You may already be an eco-minded mama, or maybe you’re starting get into the green movement for your baby. You’re not alone if you’re deciding now to change to a more sustainable lifestyle because of the newborn you’re bringing into the world.
When going green for baby, you’ve got plenty of items to choose from. We have several lists to inspire you, from our eco guide to our crunchy mom guide. But every family’s needs are different, so lists of specific items will only take you so far. When it comes to your baby registry, we’d like to offer you some tips and principles to use when deciding what you want (and why you want it).
Reduce, Reuse, Recyle
The three tenants of green living are great tips for your baby registry, too.
- Reduce by minimizing your list to the items you really need.
- Reuse by asking friends for clothes their babies have outgrown, or shopping thrift and consignment for gently used secondhand items.
- Upclycle—if you’re a DIY-er, think about refurbishing old furniture for an eco-friendly, personalized look. Here are some tips on how to safely refurbish furniture for your child from doityorself.com. You can also give old items new life by upcycling old clothes into new items—or finding Etsy crafters who do it for you.
Go Organic
Read labels of baby products, especially lotions, soaps, and shampoos, to make sure they’re as green as they claim to be. Learn what labels mean: “USDA Certified Organic” is a standardized term that means the item contains only approved organic ingredients, but “natural” is a marketing term that isn’t regulated, so it can mean anything.
Here are two very popular organic baby product brands on BabyList registries:
- Rockin’ Green detergent – Hard-working, earth-friendly products that will meet the demands of your family—over 100 expecting parents put Rockin’ Green on their registry just last month!
- Earth Mama Baby Angel Organics – All natural, USDA organic baby and mommy products—in 2013 over 1,000 Earth Mama Angel Baby products were added to BabyList registries.
Choose Sustainable Materials
To make your registry more mindful of the earth, choose natural or recycled materials over newly manufactured ones. Look for materials like organic cotton, sustainably harvested wood, or recycled plastic. Some examples for you:
- Clothes, accessories, and apparel from Apple Park
- Toys from Abe’s Market like: organic cotton teething blanket, Buttercup the Bunny Stuffed toy (adorable stuffed bunny, handmade from upcycled sweaters and stuffed with soft, washable wool), and Buddy Blocks Farm Animals (natural wood block set).
Research the Brand
When you’re registering for new products, do a little research into the company that makes them. Check out their mission and philosophy to find out if they support your eco-friendly mindset. Many companies make sustainability a central tenant of their business, and others use part of their profits to give back to the earth through nonprofit donations or green offsets.
- Honest Company – Focused on integrity and the impact they are leaving on the next generation, the Honest Company offers everything from baby toys, prenatal & baby vitamins, cleaning products, and baby soaps. (PS: Jessica Alba is the co-founder.)
- Green Toys – Makes fun, safe toys from recycled plastic and environmentally friendly materials to improve the health and happiness of our planet.
Going green isn’t easy, but with these principals and a bit of research, you’ll be more than able to make healthy, happy, green product decisions for your family.
How are you going green for your family? What additional tips would you add to this guide?
More Eco-Friendly Tips:
