This small country with a population of around 282,000 has decided to take such a radical step to protect the environment. It had already banned the use of plastic straws and advertising bags. As The Guardian newspaper notes, the introduction of the ban was announced after the publication of a study showing that organic waste and disposable nappies account for three quarters of all waste on the islands of Vanuatu. The latter contain plastic and can take up to hundreds of years to decompose.

Controversial legislation

This radical proposal has caused controversy among parents living in the island nation. Vanuatu Foreign Affairs Minister Mike Masauvakalo says such a radical move is to protect the country's future. He added that finding an acceptable replacement for parents will be a challenge. He is considering cotton nappies as an alternative.

We have a long way to go. But knowing my country, we will make it. The climate crisis is very much in the news in Vanuatu. It is visible, we are living it. It's affecting our food resources and fish populations ," he explained.

However, Vanuatu is not the only country where such an idea to combat climate change has emerged. UK Environment Minister Michael Gove once suggested a similar solution. However, this caused a huge outcry and the minister had to back down.