This week is Real Nappy Week and Moira Neish is determined to convert mums and dads everywhere to the cause. Sharon Griffiths reports.

DO you have a new baby and want to save yourself at least £200, maybe as much as £500? - then forget about disposables and use cloth nappies instead, says Moira Neish.

Not only will you save yourself a lot of money, you could also be doing a sizeable chunk to save the environment, she says.

"I'm just appalled at how much we're filling up our environment with pooey plastic. Disposable nappies make up four per cent of household waste. Eight million nappies a day go into landfill sites. All that money, time and effort to transport baby wee and poo around. It makes no sense at all."

Moira, a former teacher who lives in Stockton, is almost evangelical in her zeal for real nappies. She's a representative for Lollipop, which deals with a wide range of real nappies, talks to midwives and ante-natal groups and also does some work for Sedgefield and Stockton councils helping promote real nappy use.

"Disposable nappies are so expensive and manufacturers keep finding new ways to make us spend money," she says. "And there's no need. Cloth nappies are so efficient and endlessly adaptable."

She started off using disposables when her first baby was born but gradually turned to using cloth nappies. "As well as the money and the environmental issues, I worried over what the chemicals in disposables were doing to my baby's skin."

Third baby, Annie, now nearly out of nappies, has never worn a disposable nappy. "One of the problems is that people have this really old fashioned idea of what real nappies are like. They don't realise how much they've changed in the last 20 years," says Moira.

She delves into a massive bag of samples, helped enthusiastically by Annie. "There are shaped nappies, breathable covers, liners, disposable pads - all sorts of methods and variations, so you can find one to suit. Brightly-coloured terries, Rainbow-coloured all-in-ones. And washing is not a problem., You don't have to boil nappies like in the old days. With modern machines and powders, they can go into a normal wash. There's no more smell and mess than with a disposable."

She is particularly concerned about families where money is tight and where disposables can be a big expense. Which is why Stockton Council has done starter packs, £70 worth of cloth nappies for £35.

"You know, it's the weekend, you're down to the last disposable and then that doesn't stick. And you've no money to buy more. If people have a small stock of real nappies, then at least they have that security," says Moira.

"Even if you dry all your nappies in the tumble dryer, it still works out far cheaper and more environmentally friendly than using disposables. It has to be worth a try. After all, who's got £500 just to throw away?"

l As part of Real Nappy Week. Stockton Council is holding a coffee morning in Stockton Central Library this morning, where you can see how nappy technology has improved so you can save money and help the environment.

* On Saturday, April 3, Sedgefield Council has two special sessions about real nappies. Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre 10am-12noon; Ceddesfield Hall, Sedgefield 2-4pm. Includes refreshments and free face painting for the children.

* Moira Neish: tel: 01642 570641. There are a number of other Lollipop agents in the region who can show you the whole range of real nappies.. For details go to www.teamlollipop.co.uk or tel: 01736 799512.

* The Real Nappy Association www.realnappy.com

* The Women's Environmental Network www.wen.org.uk. Tel:0207 481 9004.