The little-known nappy rebate that all parents need to know

Families can easily claim up to $200 cash back for products they already use - and it only takes a couple of minutes. Are you eligible?

It’s no secret that switching over to reusable products are big money savers long term compared to their disposable counterparts - especially when it comes to nappies and sanitary products. 

The initial outlay, however, can be cost-prohibitive for those who don’t have the cash flow for one large lump sum.

This is where the good news comes in.

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The rebate all families need to know

Around Australia, many councils are rewarding residents for being more eco friendly, since a whopping 1.5 billion disposable nappies end up in landfill each year - and each of those can take up to 500 years to break down, according to the CSIRO.

South Australian woman, Gen, shared details of a little-known cozzie livs win on Facebook earlier this month.

“You can claim rebates on cloth nappies and reusable period products through your local council,” she announced in a budgeting group. 

Gen told Kidspot she spent $151 on Modibodi period underwear, and received a $75.50 rebate from her council, the City of Onkaparinga. Noice!

One mum shared her earnings. Image: Supplied

So, how did she do it? 

Gen simply completed a form on her council website, which took her just a couple of minutes - and involved uploading her proof of purchase - and simply waited for the free money to come through to her nominated bank account. She was advised it could take up to a week but it arrived after only two business days. Winning!

While the rebate scheme, for both nappies and sanitary products, isn’t available to everyone, many councils around Australia offer it, with varying conditions.

Did you know about these rebates? Images: Supplied

In Gen’s case, the City of Onkaparinga offers both, with one rebate per category for each household.

Its sanitary product rebate applies to all reusable menstrual and incontinence management products such as reusable pads, sanitary cups, leak-proof underwear and wet bags. Households can apply for a 50 percent rebate of purchases, with the maximum rebate capped at $100.

For cloth nappies, the council offers a similar scheme, with a 50 percent rebate, and the maximum rebate capped at $100. Eligible items include cloth and swim nappies, reusable inner liners for nappies, reusable wipes, wet bags and even reusable nursing breast pads.

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Fellow thrifty spenders on Facebook applauded Gen’s post, and shared how they took advantage of their local council’s scheme as well.

“I’m so happy to hear it isn’t just in SA! What a great way to encourage people to reduce wastage,” Gen commented in reply.

Another member suggested the same type of program should also apply to other household items.

“This is great, would love to see it extended to other products like reusable shopping bags,” she wrote. “It saves the councils big bucks on waste disposal so it's a win-win.”

Contact your local council to see if they participate in the program, or check out reusable nappy brands, Cloth Bums, Nappy Luxe and Designer Bums which have updated lists of council initiatives around Australia.

Originally published as The little-known nappy rebate that all parents need to know