FAMILIES with young children are being offered an unmissable nappy bargain to help them ring the changes for the sake of the environment.

To persuade more parents to give disposable nappies the boot in favour of more eco-friendly alternatives, South Gloucestershire Council is subsiding a starter pack of washable nappies - worth £90 but now on sale for just £20 (when purchased with the council's standard £30 incentive voucher).

The initiative has come from the Real Nappy Project, managed by Bristol-based environmental organisation Resource Futures, to promote recycling and cut the amount of waste going to landfill.

Project outreach worker Jean Scott said: "Every baby will need more than 5,000 nappies in their first 30 months. For families with just one child this can represent half of all their household rubbish.

"It means that in the UK we send nine million disposable nappies to landfill every day - that's about three billion a year.

"They're wrapped in plastic and will take hundreds of years to break down.

"Apart from environmental benefits, families can save at least £600 by choosing reusable nappies for their first baby. They are ready for the next child, and laundry costs are just a few pounds a week."

She said the new trial pack had been produced in response to parents' request for guidance. Supplies are limited by funding and early application is advisable.

The current offer is one of a number of services offered by The Real Nappy Project, which has been developing the £30 Incentive Voucher scheme since 2005.

The council's waste contract officer Bruce Kent said: "We're delighted to introduce this latest incentive. Our disposal costs are soaring with 3,000 tonnes of nappies in household waste this year.

"That means over £72,000 landfill charges, in addition to collection costs. The birth rate is rising, and we hope more families will realise the all-round benefits of alternative nappies."