The data used in the Environment Agency report is seriously flawed. The survey did not include sufficient real nappy users to be representative of modern cloth nappy usage. Even so, it still demonstrates that parents choosing to use cloth nappies are greatly reducing the waste going to landfill, and are in control of the amount of energy, water and chemicals they use in laundering their nappies. Even if (like the respondents in the study) they soak and bleach their nappies, wash at 60 in a 1997 washing machine, tumble dry and iron all 46 nappies, they won't contribute to global warming any more than disposable nappies. On the other hand if (like most modern real nappy users), they have around 20 nappies, wash at 40/60 in an A-rated machine, air dry wherever possible, and use eco-friendly detergents, they will reduce their environmental impact by at least 24 per cent. And nothing ends up in landfill. Victoria Simmons, West Yorkshire

The findings of this report certainly seems to have encouraged some journalists to try to belittle those who use cloth nappies by referring to us as "terry gloaters" and to "wipe those smug smiles off your faces". The point that they are missing are all the benefits. Just appreciate that eight million disposables are being thrown away every day in the UK ending up on landfill. The tax payer suffers with increased council tax bills as local authorities spend millions trying to get rid of them. Sarah Carr, Beckenham

We have 15 reusable nappies (enough for one load in the washer). Our son is two years old. Had we used disposables we would have got through maybe 3,000 by now - possibly 4,000 by the time he's potty trained. Next child is on the way so make that 8,000 disposables in landfill. How many resources does it take to make 8,000 disposables and dispose of them afterwards? How many resources does it take to make 15 reusables (and never dispose of them)? Roger Emery, Southampton

I cannot believe that after four years and £200,000 the report based its findings on just two interviews with washable nappy users who happened to use traditional terries, wash at 95 degrees and iron their nappies. It is a shame they didn't find two more representative nappy users who washed at normal temperatures, line dried and had better things to do than iron nappies - then the results would have been completely different. It would have told us what is common sense - that washable nappies are better all round. Caroline Whitfield, Oxford

I've used (the same) cotton nappies - almost exclusively - on all my children (one singleton, then twins). I don't soak them prior to washing and wash them at 40 degrees, always with a full load. As for my other washing, I don't find I need to use nearly as much powder as the boxes suggest, and I very rarely need to use the tumble drier. I've saved a huge amount of money, and because of the way I minimise use of chemicals and energy/ water, find it very hard to believe disposables would have no greater an environmental footprint. Joanna Hitchens, Cambridge

We were very disapointed with the study's results, especially as the implication is that diposable nappy users can now move forward with a "clear" conscience, without consideration for more friendly alternatives. Landfill sites, the chemical compositions of disposables and their unknown long term effects, surely cannot be considered as an alternative. Gavin Daniel, Bournemouth

The main advantage of cloth nappies is that they are not thrown away and put into landfill. The super absorbent polymers (SAPs) in disposable nappies take centuries to break down. The report itself states that its remit relates to a limited list of factors, mostly related to energy consumption and water pollution. It does not include landfill space, nor does it claim to. However, the environment agency's website falsely claims that "all the impacts" were considered and that the report found that "neither type of of nappy is better or worse for the environment." In fact, the study itself is carefully worded and does not make this erroneous claim, although it might have been helpful had it put more stress on the limited range of impacts considered. Name and address withheld

I am very diappointed in the findings of this report, which seems to have drawn its data from too small a sample of cloth nappy users to be of any relevance to the cloth nappy market as it is. As a cloth nappy retailer for the past five-and-a-half years, just from a cross sample of the hundreds of queries I have received over the years I can vouch for the fact that less than 10 per cent of my customers wash at 90, and probably 20 per cent or more wash at 40 instead often with other washing. I also know from the significant proportion of customers now on second and third, or even fourth, baby that they rarely invest in new nappies for the newest arrival, their nappies handed down and reused, the only additional purchases then being a couple of extra wraps or a pack of liners. I'm happy to report that some of my own daughters nappies are now on their sixth baby, and I am extremely envious of my friends pretty tie dyed towels in her downstairs loo - I know whose bottom they graced! Miranda Stamp, Reading

After using disposables on my first child, and putting up with the poor performance of those nappies, I quickly switched to cloth nappies with my second and third child and am now expecting to use cloth nappies on my fourth child due in just a few weeks time. In my experience, cloth nappies are far more absorbent and far better at containment than any disposable. Plus, I'm not putting paper, plastics and chemical gels next to my babies delicate skins - and I don't have a dustbin full of plastic wrapped human waste that will be festering in a landfill site many years after my grandchildren have died. Jeanette Archer, Stockport

I'm pleased that the results will make many young mums feel less guilty. The difficulties of raising a baby are enough without the added pressure of being told you are environmentally unfriendly. We all do things which are environmentally unfriendly; very few people can practice eco-friendliness all the time. We just have to pick and choose when and where to do our bit. K Moore, Southampton

Whilst I have rarely encountered cloth-nappy-using mothers naive enough to believe that their choice will make a big difference environmentally (most of us are aware that the use of washing machines, dryers, etc. have a deleterious impact on the environment), many of those who choose cloth do so to avoid the dioxins, absorbent gels and other chemicals in mainstream disposables, the long-term effects of which are yet unknown. Furthermore, we mothers of cloth-bottomed children have the satisfaction of seeing an initial outlay for cloth nappies pay dividends over several children. The nappies that I bought for £400 three years ago have done for two children so far, and, Deo volente, will cover several more little bottoms in the future. My best friend is on child number four using the same set of nappies that her first-born wore. There is also a good market in used cloth nappies, so parents can recoup some of their outlay. Such frugality isn't smug - simply canny. Antonia Robinson, Dulwich

It would appear that the Environment Agency has looked soley at the amount of energy used. The overriding concern about disposables is that they are not biodegradable and make up a large amount of the waste going into landfill sites. It is clear that the overall environmental impact of disposables is much greater than reusables. Mark Hayes, York