Parenting Gone Green: 5 Ways to Raise a 'Zero Trash' Baby
Raising an eco-friendly baby doesn’t have to be hard! (Photo: Thinkstock)
The average American baby goes through 8,000 disposable diapers, according to the EPA, and most of it can sit for hundreds of years in a landfill.
“Twenty billion diapers get thrown away every year in the U.S., and it takes 500 years for them to decompose,”says Jen Boulden, creator of the eco-friendly tips site JenBTV.com.
And that’s just diapers. Kids grow through clothing faster than you can sneeze—not to mention plastic toys. Fortunately, there are ways and new products to help you reduce the waste—which are good for the environment and healthier for your child, too.
Here are five tips to make a difference.
Choose Cloth Diapers
According to Boulden, swaddling your baby’s bottom in cotton is a lot easier than most people think, and it’s healthier, too. “You don’t have petroleum and bleached paper against your baby’s skin,” Boulden says.
“Cloth diapering used to be hard when it was foldable, with a safety pin. The diapers leaked solids and fluids—but now you have these waterproof, breathable shells which keep the liquids in, and you can simply remove the inserts and put them through the wash.”
Newer versions, like Kangacare’s whimsically patterned Rumparooz ($26), feature customizable absorbency pads and can adjust to fit a newborn baby all the way through potty training.
When your baby starts to eat solids, cloth diapering can still say easy. Here’s how:
*Purchase a sprayer attachment for the toilet. “When you need to rinse the diaper, simply spray the baby’s waste into the toilet, before putting it in the wash,” Boulden says.
New sprayer options are sleek and unobtrusive, like this one by OsoCozy ($39).
Keep cloth diapers absorbent by using a detergent free of plant-based proteins. “Sometimes eco-friendly detergents contain a natural oil which sticks to the insert’s cotton fibers, making the diaper less absorbent.” Regular ‘Free & Clear’ detergents are safe choices.
Chose a diaper ointment that’s free of petroleum. “We use one that’s coconut-oil based, so it doesn’t block absorbency.” One popular option is Eco Sprout’s Coconut Stick.
Use Refillable Food Pouches
“Baby food used to be in glass jars, but now it comes in squeezable pouches which, while safer and easier for a baby to hold—aren’t recyclable,” Boulden says. “And approximately one billion squeeze pouches hit landfills every year.”
To reduce your impact on the environment—and to know what your baby is eating, Boulden recommends making your own food and then filling a reusable pouch, like a Squooshi.
“The pre-packaged food usually has a shelf life up to a year, so when you make your own, you know you’re not feeding your baby preservatives and pesticides,” Boulden says.
Squooshi pouches are puncture-resistant and dishwasher safe, and feature choke-proof caps and cute, animal designs. They’re also BPA-free, PVC-free and (of course) lead-free.
Choose Secondhand Clothing and Toys
“The number-one thing you can do to have a zero-impact baby is reduce packaging—which makes up one third of all trash!” Boulden says.
She suggests frequenting consignment shops and using hand-me-down toys from friends.
“Host swap parties with other moms, or ask friends to bring used items to your baby shower. Children only care if something is new to them,” Boulden says.
Use Reusable Baby Wipes
“Conventional wipes have a lot of crazy stuff in them,” Boulden says. “Terry cloth and bamboo wipes are really thin, soft, and absorbent. You can put them into a warmer, too, making them even more comforting. We cut our wipes in half, and spray a mix of water and witch hazel on them, for a little cleansing. It’s easy to keep them moist, and they can simply go in the wash with cloth diapers.”
If you must use disposable wipes for time-saving purposes, some manufacturers now make fully biodegradable options, like Naty’s Eco Wipes.
Make Your Own Cleaning Products
“Reusing bottles and making your own cleaning sprays is one way to reduce packaging—and expenses,”Boulden says. “It’s healthier, too. Not all cleaning products are tested by the FDA, and many contain toxic chemicals. Simply mix distilled vinegar (for its anti-bacterial properties) with water, and add a few drops of lavender oil, for scent.”
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