Why did Vanuatu ban disposable nappies?

                                    A ban to be finalised from 1 December 2019.

 

Vanuatu are set to ban disposable nappies along with other single use plastics. Alone, the ban of disposable nappies will significantly reduce pollution.

The ban was announced in Port Villa last week by Foreign Minister Ralph Regenvanu. Last year, Vanuatu was one of the First Nations to ban single use plastic bags.

In 2007 the use of disposable nappies was estimated as 450 billion nappies per year globally. Since then the market has grown substantially in areas such as China, India and Brazil. One child's personal contribution to this is approximately 6,000 nappies prior to toilet training. So a family with two children alone will personally contribute 12,000 nappies to landfill.

A report by US market research firm Grand View Research last year said the global baby nappy market was worth US$45.08 billion in 2016 and would grow to US$64.62 billion by 2022.

Critics say in addition to being a waste problem, the nappy manufacturing process also contributes to global warming. In the UK last year, Britain's Environment Secretary Michael Gove was forced to rule out a nappy ban after making off-the-cuff remarks seen as paving the way for prohibiting their use.

Source: Straitstimes.com 

FEB, 21, 2019 Singapore.

Read the full story here:

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/vanuatu-to-ban-disposable-diapers-and-other-single-use-plastics