5 Ways To Be Less Wasteful For New Parents in 2020
When was the last time you honestly asked yourself — am I a wasteful person? How much waste have I created in the past month?
The truth is, most of us don’t think about how much value we get from the things we use everyday — ESPECIALLY once parenting becomes your full time gig.
If you’re getting ready for a new addition to the family, here are 5 tips on how to be less wasteful:
1. Re-use as much as possible
Cloth Diapers:
Diapers are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to creating waste for new parents.
According to Babylist.com, newborns go through around 700 diapers in the first 3 months — and every single one ends up in a landfill.
Reusable diapers are hands down the way to go.
Babylist.com suggests having around 24 cloth diapers for newborns. We recommend buying quality cloth diapers to help contain those unforeseen natural disasters heading your way.
Bumgenius is a good choice — the award winning cloth diaper company offers a 30 day guarantee on all their products at a great price point.
Rent Baby Clothes:
Why waste money buying when you can just rent?
Newborns out grow 8 sizes within the first 2 years. That means a completely new wardrobe every 4 months on average.
Evita Leto is a Brooklyn based start up giving parents the opportunity to rent brand name baby clothes for a fraction of the cost.
After filling out a quick style profile, our team curates a custom order and sends clothes as the child continues to grow.
It’s like Rent The Runway only for babies.
2. Inventory Check-list
Try not to freak out about buying things until AFTER having the baby shower.
Registries make it easier for new parents to plan what additional items they still need.
Pro Tip: Make sure to invite YOUR ENTIRE WORK FAMILY to the baby shower ;)
Also, avoid stocking up on anything with an expiration date such as formulas and other perishables. Remember, you’re having a baby — not preparing for a zombie apocalypse.
3. Maintenance
We tend to only take care of high priced items such as cars or houses — but it’s usually the little things that end up being a huge problem in our landfills.
According to GlobalCitizen.org:
“The US generates more than 258 million tons of municipal solid waste each year… Around 34.6% of that waste gets recycled, some gets burned for energy, and the rest gets sent to landfills.”
Also, babies are known for being messy little creatures. Regularly washing things like diaper bags and toys is a great way to keep everything in tip top shape without having to replace it.
If you’re using a breast pump, be sure to regularly sanitize any hoses or attachments to avoid throwing them out. In addition, keeping things clean lowers the possibility of transmitting infections or diseases to your loved ones.
4. Does It Have Added Value?
It’s always a good habit to think about the usage you get out of something — especially once you don’t need it anymore.
Donating clothes or consigning other baby items such as walkers, strollers, and bouncers helps less fortunate parents.
If not, try recycling it :)
There are plenty of organizations such as GrowNYC that provide useful info on how to recycle specific items such as clothing.
5. Buy Quality, Not Quantity
Think — durability.
Aside from being cute, babies LOVE to pull, chew, and drool on everything in sight.
Investing in something that can withstand the abuse is certainly worth it — not only from a financial standpoint, but from an environmental one.
Car seats:
Investing in a quality car seat will save you the headache of potentially being stranded somewhere due to a malfunction.The Graco is a 4-in-1 car seat that offers 10 years of usage from the moment your baby is born. When was the last time you owned something for 10 years and actually looked cool?!
Cribs:
It’s only a matter of time before your baby starts to walk, talk, and prison break their way out of the crib you thought would restrain them.
Better to invest in something strong that can withstand your little one’s appetite for curiosity.
Similar to The Graco, our crib recommendation is super versatile.
The DaVinci Kalani 4-in-1 Convertible Crib can easily coast into the Toddler years. Picking out accessories that continue to serve a purpose as your child grows is always a huge plus.
Unfortunately, being waste-conscious is never front of mind these days.
Losing track of the little things is what lead to the climate crisis we’re currently facing. Luckily, start ups such as Evita Leto and established brands like Patagonia are fighting back.
Instead of thinking about the next election (or politics in general), focus on improving our environment and your wallet.
We hope this article was useful and not boring. Feel free to share it with someone or give us feedback :)
