In a few months I will be 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 again.
As every grandmother knows, from story time to tea time to nap time, family life is all about practicality, especially when it comes to changing diapers. Throughout my life I have been no stranger to it! When my first grandchild was born, I rolled up my sleeves as if a 30-year hiatus had never happened.
Seeing diaper after diaper thrown into the trash, I began to wonder: what are these diapers made of and where are they going? Upon researching it I was stunned: they are full of plastic waste, each of which harms our environment.
Diapers are one of the biggest contributors to the global plastic waste crisis, according to the UN, and researchers say each baby will use about 4,000 of them. More than 380,000 diapers are thrown away every minute around the world and the World Economic Forum states that almost 40 million tonnes of waste are produced each year.
Since my daughters Beatrice and Eugenie were born, awareness about plastic pollution and the damage it causes has skyrocketed.
The Duchess of York photographed with her daughter Princess Beatrice and granddaughter Sienna.
(L to R) Princess Beatrice of York, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and Princess Eugenie of York attend the Anti Slavery Collective Winter Opening Gala at Battersea Arts Center on November 29, 2023 in London
Princess Beatrice pictured with her daughter Sienna
Eugenie’s children and the Duchess of York’s grandchildren, August (left) and Ernest.
The fight against plastic waste has been relentless, especially since the Daily Mail’s campaign against the scourge of plastic bags in supermarkets, and has driven big changes.
But while more and more aspects of our lives have become plastic-free, the sheer volume of pollution caused by nappies has rarely entered the conversation.
I want that to change. When I began researching this issue, Eugenie introduced me to experts addressing this issue and to the United Nations special envoy for oceans, Peter Thomson, and his wife Marijcke. It showed me the magnitude of the challenge and cost that this type of plastic pollution is taking on some of the most beautiful natural habitats in the world.
When my grandchildren arrived, I tried to find plastic-free diapers that were 100% compostable for Beatrice and Eugenie, leaving no waste or pollution. But it just wasn’t possible.
That’s why today I’m launching a global campaign to keep the world away from plastic-filled diapers.
The Greater Good is a global organization that I run with experts who have been involved in the industry for decades. I can’t think of a more appropriate place to launch this campaign than the island state of Samoa, a country particularly affected by plastic pollution.
Just a few weeks ago, leaders from around the world flew to the island for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and signed the Apia Commonwealth Oceans Declaration, committing to improve our oceans and protect them from pollution.
Beatrice shares a photo of husband Edo, daughter Sienna and stepson Wolfie walking in the woods earlier this year.
Beatrice shares a photo 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, photographed on the night of the Coronation Concert on May 7 last year, with Beatrice and Eugenie.
With world leaders looking on heading to Cop29 in Azerbaijan this week, I landed in Samoa to launch this campaign and meet the people who are working on our projects.
In Samoa and other places such as Vanuatu and Tuvalu, disposable nappies account for almost 30 per cent of household waste.
These island states are seeing first-hand the impact of the global addiction to plastic. Plastic in our oceans is destroying fragile ecosystems and damaging the environment in these beautiful coastal communities.
So what exactly are we doing?
Here in Samoa, the Greater Good campaign has designed, perfected 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.
Supported by the Government of Samoa, the project has shown that for every 100 babies, 700 kilograms of plastic waste are eliminated each week. Women are at the center of this project. We have hired and trained 18 women, many of whom have never had a job before, to manage the delivery, collection and composting of these diapers.
Much more needs to be done. This campaign begins in the South Pacific, but will end when governments, businesses and societies work together around the world to make compostable diapers a reality.
By taking a serious look at the solutions being developed in places like Samoa, we can begin to reduce the significant volume of plastic produced by diapers around the world. And if we can do it well, the reward is significant.
With a new grandchild about to enter the world and my nappy changing career about to restart, I am incredibly optimistic about the future of our planet, and this is entirely due to projects like this that are helping to protect the oceans so that our babies grow and enjoy without plastic.