VAROVANJE VODA S PROMOCIJO ZEMLJI IN OTROKU PRIJAZNIH PLENIC

Programe varovanja okolja smo v Združenju Štorklja začeli izvajati v letu 2002, ko smo pričeli s projektom Otrokom in Zemlji prijazne plenice 2002. V letu 2004 Štorklja nadaljuje z okoljevarstvenimi programi s projektom  Otrokom in Zemlji prijazne plenice in pralna sredstva 2004. Projekt je podprl Regionalni center za okolje za Srednjo in Vzhodno Evropo ob sofinanciranju svetovnega sklada za okolje GEF/UNDP. Po uspešni izdaji brošure in plakata o prednostih previjanja v naravne materiale, v letošnjem letu nadaljujemo in kakovostno širimo naše okoljevarstevne programe.

O projektu...

REC je nevladna, neodvisna, neprofitna organizacija, katere namen je varovanje okolja Srednje in Vzhodne Evrope. Pod njegovim okriljem se izvaja Donavski regionalni projekt DRP, ki je l. 2004 vpeljal novo projektno komponento. Ta poudarja dostop javnosti do informacij o okolju, še posebej tistih  o izkoriščanju vode in razpolaganjem z vodnimi resursi. Posebej poudarja sodelovanje javnosti v procesih odločanja vezanih na problematiko onesnaževanja porečja Donave. 

Najuspešnejši sredstvi vplivanja na javno mnenje o okolju sta izobraževanje in informiranje ljudi o okolju in varovanju okolja. Če imajo ljudje dostop do informacij in so dobro osveščeni o okoljevarstvenih težavah, lahko tudi vršijo pritisk na institucije, odgovorne za izvedbo sprejetih zakonov, konvencij in strategij. Namen Donavskega regionalnega projekta je distribucija informacij o stanju okolja v Podonavju, dvig okoljevarstevene zavesti javnosti ter vzpostavitev in krepitev partnerskega sodelovanja združenj/društev in drugih nevladnih organizacij z vladnimi institucijami pri sprejemanju odločitev vezanih na zaščito voda. Vse to pa s ciljem zmanjševanja onesnaženosti porečja Donave.

Temu skupnemu cilju se pridružujeta tudi Združenje Štorklja, kot nosilec projekta in Hrvaška RODA kot partnerska organizacija. V letošnjem letu smo pridobili sredstva Regionalnega centra za okolje za Srednjo in Vzhodno Evropo (REC) in United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) za izvedbo projekta z naslovom ''PRESERVING THE WATER BY PROMOTING DIAPERS FRIENDLY FOR EARTH AND BABY'' ali ''VAROVANJE VODA S PROMOCIJO ZEMLJI IN OTROKU PRIJAZNIH PLENIC''. Cilj projekta je promocija bombažnih plenic kot ekološko, zdravstveno in okolju prijaznega izbora. Osnovno sporočilo projekta je: ''varujte okolje - poskrbite za zdravje vaših otrok - prihranite denar!'' V okviru omenjenga projekta bo Združenje Štorklja na nosilcu DVD izdalo igrani in dokumentarni film, ki bo predstavil možnosti in prednosti previjanja otrok v naravne materiale in spodbujal k uporabi okolju prijaznih pralnih sredstev. Film bo distribuiran po materinskih šolah in zdravstevnih domovih ter brezplačno posameznikom – naročnikom preko spletne strani. V filmu bo moč poiskati številne koristne informacije ter nasvete zdravnikov in uporabnikov, zato ga bodo v materinskih šolah vrteli nekaj let. Ob domači uporabi pa bo to priročnik, ki bo spremljal življenje družin skozi več generacij.

Zakaj smo se odločili za izvedbo projekta?

V Sloveniji 99% populacije uporablja plenice za enkratno uporabo, ki so zdravstveno in ekološko sporne. Proizvodnja in transport plenic za enkratno uporabo povzroča veliko industrijsko onesnaževanje, plenice na smetiščih predstavljajo 10% nerazgradljivih odpadkov, saj vsak otrok proizvede 1 tono odpadkov. Blato v plenicah lahko povzroči okužbo podtalnice.

Nasprotno pa uporaba bombažnih plenic oz. naravnih materialov, za previjanje otrok pomeni zdravstvene prednosti za otroka in velik prispevek varovanju okolja, ki ga lahko prispeva vsaka družina, če se odloči za okolju prijazno previjanje. Če otroka previjamo v naravne materiale, potem blato odstranimo v kanalizacijo, vsak otrok pa v primerjavi z 5000-6000 plenicami za enkratno uporabo potrebuje le 20-25 bombažnih plenic, ki jih lahko uporabimo za več otrok, nato pa še kompostiramo. Poleg tega odločitev za previjanje z naravnimi materiali za vsako družino pomeni prihranek cca. 1000 € na otroka.

Bilanca Okolja

Na tehniški univerzi v Grazu so leta 1997 opravili primerjavo onesnaževanja okolja glede na vrsto plenic. Primerjava je pokazala, da je največji onesnaževalec okolja proizvodnja pleničk za enkratno rabo, sorazmerno pa sledi onesnaževanje zaradi transporta pleničk za enkratno rabo in odlaganja teh plenic na odlagališča odpadkov. Če pa uporabljamo bombažne pleničke pa okolje najbolj onesnažujemo s pranjem pleničk. Na ta dejavnik lahko uspešno vplivamo z izborom okolju prijaznih pralnih sredstev in s primernim doziranjem v pralni stroj.  

Plenice za enkratno rabo so izdelane iz papirja. Za vsakega otroka je treba posekati poprečno 4,5 dreves, to pa ruši naravno ravnovesje. Poleg tega je potrebea za izdelavo plenic za enkratno rabo dvakrat toliko vode in trikrat toliko energije kakor za proizvodnjo bombažnih plenic. Okoljski problem predstavlja tudi otrokovo blato, ki ga skupaj s plenico za enkratno rabo odvržemo na odlagališče odpadkov. V teh plenicah tako najdemo številne mikroorganizme, ki počasi pronicajo v podtalnico in lahko okužijo pitno vodo. Viruse prenašajo tudi insekti, ki se pasejo po neurejenih odlagališčih in raznašajo bolezen naokoli.

Odpadki

Ob uporabi plenic za enkratno rabo vsak otrok v celotnem obdobju previjanja ''pridela'' približno 1000 kg odvrženih plenic (odpadka). Delež plenic v primerjavi z drugimi odpadki je okoli 8-10 %, čeprav predstavljajo otroci v previjalnem obdobju le 1 % prebivalstva.

Zaradi uporabe plenic za enkratno rabo moramo v Sloveniji vsako leto predelati skoraj 40 milijonov plenic oziroma skoraj 18.000 ton odpadkov - uporabljenih plenic. Ker se z odgovorno rabo bombažnih pleničk lahko izognemo tonam odpadkov, je uporaba teh plenic še toliko bolj zaželena.

Stanje v Sloveniji   

Trenutno še ni alternativne možnosti, ki bi staršem omogočale učinkovito zmanjševanje količin odpadkov, ki se sicer ustvarjajo z nastalimi onesnaženimi plenicami. Ker v Sloveniji še ni možnosti termične izrabe teh odpadkov - plenic- je nujno, da se omogoči možnost zmanjševanja negativnih vplivov zaradi odlaganja teh odpadkov, ki sicer zaradi neurejenih deponij negativno vplivajo na podtalnico. To je hkrati zahteva Nacionalnega programa varstva okolja iz leta 1999.

Zaradi naštetih vzrokov smo se odločili zastaviti projekt, katerega osnovni namen je dvig ravni informiranosti in ekološke ozaveščenosti ciljnih skupin, zmanjšanje odpadkov na izvoru in onesnaževanja okolja in porast števila uporabnikov bombažnih plenic za previjanje otrok. Namen projekta je tudi informirnje ciljnih skupin o možnih denarnih prihrankih ob odločitvi za previjanje v naravne materiale ter o uporabi okolju prijaznih pralnih sredstev.

PRESERVING THE WATER BY USING DIAPERS FRIENDLY FOR EARTH AND WATER

Introduction

Slovenian NGO Association Stork is active since 1998. Since 2002 the Association is active also on the field of preserving the environment and leads ecological projects. The most important project concerns the problem of baby diapering and promotes use of washable diapers or nappies.

In 2004/05 the association has performed the project which has been granted from GEF/UNDP. The project was called DIAPERS AND WASHING AGENTS FRIENDLY FOR EARTH AND BABY and resulted in publishing the brochure about cotton diapers and was very well accepted by goal groups namely parents and health-care professionals. The present project is ment to continue that work.

The project PRESERVING THE WATER BY USING DIAPERS FRIENDLY FOR EARTH AND WATER is granted from REC and GEF/UNDP. It is lead by Association Storky from Slovenia and partnered by Association RODA from Croatia.The project emphasizes awareness-raising, environmental education, policy issues and public participation in decision making related to specific pollution problem of using disposable diapers. Activities in project aim to make and distribute for free the DVD film about Ecological and Health advantages of reusable cotton nappies with practical advices for parents and health-care professionals. Also promoting of use environmental-friendly washing agents is emphasized. All these activities are implemented in order to the improvement of the ecological and chemical status of the water. In addition to this main objective, the implementation of the project will significantly improve the living standard of the Danube basin’s population, restore the region's biodiversity and strengthen cooperation between the contracting parties, especially to preserve waters and environment in Slovenia and Croatia.

In previous project (mentioned above) also the suggestion for financial subvention for parents who choose washable diapers was placed to local communities in Ljubljana (Slovenian capital) and Maribor (Slovenian 2^nd largest city). In regard to present project the suggestion is traced and local communities in Slovenia further encouraged to realize the subvention. In Croatia same suggestion is placed to community of Zagreb, Croatian capital and city of 1.000.000 citizens.The suggestion is supported by the economic study which shows the costs of 1 tone of waste (1 baby produces 1 tone of waste in diapering period). Every child that is wrapped in cotton diapers spares at least the costs for 1 tone of waste deposit to the local community. If the subvention in amount of 50% mentioned costs (the costs are estimated to 200 Euros in Slovenia) e.g. 100 Euros is given to parents local community lowers these costs and preserves environment!

Motives for the project

In Slovenia and Croatia 99% of parents use disposable diapers which are questionable from ecological and health point of view. Production and transport of disposable diapers causes great industrial pollution. Disposable diapers represent 10% of non-degradable waste on waste deposits. Every child contributes to 1 tone of such waste. Human excrements in diapers can cause the contamination of under-ground waters. On the contrary use of cotton washable diapers e.g. natural materials for diapering offers many health advantages for the child and great ecological contribution that can be contributed by every family who has chosen natural materials for wrapping the child. If the child is wrapped in cotton diaper then her/his excrements are put into toilet and further to canalization system. Every child needs 5000-6000 disposable diapers while on the other hand he/she needs only 20-25 uni-size cotton ones. Cotton diapers can be composted after years of using. For the paper only in the disposables diapers 4-5 trees are cut down. From economical point of view using of cotton diapers saves cca. 1000 Euros per child.

Ecological balance

On the Technical University in Graz, Austria, in 1997 the study about pollution according to diapering system was done. The results are represented by graph below. The comparison has shown amazing results: production of disposable diapers contributes at very high degree to the pollution while pollution due to transport and due to waste is comparable. Pollution when using washable diapers is much smaller and washing contributes most to it. This factor can be decreased by choosing environmentally friendly washing agents and by dosing them wisely up to 50% less then indicated from the producers.

Influence to natural balance, trees and drinking water

Disposable diapers are made of paper. For each child using them it is necessary to cut 4-5 trees.  This means 81.000 trees for Slovenian kids and 160.000 for Croatian kids only – cutting the woods influences the natural balance significantly. For production of disposable diapers 2-times more water and 3-times more energy is needed as for production of cotton ones. Ecological problem is even greater because of child's excrement is thrown to waste deposit in the disposable diaper so many micro organisms can be find in this diapers. They slowly trickle trough toward the underground waters and can possibly infect the drinking.

Industrial polution - chemical composition of disposable diapers

Disposable diapers seems harmless for environment and children but unfortunately it is far from the truth. To make them ultra-absorbing very dangerous chemical components are used: sodium polyacrilat (ultra-absorbing gel), toxic organo-chloridic combinations and polyvinyl-chlorid (PVC) that makes disposable diapers impermeable for wetness. This hazardous substances cause water pollution and it is suspected that they have toxic and carcinogenic or bio-accumulative effects, in particular because the they decompose very slowly - when deposited disposable diaper needs 500 years for decompose.

As mentioned above the greatest negative impact on environment has production of disposable diapers – namely the chemical and paper industry. This kind of industry is origin for numerous hazardous compounds of an organic nature that cause toxic and chronic pollution.

Waste

When using disposable diapers every child contributes 1 tone of waste. The share of diapers among other waste is estimated to 8-10% - contributed by only 1% of population namely children in diapers.

Due to use of disposable diapers in Slovenia every year about 45.000 children under age 2,5 years are using diapers what makes 100 millions pieces of disposable diapers or 20.000 tons of waste that need to be deposited. In Croatia is even worse: every year 200 millions pieces of diapers and 40.000 tons of waste need to be deposited. Responsible use of washable diapers can contribute a lot for avoiding the waste and preserving the natural resources

Increasing awareness in Slovenia and Croatia

The project aims to increase awareness in both countries since one of the strengths of NGOs is their ability to raise public awareness and change behaviours and attitudes to indirectly induce pollution prevention. The DVD film aims to influence the public behavior immediately and in long-term way.

Till now in Slovenia and Croatia there is no possibility of thermal use of wasted disposable diapers. Therefore it is urgently necessary to give parents ad care-takers the information about opportunity of use the cotton diapers. They can influence positively to diminishing the waste and all other above mentioned consequences due to using disposable diapers and thereby decrease pollution and amount of waste that is laid down to the illegal deposits. Also the costs of depositing waste for local communities can be reduced. All of the above is also the demand of National program for preserving the environment in Slovenia from 1999.

"This project is being implemented with the financial support of the UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project, through a grant programme managed by the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe."