How to Be An Eco-Friendly and Green Parent for Your Baby | A Guide to Raising A Sustainable Baby
Being an eco-friendly and green parent is about making conscious choices that protect the environment whilst also providing for your child’s needs. In an ideal world, all of us would treat our planet with the same love and tenderness that we show to our little ones!
It's unfortunate that the earth's condition is getting worse day by day due to a number of human-made problems such as pollution, natural resource exploitation, and unchecked cruelty to animals. Climate change is the harsh reality of our times and the clock is ticking.
However, not all hope is lost. As parents, we can do our part in reversing some of the damage by teaching our children about the importance of living a sustainable and zero waste lifestyle from a young age.
If your child is too small to learn the importance of a clean and green approach, you can simply make sure that you and your baby follow an environmentally friendly lifestyle on a daily basis.
In this article, we will explore a few easy ways to be an eco-friendly and green parent. If you follow these tips, your baby will soon be an eco baby!
6 Ways to Achieve Eco-Friendly and Green Parenting
Of late, the terms 'eco-friendly parenting,' 'sustainable parenting,' 'zero waste movement,' 'green parenting,' and 'ecofriendly baby products' have generated a ton of buzz on social media. It's good to see that new parents are not only excited about their new life with their baby but also looking forward to doing their bit for the planet.
Given below are six ways to become an eco-friendly parent for your baby. We hope these green parenting tips will help and inspire you!
1. Choose Cloth Diapers, Not Disposable Diapers
The easiest way to be a sustainable parent for your baby is to choose cloth diapers over disposable ones.
Disposable diapers are major pollutants that end up either in a landfill or a water body, contaminating both soil and water with microplastics. They take hundreds of years to break down and thus massively damage plant and animal life. Additionally, the production of disposable diapers requires an enormous amount of water and crude oil.
You can imagine how many disposable diapers a single household with a baby will go through. Now imagine millions of households doing the same thing all across the world. Overwhelming, isn't it? Our planet simply isn't meant to tackle such massive amounts of single-use plastic waste.
Thus, making use of cloth diapers instead of disposable ones is a good idea as it will reduce the amount of waste generated by your household. Additionally, it will also protect your baby's skin from the chemicals found in disposable diapers. There are sustainable brands that make diapers from cloth and other biodegradable materials that you can check out.
Besides, you can make your own reusable nappies at home by cutting up a long, soft cotton cloth. Just ensure that you have a surplus amount of cloth diapers so that you always have them available in between laundry cycles.
Additionally, soft cloth nappies feel better on your baby's sensitive skin. Just make sure to wash and rinse them properly, and you'll have yourself a happy baby bum and a less-polluted planet.
2. Use Natural, Organic, and Sustainable Baby Products
From baby lotions and shampoos, choosing natural and organic products for your baby is one of the most important ways to achieve eco-friendly parenting. Nature's Baby Organics is a reputed brand that you can consider whilst looking for organic baby care brands.
Always read the labels on your baby products to make sure that the brands you choose are eco-friendly, sustainable, and suitable for your baby's delicate skin. In other words, look for brands that are vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic, and have packaging that is biodegradable and/or made from recycled materials.
Additionally, you can cut down on your reliance on branded baby products by opting for home remedies and natural products. Need a baby moisturizer? Choose coconut oil! Need a quick diaper rash fix? Say hello to aloe!
Of course, you can still go for sustainable brands that are mindful of their carbon footprint and are making an effort to be as eco-friendly as possible.
3. Reduce Waste by Choosing Reusable Products Whenever Possible
We've already talked about the importance of reusable cloth nappies for an eco-friendly parenting experience. However, there are other single-use, storebought products that you can replace with their reusable versions.
From reusable baby bottle liners to wet bags, there are many ways you can reduce waste by using reusable products for your baby.
For example, instead of using disposable baby wipes, you can opt for reusable cloth wipes. This not only reduces waste but also helps in preventing skin rashes, infections, and allergies that are commonly caused by the chemicals found in disposable wipes. You can also use soft handkerchiefs to clean your baby's face and nose instead of single-use tissues.
Additionally, instead of using a paper bag or a zipper bag that you'll throw away after one use, keep your baby's snacks in a lunch/tiffin box made of steel or high-quality food-grade plastic. Instead of buying water bottles whenever you go out, keep a refillable water bottle with you at all times.
As long as you are willing to put in a bit of effort and make some sustainable switches, achieving eco-friendly parenting is not difficult at all.
4. Breastfeed Your Baby
Breastfeeding is not only best for your baby, but it’s also good for the environment as it eliminates the need for formula and bottles.
With breastfeeding, you don't have a need for manufactured food, plastic containers, and animal-derived products (all of which are required by most baby formulas). Plus, there's guaranteed hygiene and zero waste.
However, if you can’t breastfeed, or if you want to supplement your baby with formula, choose eco-friendly baby formula brands that use sustainable packaging and are conscious of their carbon footprint. You can even go for vegan baby formulas if you wish to be cruelty-free and avoid cow's milk, which is also known to be a common allergen.
5. Choose or Make Environmentally-Friendly Toys for Your Baby
From blocks made of sustainable bamboo to soft toys made of organic cotton, there are many eco-friendly options available when it comes to choosing toys for your baby. When possible, choose toys that are made of sustainable and natural materials that can be reused or recycled.
Additionally, try to avoid plastic toys as they often end up in landfills and damage the environment. Wooden toys are always preferable to plastic ones.
You can even make toys for your baby yourself by repurposing everyday household items. From creating a puppet by stuffing a clean sock to making a rattle toy by filling a bottle with grains, the DIY options here are endless.
After all, to be environment friendly it is important to reduce consumption and prioritize recycling and upcycling.
6. Embrace Hand-Me-Downs and Thrifting
Your baby grows rapidly in the first few years of their life and thus it's no surprise that they outgrow their cute clothes extremely quickly. Around the world, millions of baby clothes are discarded after being used for a meagre few weeks or months.
However, there's an easy way to combat this and embrace the zero waste baby lifestyle — hand-me-downs and thrifted clothes!
Not only are hand-me-downs eco-friendly, but they also help in strengthening relationships with a family member or a friend. Won't you feel good if your little one wears a dress that was worn by your sister when she was a baby? Once your infant grows older, you can show them photos of them in the very same clothes worn by their loved ones.
Additionally, thrift stores are a great option for eco-friendly parents who want to buy baby clothes, toys, furniture (such as cribs and high chairs), and other supplies. This can help you save money in the long run while also reducing your carbon footprint.
The only factors to keep in mind when it comes to hand-me-downs and thrifting are hygiene and safety. Make sure the second-hand clothes, toys, and furniture for your baby are clean and devoid of iffy smells; always sterilize them properly before use. When it comes to babies, it's necessary to be extra vigilant about everything!
Also, when it comes to clothing, ensure that there are no loose buttons, broken zips, damaged pompoms or other small accessories on the clothes, as they can potentially be swallowed by your infant.
As long as you take care of hygiene and safety, hand-me-downs and thrifted items are the best ways to reduce material consumption and encourage reuse. In a similar vein, donate your baby's clean and undamaged clothes, toys, and furniture to a charity shop, thrift store, friend, or relative, once they have been outgrown.
Raise an Eco-Friendly, Green, and Zero Waste Baby
Clearly, there are many ways to reduce your impact on the environment whilst still providing everything your baby needs. Just keep in mind how essential it is to reduce, reuse, recycle, repurpose, and upcycle.
Additionally, speak to your paediatrician to make sure that the methods you are employing to be a clean, green, sustainable, and zero-waste parent are suitable for your baby.
Get creative — see what you can come up with to be an eco-conscious and green parent and share it with your friends and family members.
Embracing green parenting is the first step in raising a new generation of eco-conscious individuals who care about the planet's future!
Nature's Baby Organics — Good for Your Baby, Good for Your Planet
If you are looking for high-quality, organic baby products that are cruelty-free and vegan, you've come to the right place.
Nature's Baby Organics has a fantastic range of plant-derived baby skin and hair care products that is suitable for the sensitive skin of babies. Minimally processed and devoid of harsh chemicals, our products are specially formulated for those with delicate and allergy-prone skin. You can even use our gentle products on yourself!
From the award-winning Organic Ah-Choo! Chest Rub (Eucalyptus) to the extremely popular Organic Massage & Baby Oil (Mandarin Coconut), our USDA Certified products take care of all your baby's skin requirements and will aid you on your journey to become an eco-conscious parent and raise an eco-friendly baby.
Check out the Nature's Baby Organics website today to get your hands on some natural goodness that is not only good for your baby but also good for your planet.