With topics like global warming, climate change and plastic pollution gaining worldwide attention over the past 12 months, a new study reveals that sustainable parenting in the UK is on the rise, with London named amongst the top ten UK cities with the most eco-conscious parents.

Following a staggering 600% increase in interest for the search term “sustainable baby products”¹, a new study from eco-friendly nappy providers, The Nappy Gurus, delves into the increase of sustainable parenting in the UK and reveals the cities with the most sustainable parents.

The new ranking is based on insight from The Great Cloth Nappy Census 2020², website traffic and sales³ and search data for terms including “reusable cloth nappies”⁴. According to the study, the top ten cities that make the sustainable parent capitals list are:

1. Bristol

2. London

3. Birmingham

4. Norwich

5. Reading

6. Manchester

7. Glasgow

8. Nottingham

9. Coventry

10. Liverpool

Taking second place is London, with 48% of parents surveyed in the capital using reusable cloth nappies and a staggering 92% of parents using washable baby wipes. The UK’s capital searches for ‘reusable cloth nappies’ on average 2,092 times a month indicating there is a high volume of sustainably-minded parents living in the city.

The new research indicates that Bristol, the largest city in South West England, has the highest number of eco-conscious parents, with 50% of people surveyed in the South West region stating they use reusable cloth nappies over disposable nappies, and 91% using washable baby wipes. The city also searches for ‘reusable cloth nappies’ on average 382 times each month, highlighting the city’s enthusiasm for sustainability.

In light of the findings from the study, The Nappy Gurus are launching The Great Big Nappy Census 2021 to find out more about sustainable parenting in the UK and around the world.

Founder of The Nappy Gurus, Laura Davies, comments on the study: “With things like fast fashion and an increase in plastic waste posing an extensive threat to our planet, it’s great to see so many major cities in the UK make it onto our list of top sustainable parenting cities. From reusable nappies to reusable wipes, there are so many small ways we can all make a difference to the UK’s environment.

“It’s not surprising that London is named amongst the top ten destinations in the UK for sustainable parenting. With London ranking 11th globally for environmental sustainability, we weren’t shocked to see the city made it onto the top half the list.

“Every day in the UK 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away, this equates to a staggering 3 billion a year. With this in mind, it takes 500 years for a disposable nappy to decompose in a landfill, which is a huge contributing factor to global warming and climate change. I would really encourage all parents to consider switching from disposable nappies to reusable ones. Not only will this change positively impact the environment, but parents could save a substantial amount of money that they spend on disposable nappies by making the swap.

“Following our study, we’re launching our annual Great Big Nappy Census 2021 this month and would love to hear from more parents in the UK and around the world about their nappy usage, sustainability and reusable baby products.”