Michael Gove hints disposable nappies will be banned in his war on plastic – risking backlash from furious mums
MICHAEL Gove suffered a furious backlash from Mums yesterday after hinting the Government could ban disposable nappies in his war on plastic.
The Environment Secretary even appeared to hint the Chancellor could be considering a tax in the upcoming Budget to encourage sustainable alternatives.
Speaking at a fringe meeting, he also suggested Brits will one day have to wean themselves off plastic items to recycle biros and disposable razors.
The comments drew a furious reaction from parenting website Netmums which branded it “borderline offensive”.
And within minutes a spokesman insisted there were no plans for a ban. Mr Gove's aide said: “We are looking at what we can do to encourage more sustainable alternatives but there won’t be a ban.”
Mr Gove has won plaudits from environmentalists for taking action to ban straws and stirrers in the wake of David Attenborough’s Blue Planet TV series. Speaking yesterday he said these were “downpayments” for more action in the future.
Challenged if it was time to “get rid” of the non biodegradable nappies – he said: “I mustn’t make too much news or commit to too much in advance of anything the Chancellor might say.
“But yes the direction of travel I think is that we are going to have to identify not quite item by item, but sector by sector, those areas where we do need to take a different approach.”
He added the nation had to “try to reduce as much as possible the amount of waste” that goes into landfill or is burnt to generate electricity.
Mr Gove insisted the public backed his previous bans despite opposition from Tory backbenchers.
And he likened opposition to that which may have taken place when similar “progressive” legislation was passed decades ago – such as stopping children from working as chimney sweeps.
Annie O'Leary, editor in chief of the parenting website Netmums, said any nappy ban a "retrograde step" and said it would leave women arm deep in washing dirty nappies.
She added female voters will not take kindly to a male politician threatening them with the move.
She said: "We know that mums talk about it a lot in the forum and I think that mums would generally say why would it have to be a ban?
"It seems like a bit of a retrograde step, particularly in terms of women's lib and freedom for women from domestic drudgery, to ban them altogether.
"I think eduating the public on why they shouldn't be somethng everyone uses all day every day, of course is fine. Most children use 4,000 nappies in a lifecycle.
'But I think banning them altogether is just ridiculous. I think it is borderline offensive."
Environment minister Therese Coffey on Monday sparked uproar by telling a fringe event that the plastic toys in Happy Meals should be ditched.
She said: "I desperately want McDonald to give up their happy meal toys and change them to be all about what can you do on you iPad or smart phone, rather than a piece of plastic that lasts for about five minutes and then takes five centuries to degrade.
"So there are certain things we can get companies to do that I think would be a symbolic change, even if the amount of plastic involved is not actually that much."
- GOT a news story? RING us on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.co.uk