Grimsby-based swimwear provider Splash About has secured an exclusive deal with one of the UK’s largest holiday park operators as it cleans up in the pool.
Haven is to only stock its reusable swim nappy brand, Happy Nappy, a move set to save the company 20 tonnes of waste annually as disposable options are removed from sale across 41 resorts.
It is understood to be the first in the UK to take the step, covering some of the cost to help holidaymakers take the plunge.
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Bernadette Spofforth, Splash About’s managing director, said: “Disposable swim nappy waste is a huge concern for holiday parks, the leisure sector and the environment, this is a bold and forward thinking move by Haven.”
The Happy Nappy has been Splash About’s flagship product for more than a decade. It has been recommended by 95 per cent of baby swim schools due to its highly effective award-winning design, with British standards outlining it as best practice.
Simon Palmer, Haven’s head of activities and leisure, said: “Haven is committed to taking paper swim nappies out of its pools to end the cycle of waste from disposables, so much so that we are heavily subsidising the cost of the Happy Nappy in all our poolside retail outlets, to make it easier for holidaymakers to ditch the disposable swim nappy for good.
“Not only will this have a positive effect on the environment with, we estimate, a reduction of 20 tonnes of waste to landfill, but it will also enable us to meet our strict environmental targets and ensure we have the cleanest water for all our swimmers.”
Following the 2020 acquisition and consolidation of Swimrite Supplies at the Stallingborough headquarters, Splash About has focused on its retail offer to the sector, having previously sold through third parties and online. It now sells into 85 per cent of the UK holiday and leisure market, with a 40-strong team supporting the distribution, sourcing and stocking.
Lesley Beach, finance and operations director, said: “Disposable swim nappies are not effective at containing unwelcome accidents, and as a consequence, faecal leaks can result in pool closures for cleaning, refilling and reheating – affecting all pool users and causing unnecessary expense, which in the current economic climate, pools can ill afford to accommodate. This is compounded with significant fines for waste disposal and the environmental cost of millions of nappies ending up in landfill every year, where they can take up to 500 years to decompose.”
