Having a baby isn’t easy. I know that and I’ve never had one. Seemingly endless nappy changes and no sleep are two things I’m not sure I’d know how to handle. A baby in the house means an increase in household waste, what with all those nappies, baby wipes and baby food containers, but it is possible, if not necessarily easy, to have an eco friendly baby. At the very least there are certain common items that could be replaced with more sustainable alternatives.
It’s clear that the appearance of a small human in the house can cause chaos and, understandably for many, the environmental impact of items bought for the baby certainly isn’t the top priority. For young families and single parents in particular, cost is very often the primary concern. With that in mind it’s worth noting that some of the more environmentally friendly suggestions below will actually save money in the longer term but you would have to sacrifice a bit of the convenience that we’ve become accustomed to.
I’ll be as realistic as possible with my suggestions here…
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Nappies
Let’s start with the most obvious baby item…
I imagine when disposable nappies became available Mums around the world rejoiced. The convenience of being able to just throw away the nappy and not have to deal with the contents can’t be denied. But disposable nappies have a massive environmental impact.
Firstly it’s worth noting that, depending on where you look for information, the average number of nappies required varies. So read the information below with that in mind… the figures are still mind-blowing whichever source you use.
| “The average baby gets through 4,000 disposable nappies by the time they’re potty-trained, costing families £400 a year and creating the equivalent of half a tonne of carbon dioxide. Most toddlers are out of nappies – during the day, at least – by the time they’re two-and-a-half, by which point parents will have spent £1,000-plus on disposable nappies and upwards of £250 on the associated paraphernalia such as baby wipes, nappy bags and nappy bins.” – The Guardian |
| “A baby will use around 5,000 nappies over their nappy-wearing life. That produces a mountain of waste equivalent to 130 black bin-bags full. Nearly 8 million nappies are thrown away every day in the UK; that’s 3 billion a year. More disposable nappies are found in UK household waste than anything else. It is thought the plastics in disposable nappies could take hundreds of years to decompose.” – Independent |
What are the alternatives to disposable nappies?
In India, Mothers are more likely to spend the first 6 months at home with their baby and they use cloth nappies or nothing at all. Being with the baby constantly means being able to clean up any mess as soon as it happens. Additionally it’s believed to be incredibly unclean to have urine and faeces being kept in place by a disposable nappy, which is a good point.
Realistically though we aren’t going to be able to convince the western world to leave their babies bare bottomed, but cloth nappies are certainly an option to consider.
| Time Taken to Decompose | How many nappies required per baby? | Lifetime Cost** | |
| Disposable nappies (branded) | Up to 500 years | ~ 4500 | 15p per nappy = £675 |
| Disposable nappies (supermarket own brand) | Up to 500 years | ~ 4500 | 8p per nappy = £360 |
| Biodegradable nappies | Up to 50 years | ~ 4500 | 19p per nappy = £855 |
| Reusable nappies | n/a | ~ 20-25* | £100 – £300 for full nappy kit*** |
| Bare Bottoms | 0 years | 0 | £0 |
* Reusable nappies can obviously be used for more than one baby, so the number required and cost involved will be less if you have a second child when the first is out of nappies.
** Costs taken from average nappy prices found today on various supermarket websites (26/04/19) not taking into account any special offers. Additional costs such as baby wipes etc not included here. Reusable nappy prices from https://www.thenappylady.co.uk/
*** What must also be taken into account is the additional cost of washing (and drying if tumble dryers are used).
It seems obvious when looking at the table above that for total cost and environmental impact, reusable nappies are the clear winners. However it’s not that clear cut, this doesn’t take into account the environmental impact of using water and energy. How you clean your reusable nappies (ideally in a full wash, lower heat and line drying) will affect the other environmental advantages of using them.
Of course cost and the environmental consequences are both important things to consider, but we can’t forget about convenience. There’s no denying that a disposable nappy is way more convenient than a reusable one. With us all leading much busier lives, and many people not being financially able to be a stay at home parent, disposable nappies are not going to go away any time soon.
* New – seaweed based nappies that are washable, reusable and biodegradable! “By using the natural stretch method of knitting yarn, the diaper has an in-built elasticity that allows it to close with a wraparound tie. This eliminates the need for extra parts and materials such as snap closures, Velcro tape or buttons. Recycling is much easier when products contain only a single material.” – Springwise
Best nappies to buy?
- Firstly, speak to your local council as many offer schemes for trials of reusable nappies or offer discounts. (It costs them way less to do this than deal with the enormous amount of disposable nappies they have to send to landfill)
- Buy a set of reusable nappies and try to use them the majority of the time, and clean them responsibly
- Don’t beat yourself up if you use disposables when you’re out and about or traveling. Just try to get biodegradable nappies if you can for these occasions.
- Top Tip – Have an eco-friendly baby shower and ask your friends to club together for a reusable nappy kit and some biodegradable nappies!
Scottish Baby Boxes
If you’ve never heard of these read this. It’s a fantastic initiative aiming to give every baby in Scotland an equal start in life. The only thing I wish they’d include in the box alongside all the other incredibly useful items is a set of reusable nappies. Giving a parent the option to try them out would be beneficial in so many ways.
Baby Wipes
Personally I think all wipes should be banned. I won’t deny how convenient they are and I’d be lying if I told you I’d never used them, but the environmental consequences are enormous.
The truth is that if people were more responsible with the disposal of baby wipes (and face / cleaning wipes) then there wouldn’t be quite as much of the problem we have today.
The environmental impact of baby wipesThe biggest issue is that most wipes are being flushed into sewage systems, where they cause blockages. Wipes are predominantly made of synthetic polymers such as polyester, polypropylene and polyethylene. They are a non-woven, the fibres are bonded together without weaving, which makes them more durable and less likely to break down. – How To Potty Train |
| Fatbergs – those revolting sewer mountains made of wet wipes, grease and other gunk – have been cropping up all over the place in the past year or so, from London and Cardiff to Staffordshire and most recently Devon. Research shows that wet wipes actually make up more than 90% of the material that causes fatbergs and other sewer blockages. – Friends of The Earth |
But even if people were disposing of their wet wipes in the household waste rather than in the toilet, the wipes are not biodegradable and so will take years to decompose, meaning more waste in landfills and more plastic polluting our planet (in the production and disposal of it). We haven’t even mentioned the plastic packaging the wipes come in…
| Millions of parents use baby wipes every day. In fact, according to one estimate, the average baby will require 15,500 disposable wipes in the course of 2.5 years. – SimpleMost |
What’s the alternative to wipes?
You already know the answer to this, but it’s using washable cloths or bathing your baby. Yes wipes are incredibly convenient, but Mums managed to keep their babies clean before they were invented and could easily do so again.
If you feel you can’t live without the convenience of a wet wipe then you can buy biodegradable wipes. Ideally, just use reusable wipes. (Personally I use Cheeky Wipes as an alternative to toilet paper but they have some designed specifically for babies too. Use this link for 15% off any orders over £40.) This will work out cheaper for you as well as reducing your household waste. Wet wipes also might not be as good for your baby’s health as you might think…
| “Some mainstream baby wipe brands contain a chemical that could be harmful to your baby’s skin.” “The ingredient in question is methylisothiazolinone (also abbreviated as MI), and it is a preservative that can lead to painful allergic reactions if it is left on the skin.” – SimpleMost |
Baby Toys
If you’re against consumerism, as I am, then you might think I’m going to suggest not buying any baby toys. And to be fair that would be the most eco-friendly option. But baby toys do have important benefits.
| “Babies are eager to learn about the world around them, and they have much to learn. Every new shape, color, texture, taste and sound is a learning experience for them. Giving your baby toys that are safe and stimulating will help him {or her} discover his {or her} senses. Rattles and toys that make music are favorites of infants. Toys with contrasting colors are fascinating to babies and stimulate their developing vision. As they grow, infants can use toys to explore object permanence and cause and effect relationships. They also need objects such as blocks to help them build motor skills and hand-eye coordination.” – Child Development Info |
The main thing to consider when purchasing lots of toys for your baby is that they’ll quickly grow out of them. Do they really need so many toys? Do those toys always have to be brand new? The simple answer is no.
Because babies grow out of their toys so quickly, and because there are so many babies, there are also a lot of parents wanting to get rid of toys that are no longer useful.
Where to get Baby Toys?
- Ask around to see if any of your friends have toys they no longer want or need
- Check local facebook groups to see what others are selling or getting rid of for free
- Go to secondhand and charity shops
- Only buy toys that are made from sustainable materials (Personally I think wooden toys are much more attractive anyway and they’re built to last meaning numerous generations of children can enjoy them). Check out green tulip or the Ethical Superstore which sells a range of toys that are either made from recycled plastic or natural materials.
Baby Clothes
Just like toys, babies grow out of their clothes very quickly. Yes it’s nice to have lots of brand new beautiful clothes for your baby, but ethically and financially it makes far more sense to use hand-me-downs or buy second hand.
If you do want to buy something special for your new baby (and who doesn’t?) why not buy baby clothes made from organic cotton or hemp? There’s less pollution in the production of the materials and you don’t have to worry about nasty chemicals being used so they’re probably better for a baby’s sensitive skin anyway. With the materials being made from sustainable materials you also know that they’ll decompose a lot quicker than baby clothes made from synthetic materials.
Where to buy eco-friendly baby clothes?
Check out
- The Ethical Superstore – “feel good choices”.
- QT Apparel – “Spreading cuteness sustainably and helping parents raise their kids on values of equality.”
- From Babies With Love – “made with purpose and love”.
- Little Green Radicals – “organic fashion for free range kids”.
- Frugi – “ love organic”.
Baby Food
The first thing you probably think of when considering environmentally friendly baby food is organic food. But you also have to think about what the food comes in. Sadly many baby food suppliers these days use plastic pouches which are not reusable and just contribute to the waste problem.
You also have to read labels carefully to be sure that the food you’re buying is actually organic rather than just containing a few organic ingredients.
Milk / Formula
Breastfeeding is not only recommended but is of course a very environmentally friendly way to feed your baby. Breastfeeding is not always possible though, so it’s time to check out the alternatives.
Finding a breast milk alternative which is both made from natural ingredients and in sustainable packaging is extremely difficult, and unfortunately I’ve been unsuccessful in finding one so far. However here are the best options I’ve found up to this point. (I will keep looking but if you know of a company then please do say so in the comments underneath the article).
Arla Baby and Me – A spokesperson comments, “We recently announced our ambition to be carbon net zero by 2050. Being a cooperative owned by dairy farmers this includes all our greenhouse emissions from farm through to the products we make, the packaging they are in and the manner in which they are transported to stores. Our formula milk tins unfortunately are not yet recyclable but we are looking into alternative materials that will still offer the same preservative capabilities. Our porridge outer packaging is made of card so this is widely recycled in the UK.”
Holle Organic Baby Milk – packaged in a foil bag and a cardboard box. (Is foil recyclable?)
Baby Food
Many organic baby food suppliers, for some reason, use pouches, but there are a few that still offer glass jars.
- Beech Nut – They do sell pouches, but they also have a good range of organic food in jars.
- Hipp – Another company that sells pouches but at least they still offer jars as an option.
- Ella’s – In pouches, but organic. Can be found at both The Vegan Kind Supermarket and The Ethical Superstore.
- Make your own! – Making your own baby food means you know exactly what’s going into the food, is probably cheaper and also uses less packaging (because at least if you use plastic to store the food it’s likely to be reusable).
Baby Accessories
There are so many items that appear to be essential for babies (but probably aren’t), however here are a few bits and bobs that are kinder to both your baby and Mother Earth.
Baby Bottles – It’s relatively easy to find glass baby bottles – check out this Tommee Tippee Glass Bottle Starter Kit.
Dummies – When looking for a dummy it’s a bit more difficult, especially when trying to get one that doesn’t come in plastic packaging or have a plastic handle. The thing to look for is an all natural rubber dummy. Hevea is a name that crops up often but there are 3 other options mentioned in this helpful article.
Sun Cream – Babies have sensitive skin, when out and about it’s always a good idea to use sun cream. You can buy non-toxic, all natural sun screams with an SPF of 30 made especially for your baby from Green People.
Salves and Nappy Cream – To look after your babies skin go for natural and organic balms and creams.
Lotions and Massage Oils – Again it’s best to find all natural products, ideally organic, when moisturising or massaging your baby.
Things for Mum
We can’t forget Mum when talking about babies! Mum has to consider things like breast pads, nipple cream and maybe even a feeding shawl to protect her modesty, if she feels the need to that is. Check out The Ethical Superstore for a range of items for Mum.
How to have an eco-friendly baby
In summary
- Buy / ask friends and family for reusable nappies
- Have biodegradable disposable nappies as a back-up when out and about or traveling
- Make or buy reusable wipes (or go without)
- Buy second hand baby toys or buy toys made from sustainable materials
- Use second hand baby clothes or find eco-friendly clothing suppliers
- Buy baby formula and food that not only contains natural ingredients but has the least damaging packaging as well.
- Make your own baby food
- Buy glass baby bottles and natural rubber dummies (as long as you and your baby aren’t allergic to latex).
- Use certified organic lotions and potions
Other articles you might enjoy…
Eco-Friendly Gender Reveal Party
Eco-Friendly Baby Shower
How To Be An Eco-Friendly Parent
Have you got any other suggestions?
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