Raising eco-babies

The way we live, eat, drink, travel, shop, communicate and live our lives affects our eco-footprint. These days everyone is being urged to make changes to their lifestyles to reduce the impact we have on the Earth. 

Raising babies and children are among the most important things we will do in a lifetime, and doing it as environmentally friendly as possible, may be the most important thing we can do for their future. Here are our EB member tips on raising eco-babies:

On their bums

Cloth nappies
Though there has been research about the environmental impact of cloth nappies vs. disposable nappies, the clear choice for many is cloth. Modern Cloth Nappies (MCN's) are not only convenient, easy to use and readily available these days, they also look good! Be warned they are addictive, and you will need to resist the urge to buy more than you really need, just because they look so cute on your baby's little bottom.

To reduce the impact:
• Dry pail them instead of soaking in large amounts of water.
• Wash using eco-friendly detergents.
• Dry them on the clothes line in the sun.
• Use MCN's made from organic fabrics, such as hemp and bamboo.
• Try sourcing your nappies from a local seller/ maker, or make your own.
• Use them for your next babies, or sell them.

Disposables
If you think cloth seems too hard, start by using just one cloth nappy per day. Put it on your baby after they have just had a dirty nappy. You can throw it in the wash with your usual load. Soon you can add more to your collection and phase out using disposables as you are able to. Don't feel guilty if you cannot go to cloth full time…. every bit helps, and keep on taking steps towards being more eco-friendly. Consider a system such as Weenees, which are a cross between disposable and cloth, using flushable inserts. Continued...