These babies really did put their backs into it—and helped their mums’ bid to beat the world record nappy change.

East London Advertiser: Parents prepare to set a new Guinness world recordParents prepare to set a new Guinness world record (Image: (C) Emily Gray Photography 2013)

The mothers were invited to take part in global attempt to break the record for the most reusable nappies changed in one go.

Saturday’s “all change” was made appropriately at Bethnal Green’s Museum of Childhood, one of 285 centres taking part across the globe trying to undo last year’s nappy record of 8,251 reusables changed at the same time.

But there was a serious side to the ‘Great Cloth Nappy’ challenge—to raise awareness of an environmental issue.

London alone is currently dumping 90,000 tonnes of disposables to landfill sites every year, which campaigners say could take 500 years to biodegrade. Washable reusable nappies, they maintain, reduce landfill and can save mums £500 a year.

An unofficial global count of more than half the centres early today put the record attempt ahead of target, with 6,509 babies having had their nappies changed—and 100 more centres still to go. The confirmed results are expected on Friday.