Parent & Baby

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Most of the issues around being a parent are the same as covered elsewhere in EcoCentral. After all, children are people like the rest of us, only smaller. There is the added complication that eco-stores offer many things for children that aren’t actually that much different from the everyday varieties, with scaremongering by unscrupulous marketers adding all sorts of misconceptions. So, this article has been kept brief so that is doesn’t repeat everything said elsewhere, but will hopefully be useful.

Apparently 6,000,000 nappies are thrown away every day in the UK. That’s a lot of landfill space and a lot of wasted trees, oil etc. Using reusable nappies would reduce this massively, and save the average parents £600 per child. Reusables are a lot better than they were, but are still more hassle than disposables. A good compromise would be to try a mixture of eco-disposables and reusables, but I would suggest buying the minimum of the reusable kit you need to start with, just in case it doesn’t suit you. There are many different types of reusable systems, so if one lot doesn’t work out there are others – spend as little as possible until you know you have the right type for you. There are also the nappy services, where your reusable nappies are collected and washed for you. These have come into disrepute lately due to their power consumption, road miles etc. I am sure there is some truth in all that, but they are still a lot better than standard disposable nappies and are probably better than eco-disposables. The more people that use them, the more efficient they will be.

Toys, furniture and general accessories can be made from recycled materials, or even better can be bought secondhand (see the Community Market Place for this). If that is not to your pleasing, try to make sure that wooden things come from sustainable sources (Scandinavian timber is generally OK, or go for certification such as FSC). Try to make sure fabrics are ethical (see Clothes & Fashion section for more details) and go for fairly traded where possible.

The most important thing to do is just to use less stuff. For instance, try and use a cloth rather than disposable wipes and try to minimise the amount of packaging you get through. With cheap bleeping toys (you know, the bright plastic stuff that takes batteries) remember about the distance it has travelled and the conditions of the country it was made in. China, for instance, does not have the same environmental and social requirements as the EU. Rechargeable batteries are a good idea, as normal batteries are basically little tubes of chemical nasties that take a lot to make and are a real waste to throw away.

For comments on body lotions and potions, see the Cosmetics & Body Care section. Remember, however, that some pregnant mothers find they react badly to things that they didn’t before they were pregnant. Try small doses to start with and read labels carefully if in doubt.

It’s also worth noting that young children love public transport: try leaving the car and taking the bus now and again. Our wonderful public transport system is almost as exasperating as the French civil service, I realise, but once you get used to its quirks it does become manageable. Almost. 

What to do

The wish list of things to do, if you can, is:

• Use less.
• Buy secondhand.
• Buy stuff made from recycled goods.
• Use eco-disposable nappies as a minimum, and reusables if you can manage it.
• Buy stuff made from sustainable sources, such as FSC wood or bamboo.
• Reduce the amount of packaging you get through where possible.

The Shop has a good selection of eco and ethical products for expectant mothers, babies and toddlers, so hopefully it will make finding the right thing easy. Otherwise there is bound to be lots on offer in the Community area and the Forum.

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