7 Eco-Friendly Ways to Care for your Baby

“Eco-friendly”, “green” and “organic” are three words that all mean “going back to nature”, a global movement to preserve the Earth’s resources.  These efforts include planting trees, recycling, and eating organic food, among others, but there is actually a lot more we can do – and it starts in your own home.     

Every little bit helps.  Do your share by following these “green” ways to care for baby:

1.    Breastfeed.  Aside from the obvious benefits of breastmilk to the baby, breastfeeding helps save costs that go into producing, packing and distributing the formula.  It also means that there won’t be any bottles to sterilize or clean.

2.    Use cloth diapers. 27 billion disposable diapers are thrown into landfills in the in the United States every year, and those will take at least 250 years to decompose, so when you think about it, disposable diapers aren’t that good, are they?  With the reinvention of cloth diapers (they now come in different designs and colors, and use snap-ons instead of giant pins), there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use cloth.  Here’s one more motivation to ditch your disposable : it contains carcinogenic materials used for bleaching.

3.    Use public transport.  With gas prices shooting up, some of you may even welcome the idea.  When you are going a short distance only, try walking or use a means of transport that doesn’t feed on gas and thus won’t emit harmful smoke.  The environment will thank you for it.

4.    Think long and hard before you buy. Does your baby really need new clothes?  And doesn’t he have enough toys already?  The idea is to go minimalist and lessen the items that will turn into junk a year from now.  Why not buy pre-loved (second hand) clothes?  Even better, why not hand down those which have already accumulated into your closet to relatives’ babies or donate them.  A neat idea : A group of moms have started a “toy swap” where they move toys around the group.  Not only is it eco-friendly, it also allows moms to share and bond, and makes for an instant playdate!

 

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5.    Plastic is not fantastic – so use less.  There are a lot of ec-firnedly alternatives to plastic toys and furnishings that won’t harm your child or the environment.

6.    Use natural products.  The great thing about all this talk on being earth-friendly is that there are now more products that work well with the environment, like personal care, clothes (made from bamboo fibers) and even cleaning agents (detergents)!  Sometimes it would take a longer search than usual, but ultimately, when you find the right product it will be worth it.

7.    Co-sleep with your baby.  Share the bed with your little one to save on electricity.  Or, set up the wooden crib in your room and decorate it with handcrafted trinkets and fit it with pillows and sheets that utilize organic fabric.  Not only will it help the environment, it will provide baby with a safe and comfortable haven, too.  (Note : bamboo fabric is very soft and is weather-adaptable, so it cools down when it’s hot but provides warmth when the weather is cold.)

Sources :
•    April 19, 2011. Amy Thompson. “9 Ways to Green Baby Care” Babble.com
•    March 17, 2010. Dixiebelle & EB Members. « Raising eco-babies” Essentialbaby.com

 

Photo from sxc.hu