The battle between re-usable and disposable nappies has rumbled on for years, with the latest figures suggesting that more babies now wear re-usable nappies than at any time since the 1970s. According to the Environment Agency, all nappies are environmentally damaging, so you might as well use whatever makes you feel comfortable. But now there's a middle option that promises “guilt-free disposable” nappies. A solution? I'm not so sure.

There's no doubt that biodegradable nappies are more likely to be made from sustainable, eco-friendly materials, not to have been treated with chemicals, and to have a greener approach to packaging. That's their plus, says a new guide to green parenting called Eco Baby, by Sally J. Hall (Green Books, £8). A Moltex Oko disposable is made from 100 per cent biodegradable materials, including unbleached wood pulp and a plant-based waterproofing material (they cost £8.99 for 48, from naturebotts.co.uk, which is about the same as Pampers). Even in a landfill, this nappy will break down faster than a conventional one, although it will still emit methane, a significant greenhouse gas.

But don't be wowed by the promise that you can trot over to the compost bin and put your baby's muck to good use in the garden. Only some nappies are safe to compost but not those that contain poo - the pathogens in human waste make this illegal. A “wet” nappy, on the other hand, can be used. Even then, only put the final product on your flowerbeds.

The job is best done by a wormery, according to the eco-baby store Naturebotts. But you'll need a giant one. I know that my poor worms would struggle to chomp through more than one or two nappies a day and they're hungry little blighters. I suspect they'd miss their diet of carrot peel, too.

Are there any affordable ethical designers?

At the top of the fashion pyramid, designers tend to create small, deeply green collections with hefty price tags. However, there are plenty of shops and online stores selling affordable ethical garb. Newly launched Organic Boutique has won my heart with a pink and black floral skirt (£59), along with organic denim items, including a bikini and shorts combo (organicboutique.co.uk). Even kinder on your purse, Natural Collection has summer dresses in its catalogue from £35 and T-shirts at £19 (naturalcollection.com ), not forgetting Adili.com, an online store that showcases the best of ethical fashion.

You won't get Primark prices, but that's because of the basic tenets of ethical fashion, which focuses on fair trade and fair pay for those in the garment industry. Yet there's nothing to stop you lusting over items made by the ethical knitwear label Izzy Lane (www.izzylane.com ; £159). The clothes are made from rare-breed sheep, which are rescued from slaughter, kept for their full natural life and sheared once a year.

Should you be stricter on animal welfare and boycott leather goods, expect to pay more (from £111) for vegan shoes made by Beyond Skin (www.beyondskin.co.uk ).

DO IT

Your wedding doesn't have to cost the earth. To find out how to minimise its eco- impact, as well as saving money and adding colour, visit online ethical and green wedding site Ethical Weddings. Run by Katie Fewings, who plans to revolutionise the wedding industry, it includes a directory of green suppliers as well as a Top Tips page where readers can add their own ideas. (www.ethicalweddings.com ).

CLICK IT

Although the BBC has come under fire for embracing the agenda of campaigning groups, which could breach its code of conduct, it is sticking by its new online magazine, Thread (www.bbc.co.uk/ thread ). Aimed at an audience aged 16 to 30, it is designed to promote “eco-fabulous clothing”. Its first issue included a feature on sweatshop labour and an A to Z of ethical fashion terms.

SKIP IT

The new Lakeland catalogue may look, at first flick, as though it is full of green solutions. Who can resist plastic boxes of every imaginable size and easy-seal freezer bags to make using up leftovers easy? But the green thing to do is to improvise, to resist its plastic wares by using old takeaway containers and yoghurt pots for food storage, and small plastic bags from supermarket fruit and veg in the freezer.

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