There are many things that you can do to reduce your baby’s environmental footprint and have a zero waste baby. You could use cloth diapers, breastfeed, and limit the number of toys they have. These are all great ways to help out with reducing waste in their environment. But what about products? What if you want your baby to have some new clothes or toys? This blog post will talk about zero waste tips for babies – both regarding products and tips on how they interact with them.
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What is the significance of a zero waste baby?
It is important to have a zero waste baby because the average American child produces 65 pounds of waste each year, and that amount increases significantly as they age. Having a zero waste baby would help cut down on this number while still allowing your children to live like other normal kids their age do. Parents don’t need to go out of their way or make drastic changes to achieve living with less waste; by simply making small adjustments here and there, parents can cut down on the amount of waste accumulated over time without sacrificing convenience. This post contains tips for having a zero waste baby, along with product recommendations!
How can you raise a child who produces no waste?
A zero waste baby would be free of any non-reusable or disposable items. – There are many ways to have a zero-waste baby without buying too much new stuff. Using reusable cloth diapers is one way you can significantly reduce the number of diaper changes that go into landfills every year! You also want to make sure your child’s toys are still in good shape by passing them on to friends and family members when they get older, so you don’t end up with more than four plastic toy cars laying around somewhere! Another idea may be to use an actual book instead of tablets or e-readers filled with chemicals while reading stories at night.
Tips and products for a zero-waste baby
From zero waste travel to cloth diapers, there are many ways that you can become more sustainable in your role as a parent.
A healthy, zero-waste lifestyle isn’t just for adults. There are many essential steps you can take to reduce the amount of waste produced by your baby. Here are 20 tips and products for a zero-waste baby.
Look for zero-waste skincare products.
Babies are so cute, but they also need your help to be healthy. Luckily for you, there is a solution! You can make all baby’s beauty products with just one or two ingredients: bar soap and moisturizer that isn’t harsh on the skin like cotton balls covered in medicinal astringents (yeast extract)! For diaper rash treatment, use coconut oil as an inexpensive natural alternative using reusable containers from bulk food stores instead of plastic bottles containing toxic chemicals such as PVCs–which may leach into cloth diapers when heated up during cooking processes).
Use a menstrual cup
Using a menstrual cup can save you up to 12,000 tampons or pads in your lifetime! And the best part is that they only need to be replaced about every 10 years. If you’re interested, here’s how to choose a menstrual cup.
Don’t buy into gadgets and parenting aids.
Don’t be fooled! Most of those expensive, plastic-clad gadgets that promise to make your parenting journey easier are not necessary. From the latest iPad strollers to built-in onesie monitors and fancy swings – you probably won’t ever miss them if they aren’t something you buy for yourself or as a gift from someone else who knows what’s up with these things (we all know our friends will always have good advice).
Use washable nursing pads.
Cloth nursing pads are greener than disposable ones, but if you’d prefer not to go down that route, reusable cloths from Ikea make great nursing pads too! All it takes is 4 cloths and 2 minutes of washing each day for clean breast bindings – win-win! They last for years and don’t cost a cent once you’ve bought them. You can cut them to size and can even add them in when you’re doing the laundry.
Use cloth diapers instead of disposable ones.
Disposable diapers take about 500 years to decompose in a landfill and release chemicals in the soil, whereas cloths are easily washed and reused again and again. They also contain fibers that allow a baby’s small body to eliminate waste more easily. Plus, they make for much cuter pictures!
Breastfeed your baby
Breast milk is free (yes, seriously!), organic (if you eat organic food) and contains all the important nutrients your baby needs during their first months of life until their immune system fully develops around 6 months of age. If breastfeeding isn’t an option, try using a formula free of any unnecessary or harmful ingredients.
Wash your baby’s clothes with water only
Babies tend to produce fewer stains, so you can choose not to use any chemicals in the washing machine for their clothing. If stains do occur, soak them in cold water and let them dry outside in the sun – they’ll be ready to wear again within minutes!
Use baking soda for diaper rash.
Baking soda has a natural antiseptic property to help prevent rashes and treat mild cases quickly and easily. Just keep a small jar of baking soda in the nappy bag, so it’s always handy when needed!
Use cloth nappies
Cloth nappies not only look cuter than disposables, but they also make for very easy nappy changes (especially at night) with no need to take dirty nappies off before putting new ones on. They come in all shapes and sizes – even organic cotton varieties! And you can repurpose them as picture books or storage containers after your child grows out of them – win-win!
Use fleece or wool as an insulator for baby clothes
When winter comes around, all that’s needed is an extra layer or two of natural materials such as wool or fleece to keep the baby warm without having to use a bulky coat! Wool can be bought off Etsy, which means zero waste since the delivery isn’t through the mail either. Try looking for a wool diaper cover or a wool sleep sack.
Use natural oils as moisturizers.
Commercial baby moisturizers often contain unnecessary chemicals, and many aren’t even petroleum-based – making them difficult to recycle! Instead, look for a small bottle of organic coconut oil or olive oil at your local health store and use it on the baby’s face, hands and body as needed. It also leaves behind a wonderful smell that mamas love!
Make your baby wipes
You can make reusable, chemical-free wipes from old flannels, cloth nappies, or cut up baby t-shirts into squares by simply adding warm water and some tea tree essential oil to a bowl of your choice (a shallow cookie cutter works great for this).
Use cloth baby wipes.
When you have older kids who are past the diaper stage, turn them into reusable baby wipes instead of throwing them away! You’ll still get plenty of use out of them, and they’re super quick and easy to clean (especially if you keep 2-3 available in different locations). Cut old t-shirts into rectangle shapes (roughly 4 x 6 inches), fold them in half onto themselves, and seal all four edges with either a serger or zigzag stitch. To give the wipes a fresh scent, place a few drops of essential oils onto either flannel squares or cotton washcloths to use instead.
Use reusable lidded glass jars as food storage.
Avoid plastics that are non-sticky, dry out the bread, or are difficult to clean by using reusable lidded glass jars for storing your food in the fridge and pantry. These come in all shapes and sizes, too, so find one that works well with what you’re storing! Jars are also great for transporting liquids like smoothies, soups, sauces, and dressings when visiting friends and family (they even make microwavable plastic-free caps). By reusing these types of jars, you’ll also help save the environment by reducing how much waste is piling up!
Make your baby food at home.
Instead of purchasing it ready-made, you can save a lot of money by making your own puréed fruit and vegetables. You may want to make large batches or store them in reusable containers for future use; if you have young children, this might be too difficult so try freezing the mixture before transferring it into an ice cube tray (as my sons got older). Avoid those food pouches that are not recyclable on the theon-the-go since they contain more plastic than other options available such as glass jars with lids which will keep excess air from going rancid while living off. Granola bars until we reach civilization again!
Make a careful selection of toys.
The problem with plastic toys is that they break so easily. Babies and young children have a limited number of chew items, which means you should prioritize quality over quantity if possible by buying wooden rather than cheap imported ones for your kid or, even better still, make some yourself.
Ask your family and friends for practical presents.
Giving baby gifts can be overwhelming. They are such generous people, and it’s a wonderful thing, but you don’t need that many clothes or toys for your child! Hint at wanting practical items like freezer meals instead of the usual plushies; gift certificates with money towards one larger item (easter baskets might not cut it anymore), free babysitting from friends who have kids your size, or a home-cooked meal.
Potty training
There are many ways to approach potty training. Some people choose the diaper free-method, others try a reward system, and others prefer just taking their baby’s cues as they learn what it means when their pants go up or down. The important thing is that you use an approach that works for your child and family. I approached our daughter’s potty training with this in mind—I didn’t want her to feel pressured into doing something she wasn’t ready for yet because of some arbitrary number on a chart or age limit from another parent. Instead, we went about the process more gradually by encouraging small steps at first rather than trying to rush through everything all at once. She was completely potty trained before we even started to use a potty training seat, and she did it without having any accidents.
Conclusion
Raising a child who produces no waste is our goal. But it’s not always easy to make this happen, especially when you’re new at the game and don’t know what products are out there for your baby. We hope these tips will help get you started on your path to raising a zero-waste baby! Let us know if we can be of any more assistance in helping with your transition towards living sustainably, or feel free to contact us anytime for questions about how best to raise a happy, healthy child while reducing your environmental footprint.
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