My husband and I are very excited to welcome a baby girl to our family in December. Getting pregnant was such a journey (remember in high school when they told you it would only take one time? What happened to that?!). We were ecstatic that after a year of trying to conceive, we got a positive pregnancy test. The first trimester was filled with the “normal” pregnancy emotions and thoughts; would I have a miscarriage? Was the baby going to be born healthy? What did I need to do to prepare for this little one? Now I am 6 months into this journey and am feeling great and super excited for this little girl to get here.
Many parents have been warning me that waste with a child is unavoidable- there’s diapers, all the toys and baby gear, packaging waste from quick snacks, etc. However, I believe that my zero waste life can continue even with a baby in tow. I also believe that raising this baby to be aware of our environmental issues such as waste, carbon footprint, sustainability, etc. is very important.
I am prepping for a zero waste baby as we speak (or as I write, I guess) and thought I would share what I have learned so far in this journey with all those aspiring zero waste parents out there. I will be expanding on a lot of these topics as I delve more into them, but I hope that you enjoy these 5 tips for a zero waste baby!
- Be choosy about what items you bring into your home
- Most parents will tell you that you actually need very little for a baby. Yes, you can purchase everything from bows to swaddles to pack n plays. However, you only need a car seat, some diapers, a few onesies, bottles and/or formula (depending on how you plan to feed your babe), and a place for them to sleep. The first few months the baby will be in a diaper, wrapped in a blanket, and need love and of course, food. All those bouncy chairs and toys are great, but not required. So be choosy about what you bring into your home- because you will have to deal with storing it, cleaning it, and then deciding what to do with it once the baby outgrows it.
- Create a registry with secondhand items
- Babylist is a website I stumbled upon that allows you to request preloved items instead of new – hooray! It even lets you requests favors, like a homemade meal or babysitting, instead of a physical gift.
- To utilize the preloved items feature, go to Babylist.com and create an account. Go to “favors” and add to your registry any favors you would like. The “wildcard” favor is completely customizable, so you can change the title from wildcard to “preloved infant snowsuit”, add a picture, add a description (do you prefer it from a non-smoking home?), and even add a link to an example.
- Request a baby shower that focuses on an experience
- My friend offered to throw me a baby shower. I’ve never been one to enjoy being the center of attention, and I didn’t want to receive a ton of baby items, but a baby shower full of my friends sounded fun. Being that I only wanted a few specific baby items, I asked her to throw a shower where guests could contribute to our cloth diaper fund (something we created on Babylist!) if people wanted. And the baby shower will consist of brunch and a drag show – obviously not the typical baby shower, but so much more my style.
- Create an eco-nursery with sustainable and secondhand items
- Nurseries can be beautiful and curated while consisting of all preloved materials. A nursery can be very expensive, both environmentally and financially, so shopping strategically for secondhand items can save you a ton of money. Several websites are fantastic resources for finding items like cribs, rocking chairs, carpets, baby room décor, a baby dresser, etc. I really loved Nextdoor and Facebook Marketplace. If you are looking for new goods with a mission, I’d recommend Ten Thousand Villages. This fair-trade store has a humanitarian mission and lots of their products are made of recycled or reused materials.
- Many people warned me not to get a secondhand crib and/or a secondhand mattress, but a family member offered me her used setup and I totally trust her, so I snatched it up. But use your best judgement and only do what you are comfortable with.
- Some zero waste love for Mama is always great!
- It seems like most of the showering, excitement, and the journey is centered around the baby. And though that makes total sense, I believe that Moms should get some attention, too. Being pregnant is HARD both physically and mentally, and a little extra love for Mama is so helpful and will yield a happier, healthier babe. Some zero waste items you can give an expecting Mom would be a prenatal massage, a membership to a yoga studio that offers prenatal classes (check out Blooma if you live in the Twin Cities!), brunch, or join her for a walk/run to keep her motivated throughout pregnancy.
I hope these tips help you move towards a zero waste life with your family. I wish you all of the best in your pregnancy journey!