Parents are more aware of the environmental impact of having children than ever before. Climate change is on all of our minds, but it can be nearly impossible to parent in a way that is environmentally responsible.
Babies and kids need things, often for relatively short periods of time. A single baby can produce over 2000 pounds of waste in diapers alone over the first two years. That figure doesn’t include destroyed board books, new clothing every 3 months, or broken plastic toys.
Being environmentally conscious with a baby can seem like a lot of work. There’s cloth diapers, breastfeeding, sourcing cruelty-free wooden toys, etc. This post isn’t about those more difficult switches. It is about big, one-time changes you can make and then never think about again.
Easy, right?
One- Pick a neutral theme
Creating a nursery around your favorite TV show or children’s books may be tempting, but those designs are also fleeting. What will you do when your toddler gets really into dinosaurs? Are you going to toss your Harry Potter bedspreads for dinosaur ones? And two weeks later when they are into trucks are you going to do it again?
Instead of going with a specific nursery theme, pick something neutral. Try to think of the furniture in their room as having to go through a bunch of different phases. Will this paint color and bed frame survive the dinosaur phase? The transportation phase? The witch phase?
I recommend sticking with soft colors, like light blue, green, or yellow. Choose neutral sheets, like white or a color that complements the wall color. Then you can dress up the bed with duvet covers which are much cheaper and produce less waste than a whole new bed in a box.
If you are concerned about art, you can get generic-sized picture frames and change up the prints for each phase, which will also save you money.
Try to look at the nursery as if your (someday) 15 year old will still be in it, then decorate and find furniture accordingly.
Two- Get real furniture
Do your best to find quality, universal furniture for the nursery. Everything you buy could still be in use when the child is a teenager. Maybe they will even take it with them to college.
Skip single-use pieces of furniture like changing tables and throw a towel (or changing pad) on a wooden dresser instead. As you stop using it for changing diapers, your toddler will need it for clothing.
Real wooden dressers can be expensive, so I recommend finding a used one. They can take a little elbow grease to clean up and make shine, but it is definitely worth it.
Three- Skip the crib
Have you ever heard of a floor bed?
It is perfectly reasonable, and possible, for your child to skip the crib entirely. Start with a twin mattress on the floor. Make sure it is firm enough for a baby, and get several sets of sheets to layer them so you don’t have to change sheets in the middle of the night.
When they are around 4 or 5, you can pick out a twin bed frame that will survive the next season of their life. Then throw the twin mattress you already have on it and call it done.
We have a twin bed frame in my daughter’s room that is made entirely of metal except for the head and footboards- which are wood. That frame will fit with any design aesthetic she chooses going forward and will hold up to any moves we wind up making. It is durable enough that she could conceivably take it with her to college or use it for her children.
By choosing something we know she can continue to use going forward, we know we won’t need to replace her bedframe and create a bunch of waste.
Four- Buy glass or stainless steel
Plastic bottles and toddler utensils wear out quickly and are bad for the environment. But glass and stainless steel can service many families without degrading.
Consider investing in glass baby bottles, especially if you plan on having more than one child. They will save you tons of money in the long run while preventing more plastic waste. And they have the added benefit of not releasing microplastics into your child’s milk.
Glass does not make a great option for toddler plates and bowls, but stainless steel does. Stainless bowls can go in the dishwasher, are cheap, and will hold ice cream for the family for the next 20 years. Pair them with some silicone lids and you have the toddler years set.
Five- Skip single-use baby items
What do burp cloths, baby baths, and hooded towels have in common?
They are all designed to only have a few months of use before they are essentially trash. Instead, invest in higher quality multi-use items or use what you already have.
Kitchen towels are often more absorbent and will protect your clothing better than a muslin burp cloth. If you decide to cloth diaper, prefolds work very well as burp cloths as well.
Skip hooded towels entirely and use spare towels you already have; and it is easy to give a newborn a bath in the sink.
From sippy cups to crib bumpers, there is all kinds of junk out there marked to new parents. Don’t fall for it. Get what you need when you need it.
Six- Buy used
My daughter wore 2T clothes for three months. That’s it, three months.
Kids go through clothing and toys really quickly. Consider looking on craigslist, apps like offer up, and thrift stores for these items.
I bought my daughter’s entire 3T wardrobe for $30 through LetGo (now Offer Up). Once I’m done having kids, I’ll sell it on.
Many areas have parenting swap meets and you can find just about everything you need between these swap meets and charity shops. We’ve gotten everything from strollers for $15 to toys and clothing.
Just be careful not to use a used car seat. Doing so is a safety hazard. Instead, take used car seats and turn them into stores like Target for a discount on a new one.
Seven- Use things you already have
Towels make fantastic changing pads. Kitchen towels are great as burp cloths. Those baby blankets that are too thick to be safe your aunt gave you? Those are great as tummy time play-mats.
We’ve used spoons for digging in the dirt, and seldom used kitchen pots are now prominently featured in my daughter’s “kitchen”. Metal mixing bowls have a million uses, and mugs can be used as scoops or vessels for pouring.
Before you buy anything, consider if you have something on hand that can be used for that purpose.
Eight- Skip purees
Purees cause so much waste.
Jars and little plastic spoons to speciality freezing trays and pouches– all things you don’t really need. And then all the work they require too!
Consider checking out baby-led weaning. It is less work overall and promotes healthy eating. It also takes less stuff and saves money since the baby just eats what you are already eating.
Nine- Get cloth wipes
We use flannel cloth wipes as part of our cloth diapering routine, and we will use them long after we finish diapering.
They are more durable than wet wipes or paper towels and can just be tossed in the wash when they are done their duty. A single wet flannel cloth will clean up toddler blueberry pancake mess or tackle both hands after finger painting.
We tend to keep a few damp on the kitchen counter. Whenever our two-year-old wants to wash her hands or clean up a spill, she grabs one, cleans, and puts it in the wash. Having a few always available has really boosted her independence.
The best part? If they dry out, just re-wet them, and there are no harsh chemicals or preservatives.
Even if you choose not to cloth diaper, a single package of flannel wipes will reduce your waste immensely and save money in the process.
Ten- Go modular
As children age, their storage needs change. Instead of investing in a baby shelf or a toddler dresser, choose something that will grow with the child.
I recommend using a modular system in the child’s closet so you can raise the clothing bar and rearrange the drawers as they grow. For toy storage, consider cube storage and bins that can be reorganized to accommodate the ever changing rotation of toys.
Remember to attach all storage solutions to the walls so the child won’t be able to tip them over.
Reducing waste is one of the best things we can do to protect the planet and our wallets.
Most items marketed for babies and young children are not designed to last. Instead of investing in baby-geared unitaskers, consider buying quality pieces meant to grow with the child or sourcing quick turnaround items second hand.
Both your wallet and the planet will thank you.