Last year alone, there were 881 babies born in the local government area of Wagga. So for parents choosing the disposable route that means a lot of landfill and on the flip-side, a few more loads of laundry if they opt for reusable.

It is not quite clear how many disposable nappies are sent to Wagga's landfill each year, but we do know that if only one cloth nappy is used each day for one year for all 881 babies, about 320,000 disposables could be kept out of the landfill.

The Daily Advertiser spoke to three Wagga mothers walking to the beat of their own drum, who explained what works best for them - disposable or reusable - while also shedding some light on the cost of cloth.

Amanda Keyes has used reusable nappies for both her son, Jonah, and daughter, Isla - now two-years old and three-months old, respectively. But she uses disposable too.

"I think a lot of people believe they have to go all in and use them 100 per cent of the time and it becomes overwhelming," she said.

There are three main types of cloth nappies all of which vary in price including old-fashion terry-towelling, prefolds and modern cloth.

Terry-towelling is the cheapest option of all three at $1 to $2 each followed by prefolds, which cost up to $15. Modern cloth nappies come with a higher price tag where parents could spend up to $30 each.

Mrs Keyes spent about $900 on her stash, only because she bought about 30 of the more expensive modern cloth nappies at $30 each.

It is the initial upfront cost that puts people off, she said. Although the reusable option becomes much cheaper in the long-term based on the amount of disposable nappies used each week. In her case, it is a lot more cost effective after using her stash for more than one child.

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"For instance, I have spent nothing with my daughter because I used the same ones as my son," she said. "If you use them everyday, which it is not going to be worth your while if you don't - it does work out cheaper."

Her advice for first-time cloth nappy parents is to purchase a variety of different brands to get started and find your preference.

"They all fit slightly differently ... buying a whole range to see what works best for you is what we did - it is all trial and error," she said.

"That's disgusting, I am never getting second hand ones that another baby pooed in" is what first crossed the mind of first-time mum Leanna Gow.

But now her 16-month-old daughter Abigail Thomson wears nothing but second-hand modern cloth nappies with the occasional terry-towel and disposable.

Miss Gow said it is "daunting" at first, but research showed her how easy it is to wash and sanitise nappies.

"It gave me the confidence to buy second-hand and I was fortunate enough that a few local mums were selling some nappies so ... I could see the condition they were in," she said.

The upfront cost for her stash of 24 was $500 - and by using terry towels, Miss Gow said it kept the cost low.

"Doing the math, I would have spent that much on disposables in six months. So, I already get a return on that investment," she said.

Kirsty Castle uses nothing but reusable nappies and wipes for her eight-month-old son, Leo. She agreed that second-hand nappies kept the cost down.

Mrs Castle also uses terry-towelling, but admits they are "a little bit bulky," but perfect for at home.

"My friend gave me her newborn nappies once her daughter grew out of them and now my son has grown out of them, so I will give them back to her if she has another bub," she said.

False! All three mothers said it's a big myth in need of debunking. Mrs Keyes said there might be two extra loads each week, but it is not a huge burden.

"A load of nappies might take 15 minutes to hang out," she said. "Once you build it into your routine, it is not a huge time constraint. I even did cloth when I was working."

READ MORE: Wagga mum's move to cloth nappies sparks push for cashback scheme

Miss Gow added that there is a lot of outdated advice coming from the older generation that puts mothers off when it comes to the wash routine.

"A lot of the general advice .... says you need buckets full of bleach to soak them and you're dealing with a poop soup of yucky water," she said. "Reality is, washing recommendations have changed and machines do most of the work."

Miss Gow said the hidden costs in using more water or electricity was something her partner was apprehensive to before they made the switch. But, she said they haven't noticed a difference at all.

"We haven't noticed any change in the electricity at all."

Mrs Castle agreed the additional costs were "quite minimal" and usually absorbed into everyday expenses.

She said people might see bills increase when they first start out but it is not always due to nappies

"My son was born in winter so we had the heater on all the time and our bills were higher," she said.

"We haven't noticed much of a difference because of the nappies, but even if I did the amount of water that goes into making a disposable - it is still worth it to use the cloth."

Mrs Keyes said the main focus is to reduce waste, not to be 100 per cent perfect otherwise "you're setting yourself up for failure". Her family decided disposable nappies worked for them at night and on holidays - and that's ok.

"While cloth nappies are good, sometimes at 2am, you don't want to get up and do a whole outfit change for the baby," she said. "And we use disposable on holidays because there's not much access to washing machines all the time."

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Miss Gow said they use cloth at home, but disposable at daycare, particularly with COVID-19.

"It is an extra ask of the daycare to do something differently than what they are doing with the other kids so we just let them use disposable for this year - and it works," she said.

"I think take that medium road of doing what you can, when you can."

Wagga council recently decided to look at potential models for a reusable nappy and menstrual product rebate system to start in the 2021-22 financial year.

It is a decision Mrs Keyes supported because it could make reusable options "appealing" to people to at least try - and that's the aim, she said.