One of the many benefits of choosing to use cloth nappies instead of disposable nappies, is that you could get up to $200 cash back in the form of a rebate from your local council.

Yup, this basically means you can get paid to do cloth nappies (depending on where you live).

Why do councils offer rebates for using cloth nappies?

2% of all landfill in the US is made up of disposable nappies.

Some councils in Australia report up to 10% of the total waste being made up of disposable nappies or sanitary items.

Around 4 million disposable nappies are estimated to be sent to landfill every day throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Each child will get through around 6,000 disposable nappies before toilet training.

These are pretty shocking statistics that show a real problem for both the environment and for each of the 537 local councils across Australia who have to deal with this waste.

Take a look at our sustainability page for more information about the environmental impact of disposable nappies.

Aside from the environmental aspects, disposable nappies are also downright expensive for Australia families.

A full-time stash of cloth nappies costs around $700, whereas disposable nappies add up to around $3,000 by the time the child is toilet trained (see more in our blog post: disposables vs. cloth nappies [cost comparison].

It's no wonder that councils are introducing rebates to encourage families to save money and reduce the amount of waste they are sending to landfill.

What kind of cloth nappy rebate can I get?

The rebates offered in Australia vary from council to council.

Some provide a financial reimbursement to all who purchase cloth nappies, others allow you to enter into a draw to win your money back.

Whilst not every council in Australia currently offers a rebate, more and more councils are joining the list in a bid to help families reduce their environmental impact. 

Most rebates work in a similar way: buy a cloth nappy bundle then claim back a percentage of your spend.

What councils offer cloth nappy rebates?

We've compiled a list of the councils across Australia who provide some kind of rebate or incentive for parents and caregivers.

Our quick check map above lets you see at a glance whether your council offers a rebate, or you can check the comprehensive list below.

Most of these rebates apply to cloth nappies as well as all cloth nappy accessories including wet bags, reusable cloth wipes, insert packs, and liners.

New South Wales

Victoria

Queensland

Western Australia

South Australia

Tasmania

My council isn't on the list, what can I do?

If you can't see your local council on the list, don't despair. 

Many councils are starting to come on board to implement environmentally sustainable changes such as these rebates for reusable items.

With councils creating new initiatives all the time, it's possible your council has already started offering rebates and we haven't update our blog post yet (get in touch to let us know and we'll update this page). 

But if you've double checked your local council website and they definitely aren't offering a rebate, then you can take action yourself.

By writing to your local councillor and recommending the introduction of rebates for cloth nappies, you'll be joining an army of cloth advocates.

The more cloth advocates the council hears from on the matter, the more likely it is that a change will be made.

When composing your letter, we recommend expressing why you feel cloth nappies are beneficial, and how a rebate could benefit families (especially given the rising cost of living).

You can also follow up with them if you haven't heard back within a few weeks.

Finally, don't forget you can save up to 30% with NappyLuxe discounted cloth nappy bundles.

Updated: 15 January 2024

Meet the Author

Natalie Lassen

Natalie, Founder of NappyLuxe, is an eco-conscious mother and entrepreneur who discovered the benefits of cloth nappies for her family and the environment. With a mission to create the ultimate cloth nappy, she spent years researching and testing various designs before launching NappyLuxe - a range of high-quality, easy-to-use, and ultra-absorbent cloth nappies. Natalie is passionate about sharing her experience and expertise, helping parents make informed decisions and embark on their own sustainable parenting journey.