Post event write up
On Friday 5th November, GECCO hosted the Washable Nappies: A Sustainable Future for Childcare conference, chaired by founder Cheryl Hadland, which was attended by childcare professionals from around the world, with attendees signing in from around the UK, as well as Malaysia and Nairobi, Kenya.
Throughout the day, our guest speakers spoke on the importance of washable nappies from their own view point; Elisabeth Whitebread from the Nappy Alliance presented on getting washable nappies on the policy agenda in the UK, and Denise Tupman talked us through the practicalities of using cloth nappies in her childcare setting, including her experiences with environmental health inspectors. GECCO invited Andy Lambert to speak on his company, PODAB, and the sustainability of Scandinavian Drying Cabinets, with Cheryl Hadland presenting on the Tops Day Nurseries chain of nurseries change towards using washable nappies and furthermore developing a sustainable laundry hub. Dr Sam King closed the day with a Health & Safety look at laundry management, including some gruesome facts that will change the way you look at your laundry forever!
The sessions sparked some great discussions, and it was fantastic to have nursery managers from Tops Day Nurseries attend the conference to offer their real-world perspective on using washable nappies in their settings, from convincing their staff and parents to make the jump, to the realities of removing poo from nappies and flushing it down the toilet.
All the sessions were recorded and will be available to the public on the GECCO website from Spring 2022; if you wish to access the recordings earlier, you can register for a Conference Content Pass for £5 via Eventbrite.
