Keen to be Green with 3 kids?
Ep.1 — “Yes, you can even with a newborn!”
Sitting on the sofa, a warm cup of tea in one hand and my computer on my lap, I was having some “me” time, while my partner was playing with our eldest daughter. It was 2017, I was pregnant with twins and exhausted from work, from the stress of the pregnancy and from my desire to carry on being available for my little girl.
So, I was trying to relax on my sofa, and found a very interesting study:
The greatest impact individuals can have in fighting climate change is to have one fewer child (followed by selling your car, avoiding long flights and eating a vegetarian diet.)[1].
My engineering brain thought this made perfect sense, but my mum brain was upset! Even more so, as I was bringing not one, but two new little babies into this world!
My daughter was 3 when I found out I was expecting twins. I got used to this new phase of no more nappies and (almost) no more tantrums. Finally, we had an easier life and I was trying to switch to more sustainable options for my everyday life, but this takes time. A lot of time and a lot of browsing…
When the twins arrived, I did not have the luxury of time anymore. I simply could not cope with more constraints so I was choosing the path of least resistance in all of my decisions: single-use nappies, mineral water in plastic bottles for their milk, buying everything online with multiple deliveries each day.
The impact that I was having on my babies’ health and on the planet bothered me. But I had no time.
If only someone had helped me find options that would have been convenient for me and also good for the planet!
I firmly believe that although there are different ways one can be more environmentally friendly, each little step has an impact. From an eco-activist to a woman swapping her plastic water bottle for a reusable one, we are all trying our best and we can all do our bit.
As a friend quoted the other day, “there is no one way to be a perfect parent — just a million ways to be a good one.” And the same applies to being an eco-parent.
This blog is the first one in my series “Keen to be Green with 3 kids” where I want to share the brands I like and a few convenient options if someone wants to be more sustainable when having a new baby. For this episode, I will cover clothes, laundry, nappies, feminine hygiene and bottles. All the essentials!
Clothes:
While children’s clothes represent only 12% of the overall clothing market, they constitute a considerable portion of the 26 billion pounds of textiles entering landfills every year[2]. With children going through 10 clothes sizes in the first 2 years, changing our habits to a more sustainable approach will make a huge difference.
o Excellent eco-friendly options
Rent, return, repeat! 9plus1 was created with convenience and sustainability in mind. We only rent clothes that are already in stock at our suppliers, so we do not create more waste. We are the only rental company to do this.
With 9plus1, parents subscribe and each month choose a bundle of clothes from over 600 product lines and over 30 eco-friendly, premium brands. Each month, they send clothes back and choose a new bundle, with new designs and in the right size (or appropriate to the right season). If a certain item gains sentimental value (we all know we have a couple of those tiny baby grows stashed away in our keepsake box), they can buy it at a price below retail value, instead of returning it.
In selecting our brands, we have done all the hard work for you — we vetted and picked each company for a reason and with sustainability and quality in mind.
To us, this is a win-win business model — an eco-friendly way to have a wide choice of clothes, no clutter in the house and it works out much cheaper for the parents.
o Good alternative
Buying second-hand clothes or repairing what you already have in your closet are also excellent options. If you need to buy new items, try choosing sustainably made clothes, with recycled or organic materials, made in small quantities and following ethical standards for their factory.
Laundry:
Having babies means laundry, pretty much every day. I still remember the daily pile of clothes, sheets and such, on my kitchen floor.
Plastic fibers and toxic dyes are only a few of the toxins that get washed into our sewage system when you do a load of laundry. Not only do these chemicals get into our groundwater and affect plant life, but they can also cause chemical reactions in your body, like skin irritation and asthma.
o Excellent eco-friendly option:
Use colder water, hang dry clothes and only start a wash once the machine has a full load. This will help cut your energy consumption too! If you are able to switch to a green energy tariff, that will also be a huge help.
Avoid individual pods and sachets that are developed as a way of extracting more money for the same product. There are excellent eco-detergent that are phosphate-free, fragrance-free, not tested on animals, and which are sold in recycled packages such as Bio-D or Ecover.
o Good alternative:
If all of the above is too much, try any combination. Maybe start by washing your clothes using a lower temperature setting or by using the dryer less often. Every little helps.
Nappies:
o Excellent eco-friendly option:
In England and Wales alone, we waste around 3 billion nappies per year[3]. Reusable nappies are an excellent option to reduce plastic going into landfills, however, they add to the pressure of parenthood as you need to find time and space to wash these nappies and be mindful of any potential health hazards with cross-contamination.
Some examples of brands: Bambinomio, Littlelambnappies, CharlieBanana
o Good alternative
If dealing with a soiled nappy and adding extra loads to your already busy washing machine is not something you can bear, there are some good alternatives to the traditional single-use nappies.
For example, Beaming Baby has single-use nappies that biodegrade in 4 years instead of 400 years that standard nappies can take. Mama Bamboo is also a good alternative. They offer nappies free from harsh chemicals and that have an inner lining, pulp core, and packaging 100% biodegradable.
Feminine hygiene:
Until I had my first baby, I had no idea just how important organic cotton underwear and pads are to new mothers. Having a baby significantly increases your risk of thrush and other issues, mainly due to changes in hormones that we go through. Organic cotton pads and underwear can make a huge difference in resolving or avoiding some of these issues.
o Excellent eco-friendly option:
Switching to a reusable pad or period underwear can save over 2,000 plastic disposables and 11,000 items of period products during your lifetime! They last for 2 years and can be washed over and over at 40degC. Make sure you buy the ones that are manufactured with no harmful chemicals or finishes and use as many natural ingredients as possible.
I have used both the pads and the underwear. Personally, I prefer using period underwear as I find pads tend to move too much. But try both as everyone has their preferences!
Some examples of brands: Dame, Wuka
o Good alternative:
If you prefer to have a single-use pad, there are now many options using no plastic which make the pad or the tampon fully biodegradable. Have a look at Dame, Callaly, and Myfreda which are all very popular options.
Baby bottles:
I breastfed my twins for as long as I could but very quickly I had to express and then, within a few weeks, I completely switched to formula. It was not what I had planned, but I felt this was the best solution for me and for my babies. Although I was using baby bottles and formula, I still wanted the best for my babies.
I was surprised that I could not easily find baby bottles made of glass in the UK. When living in France, almost everyone I knew had been using them: they are very solid and easy to clean. Even when the twins were moving around and walking, they never broke their bottle! Here are a few brands that offer a glass alternative: Avent and Tommee tippee.
