Reducing your baby’s carbon footprint with terry nappies…
If you have a baby, chances are that you use an array of products which may or may not be gentle on the earth. So how green is your baby? Thankfully it is not too hard to find baby needs products in this day and age that are both eco-friendly green and practical. No longer does “green” mean “hippie”, nor does it mean that you must refuse all cleansers and deodorants, wear uncool clothes or milk your own cow.
In the realm of baby needs, many baby items can be replaced by the exact equivalent with a product line that is much more eco-friendly. For instance, replace disposable diapers with reusable terry nappies – not a huge sacrifice, and you will find they are much cheaper too in the long run anyway. Terry nappy second uses include as rags, car polishers and spill cloths. Secondly, if you are not keen on using pre-loved clothing on your baby, then why not purchase eco-friendly garments made from natural fibers such as organic wool, hemp, bamboo or organic cotton? These clothes will have a much lighter footprint on ther earth than their polyester and synthetic cousins, and they will the much-enjoyed added benefit of looking and feeling much softer and more luxurious on your baby’s skin. Everybody loves a baby clothed in soft cuddly clothes.
What about the cot? Many cots are made from wood sourced from environmentally and culturally damaging deforestation sites in the endangered areas of the world. Much better to source a cot made from local timbers, grown sustainably and ethically, or to co-sleep with your baby which has the added benefit of helping the family get a better night’s sleep, and also contributes to a better success rate of breastfeeding due to proximity of baby and mother and the mother’s sleep gains from having baby near her – and did you know that breastfeeding alone reduces your baby’s footprint on the earth by a huge amount?
Every can of formula required many dairy cows to be raised and kept and milked for that formula to be made. For the first six months either breastmilk or baby formula is all a baby needs, and he or she will continue to drink breastmilk or formula for the entire first year of life. So every breastfeed given reduces a baby’s carbon footprint by not requiring dairy cows to be farmed and formula to be manufactured. The benefits to breastfeeding are enormous and include better overall life-long health and more bonding opportunities for mother and baby.
It’s simple to reduce your baby’s carbon footprint by doing the little things that all add up – and then you will be able to say, “Yes! My baby is very green!”
