Parents are being reminded how to properly dispose of nappies.

North London Waste Authority (NLWA) is urging parents to stop throwing their babies’ nappies into the recycling - and have revealed one in ten parents have admitted to putting them in household recycling.

The NLWA has launched its BinYourNappy campaign after research its carried out to find out how many were putting their children’s nappies in their general waste bin.

According to the research, three quarters of parents are confused by labelling on the packaging of disposable nappies.

The recycling of more than 1,000 households has to be sent to landfill by recycling centres as a result of contamination.

Disposing of nappies properly also helps reduce the £1.5 million cost of contamination met by north London taxpayers every year.

The research also found that ten per cent of parents think nappies should go in a bin other than general waste. And of those who have put nappies in the recycling, more than a third say its because the packaging shows the recycling logo.

A fifth say it is because they are termed with the word ‘disposable.’ The authority is now calling on manufacturers to make it clearer on packaging and in marketing that nappies must go in the general rubbish bin.

NLWA chairman Cllr Clyde Loakes said: “It’s hard to overestimate the scale of this unsavoury problem.

“We know parents want to do the right thing. That’s why we’re asking parents to put used nappies in the general waste bin.

“Contamination of recycling damages the environment, is costly for taxpayers and leaves recycling centre staff having to remove soiled nappies by hand.

“Our research shows that there is huge confusion about the labelling on packs. We’re calling on nappy manufacturers to come on board and make things clearer for their customers and help parents’ understanding.”

It was also found that there was further confusion around nappies marketed as biodegradable or compostable with half of people believing these are recyclable.

For more information, visit: wiseuptowaste.org.uk/binyournappy