Doing It For The Kids
Every year we throw away enough plastic to circle the world 5 times, scary right? Today we are celebrating Earth Day. A day of action and a day of reflection for many who want to help restore the earth and make changes in their day to day lives. You may want to donate, increase your awareness or start changing your shopping habits and think in a more eco-friendly way. Many of us have already swapped to a reusable coffee cup or water bottle and constantly have a tote bag at the ready, but now there are so many fantastic eco-friendly solutions for so much more than that. Let's restore the earth for the next generation.
At Babymel we are continuously trying to improve our sustainability and we are committed to making sustainable choices wherever we can. Our fantastic team are very eco-conscious and we all do our bit both inside and outside of the office. In 2019 we launched our Eco Collection, made with recycled plastic bottles. The changing bags are a totally recycled, BPA FREE material that is durable as well as planet friendly. Our Georgi Eco Convertible Backpack, available in 5 bold prints and colours is made from 12 recycled plastic bottles and has fast become one of our best sellers leading the way for eco changing bags. We will be expanding our eco range in the near future so keep your eyes peeled! Click here to read more about our Going Green practices.
We know it can be hard as new parents to have the time to look into eco products or think of eco solutions and sometimes it is easier to just pick the top of a list. That’s why we have pulled together some of our eco favourites below that we think every parent should have and we hope that we can help you to bring your children into a kinder and more sustainable world.
Single Use V Reusable
We produce 300 million tons of plastic each year worldwide, half of which is for single-use items. That’s nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population (NRDC). Single-use plastic has got a lot of attention over the last few years, and quite rightly so! With straws, plastic bags and water bottles now at the forefront of our minds, how can we help reduce our single use baby items?
Reusable Nappies. You may or may not have thought about a reusable nappy but there are so many brands out there now selling them and they come in all sorts of fabulous prints and patterns. Not only will this help save the planet but it will save you a lot of money too as the average baby poops its way through 2,000 nappies per year, and the standard disposable nappy takes between 200-500 years to decompose. The Telegraph have written a great ‘tried and tested’ article with their favourite reusable nappy brands, so check them out here. We have also partnered with The Nappy Gurus for a eco friendly giveaway for Earth Day, they have a range of eco living alternatives for baby and parents so make sure to give them a follow.
Reusable Wipes. Again, you can never have enough wipes; whether its cleaning up spillages in the car, feeding at home or a runny nose, a wipe is always at hand! We love the brand Cheeky Wipes who do a range of cloth baby wipes and wipes kits. They also have reusable sanitary products and make up removal pads for mums too! If you don’t fancy using a cloth wipe then The Cheeky Panda, have biodegradable bamboo baby wipes made with no chemicals and are totally eco friendly.
Reusable Breast Pads. For those breast feeding, this one is a must! Made for Mum’s have done a round up of their favourite brands, you can read the article here.
Glass Baby Bottles. Although a standard plastic baby bottle isn’t considered single use, if your trying to be more plastic free and/or your concerned about the worries over plastic bottles then a glass baby bottle may be a good option for you. They are more durable and long lasting and are guaranteed to be chemical free. We love Kidly's range of glass baby bottles and sippy cups.
Recycle Pre Loved Items
With the clothing industry being the second largest polluter in the world, cutting down buying cheap and fast fashion clothing is a great eco conscious decision. Although you may still want to buy some nice new items for your new baby, you always need a number of extra baby grows, bibs and vests at the ready throughout the day. Babies, much like kids, grow so quickly that they only have a short time wearing something before it doesn’t fit them any more. This means so many baby and kids preloved clothing, in great condition is going to landfill.
When buying your baby clothes there are lots of lovely brands made from sustainable or recycled fibres. Try and look for natural fibres such as organic cotton, from brands like; Little Green Radicals, Eco Mama & Babe or Mori.
There’s now so many places that you can buy and sell clothing, with Facebook Market place allowing you to pick up locally, you also have baby and kids focused clothing sites like Kids o Clock, Pre Loved Baby Boutique and Baby Swap or Shop.
If your a new parent or parent to be, chances are you probably know someone with a little one or you will meet people through baby groups very soon. Why not start your own buy/sell/swap of baby and kids clothing in your local area or just ask around for any hand-me-downs they don’t need any more, i’m sure they will be thankful for a space in the cupboard!
We hope that this blog helps you to bring your children into a more eco conscious home and that it creates an awareness for the fantastic eco-friendly products and options now out there for new parents. Give us a follow on social media @babymel_official and share with us any new products you have found or what you are doing to be more eco conscious.
