Do you need to buy a present for a new-born baby? What about buying a sustainable present?
It seems contradictory… being ecological and having kids (having kids has the worse carbon footprint…), but we discussed this already.
But some people (like me) did the “eco-mindset” switch after having children. You want them to be as healthy as possible, to not expose them to chemicals, and you want to try to preserve the earth for them,…
However, your life gets sometimes so exhausting and busy with small kids… So here again, I would encourage you to take it easy.
Honestly, the “eco baby” is my worse ecological achievement, but never mind, I’ll share with you my experience so that you can see that I’m also just a normal human being :-). I’m sure (and hope) that many of you do/did better than me.
Here is my top 3:
1) Reusable baby wipes & napkins!
This is for sure the number one for me!!!
I discovered reusable baby wipes (NL: billendoekjes; FR: lingettes) with the birth of my first daughter. We received “Cheeky wipes”.
They have 2 sets: white wipes which are meant to clean buttocks of babies (and why not adults; I tried it and it feels amazing!); and the colored ones which can are meant as moisten napkins (dries much faster than washcloth!!!). I gave “cheeky wipes” to some friends who got babies and they told me that it was the best present they got (not being on their wish list).
How to use them:
- moist them (eventually in container with water and some essential oil of lavender; I have them dry in the cupboard and I moist one with tap water before use)
- clean the buttock
- then throw them in an appropriate container (they recommend a container with essential oil of lemon for disinfection; but we throw them in a dedicated garbage bin (I take the bucket inside the garbage and drop the content in the washing machine without touching it).
Pros: you save thousands of baby wipes and you don’t smear any chemicals on your child.
Cons: you need to wash them hot (at least 60°C) which is less ecological than washing at 30°C. For the warm laundry I do not use horse chestnuts for the laundry but my home-made laundry powder.
I usually do a short rinse program (15 min) with the reusable diapers and reusable wipes before adding all the rest for the warm laundry (towels, underwear,…) at 60°C or 90°C.
2) Reusable diapers (NL: luiers; FR: couche culottes ou pampers)
First of all: of course you don’t put diapers full of shit in your washing machine! You add thin layer of paper in it, which you can wash if it only contains urine, and you throw away if it’s dark and smelly 😉
I must admit that this one was not really a success at the beginning. I thought I was a super-mother and bought diapers which were not so easy to tie up and which were leaking at least once a day… so I only used it once in a while because it was too much work…
Once my daughters only needed a diaper during the night; I discovered them again!
Here the one I like best (and use(d)): “TotsBots Bamboozle stretch” and the water-proof layer from “Lulu nature Boxer”. This one has fleece instead of an elastic band at the thighs opening. Those with elastic (I tried many brands) were leaving painful red stripes on their thighs…
3) the Greenkit!
I discovered the GreenKit not so long ago, but I wish I did before!
When I was pregnant, I received a box full of product samples (cream, soap, diapers, shampoo, buttock cream,…) and full of packaging and plastic wrapping…
A smart mother of 2 decided to help young parents to think about ecology and started a similar box with samples from sustainable products only. How great is this!?!?!?!
Eco With Kids 