First, congratulations! Expecting a new addition is an incredibly exciting, life-changing time for you and your loved ones. Whether this is your first, second or third born, you’re sure to be busy planning, preparing, and organizing for their arrival.
If you’re one of the 66% of consumers who have said that they keep sustainability in mind when they’re making a purchase, you might be wondering how you can maintain this pledge when it comes to sourcing the many, many necessities that a newborn will need.
It’s understandable to lack the knowledge and the confidence to find environmentally-sound baby wares successfully and easily. Fortunately, there are some stress-free ways to secure quality items for your baby while staying true to your ethical commitment. Here are just a few tips for a successful eco-friendly parenting journey.
1. Source High Quality Products
For items you’d personally like to buy new, or items you want to include on your baby registry, seek out high quality baby products. Doing so guarantees long-lasting and durable goods that are safe and comfortable for baby. This is especially important for products like bibs, toys, teething rings, and other accessories that are sure to see a lot of wear and tear.
2. Consider Cloth Diapers
The average newborn goes through approximately 10 diapers a day. In North America, this equates to 30 billion disposable diapers per year. 250,000 trees were felled to make these diapers, and 90 thousand tons of plastic were used in their fabrication.
To reduce this environmental strain, consider cloth diapers. While cloth diapers involve washing, they’re better overall for the environment, and there will be no last-minute, emergency trips to the store to stock up on reusables.
3. Make Your Own Baby Food
When the time comes to introduce solid foods to your baby’s diet, consider making baby purees and mashes yourself at home. These can be prepared and frozen in advance or made on the go using elements from your dinner. Making your baby food using fresh produce is so much better than using processed foods — for both baby and the environment.
4. Seek Out Non-Toxic Products
If you haven’t already, now is a great time to embrace non-toxic products in the home. This includes non-toxic paint and furniture with low VOCs for the baby’s nursery and natural cleaners for elsewhere in the house. Some family-friendly cleaning solutions can be easily made using vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice and essential oils.
While natural laundry detergents are often more expensive, they’re not only better for the environment, but they’re also often gentler on baby’s sensitive skin.
5. Plan an Eco-Friendly Baby Shower
Baby showers have received some unfortunate press of late due to their environmental toll. This needn’t be the case; it is possible to host a celebratory gathering that everyone will enjoy — including Mother Earth – with some easy-to-implement changes, such as:
- Creating a thorough baby registry of the items you’d like and need — unwanted and unnecessary gifts takes a huge environmental toll.
- Sourcing food and drinks from local farms and caterers.
- Forgoing the plastic plates and cutlery by renting serving vessels.
- Renting décor or handcrafting it yourself.
Takeaway
Embracing a greener lifestyle need not be an all-or-nothing approach. Any-and-all changes are embraced on the road to a more sustainable lifestyle — even if it means starting with baby steps.