Ballarat City Council to vote on cloth nappy and reusable sanitary products rebate

Working towards its goal of achieving zero landfill waste, Ballarat City Council will vote on trialing a cloth nappy and reusable sanitary products rebate at next Wednesday’s council meeting. 

The six-month trial, which would commence 1 March if adopted, will be for 50% of the purchase price per household, with up to a maximum of $100. Each household will be eligible for one rebate per category. 

The rebate will include cloth nappies, reusable swim nappies, reusable sanitary products, reusable liners for nappies, reusable baby wipes, wet bags for reusable nappies and reusable nursing breast pads. 

Across the City of Ballarat, approximately eight million nappies are sent to landfill each year. On average, a child will use between 5,000 to 6,000 disposal nappies from birth to toilet training and these take up to 150 years to break down. By comparison, it takes around 30 reusable nappies to fulfill the same needs.  

City of Ballarat Chief Executive Officer, Evan King said the rebate program aligns with the 2021 – 2025 Council Plan’s goal of creating an environmentally sustainable future. 

“Nappies and sanitary items are essential to healthy living but significantly contribute to Ballarat’s landfill,” he said. 

“This initiative not only provides incentives for our residents to invest in reuse and recycling practices, but it also creates a greater awareness and education for the wider community.” 

The rebate program will allow for a maximum budget of $30,000 and may be paused at any time if budget allocations have been exhausted.  

If the program is adopted at Wednesday’s Council Meeting, applications, to be part of the rebate, can be submitted online or at the City of Ballarat’s Customer Service Centre at the Phoenix Building. 

Find out more at www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/reusable-rebate