one small change & already made a huge difference.
If like us, you have always wondered about what you can do to make a small change with a big difference but have reservations, we hope you find this article useful. We have added some good links to useful sites and blogs. Of course, you are always welcome to discuss your child’s needs with us and we will help you with any questions you may have. We will be ordering more products so let Sarah know if you are interested!
https://www.cheekywipes.com/how-it-works.html
https://www.asustainablelife.co.uk/a-beginners-guide-to-reusable-baby-wipes/
https://www.water.org.uk/
