In a few months I’m going to become a grandmother for the fifth time. August, Ernest, Sienna and Wolfie will be joined by another beautiful boy or girl, as our family grows once more.
As all grandmothers know, from story-time, to tea-time, to nap-time, family life is a hands-on affair – not least when it comes to changing nappies. Over the course of my life I’ve been no stranger to it! When my first grandchild was born, I rolled up my sleeves as though a 30-year hiatus had never happened.
Seeing nappy after nappy thrown into the bin, I began to wonder: what are these nappies made of and where are they going? Researching it, I was stunned: they are full of plastic waste, each one damaging our environment.
Nappies are one of the largest contributors to the plastic waste crisis globally, according to the UN, and researchers say that each baby will use approximately 4,000 of them. Every minute, more than 380,000 nappies are thrown away around the world, and the World Economic Forum says that it is producing nearly 40 million tons of waste each year.
Since my daughters Beatrice and Eugenie were born, awareness about plastic pollution and the harm it does has skyrocketed.
The Duchess of York pictured with daughter Princess Beatrice and granddaughter Sienna
(L to R) Princess Beatrice of York, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and Princess Eugenie of York attend The Anti Slavery Collective’s inaugural Winter Gala at Battersea Arts Centre on November 29, 2023 in London
Princess Beatrice pictured with daughter Sienna
Eugenie’s children – and the Duchess of York’s grandchildren – August (left) and Ernest
The fight against plastic waste has been relentless, not least from the Daily Mail campaigning against the scourge of plastic bags in supermarkets, and has driven great changes.
But while more and more aspects of our lives have become plastic-free, the huge volume of pollution caused by nappies has rarely entered the conversation.
I want that to change. As I began to research this problem, I was introduced to experts tackling this issue and to the UN Special Envoy for the Oceans, Peter Thomson, and his wife Marijcke, by Eugenie. He showed me the scale of the challenge, and the toll this type of plastic pollution is inflicting on some of the world’s most beautiful natural habitats.
When my grandchildren arrived, I tried to find plastic-free nappies that were 100 per cent compostable for Beatrice and Eugenie, leaving no waste and no pollution. But it just wasn’t possible.
That’s why today I am launching a global campaign to move the world away from nappies filled with plastic.
The Greater Good is a global organisation I am leading with experts who have been involved in the industry for decades. I can’t think of a more fitting place to launch this campaign than the island state of Samoa, a country particularly impacted by plastic pollution.
Just a few weeks ago, leaders from around the world flew in to the island for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and signed the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration, committing to improve our oceans and to protect them from pollution.
Beatrice shares a picture of husband Edo, daughter Sienna and stepson Wolfie walking in the woods earlier this year
Beatrice shares a snap of her daughter – Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi
Sienna Mapelli Mozzi and her older cousin August Brooksbank at London Zoo to celebrate Earth Day last year
The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, (2L) with her children at Pisa airport before leaving for London in 1997
Sarah, pictured on the night of the Coronation Concert on May 7 last year, with Beatrice and Eugenie
With the gaze of world leaders now moving to Cop29 in Azerbaijan this week, I have landed in Samoa to launch this campaign and meet the people who are working on our projects.
In Samoa, and other places like it such as Vanuatu and Tuvalu, disposable nappies account for nearly 30 per cent of household waste.
These island states are seeing first-hand the impact of the world’s addiction to plastic. Plastic in our oceans is destroying fragile ecosystems and harming the environment in these beautiful coastal communities.
So what exactly are we doing?
Here in Samoa, the Greater Good campaign has designed, refined and delivered an innovative solution, with high-quality nappies that are composted in the community to create safe, nutrient-rich soil in six to eight weeks.
With the support of the Samoan government, the project has proven that for every 100 babies, 700 kilograms of plastic waste is eliminated every week. Women are at the heart of this project. We have employed and trained 18 women, many of whom have never had a job before, to manage the delivery, collection and composting of these nappies.
Much more needs to be done. This campaign is starting in the South Pacific, but it will end with governments, businesses, and societies working together around the world to make compostable nappies a reality.
If we look seriously at solutions being developed in places like Samoa, we can begin to cut the significant volume of plastic produced by nappies around the world. And if we can get this right, the prize is significant.
With a new grandchild about to enter the world, and my career as a nappy-changer about to re-start, I am incredibly optimistic about the future of our planet, and this is entirely thanks to projects like this which are helping to protect the oceans for our babies to grow up and enjoy plastic-free.