A reusable cloth nappy scheme is set to be introduced in the ABC Council area from April next year.
The proposal was given the go-ahead at an environmental services meeting on Tuesday evening.
Under the scheme, residents who spend £50 or more on reusable cloth nappies will be reimbursed by council to the tune of £30.
Council said it had received a number of enquiries about the scheme which has worked “very effectively” in Mid Ulster District Council area as well as other local authorities.
The latest report commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) concluded that reusable nappies produce 25 per cent less CO2 than single-use disposable nappies and that the environmental impact of production is over 90 per cent lower for a reusable nappy than for single-use.
The council anticipates the scheme will be taken up by approximately 50 children and will be self-financing, as it expects to save up to £2,730 per year on disposal costs.
The decision has been welcomed by Alliance Party councillor Jessica Johnston, who raised the introduction of the scheme earlier this year.
She said: “The UK disposes of approximately three billion disposable nappies each year which equates to around 3 per cent of all household waste.
“Encouraging the public to participate in this scheme will not only save parents and guardians money each year but also simultaneously help contribute to meeting our climate change targets and our need to reduce waste.
“The scheme has worked well across a number of neighbouring councils and therefore, the long-term savings for both council and residents will be clear to see.”
The scheme, which still needs to be ratified by the full council, will be reviewed after a year.
