ecobites.com

Making your life greener - one bite at a time.

The amount of eco-chaos generated by such a small bundle newly arrived in the world is astonishing. It's as if we give birth not just to a baby, but to a ready-made mini-consumer who appears to need piles of clothing, bedding and equipment. Everyone knows the most important thing you can give a baby is love.Three other important foundations for a healthy life are breastfeeding, good nutrition and a healthy environment.

We're all the more easily gulled into this way of thinking because in a weird way, shopping for your baby, especially when they're so very tiny, fulfils some primitive need to feather the nest. But the long, long list of what we're told babies need is actually nonsense. Many of the items on it could and should be re-thought ...

Eco baby tips that tread lightly on the Planet!

1. Nappies / Diapers

The re-usable nappy versus disposable debate has been well and truly had.

You may have heard that washing cloth nappies ends up on an eco-(non) friendly par with using disposable nappies. These studies have made gross assumptions, and have since been proven to be statisically inadequate but as the mainstream press accepted the studies without criticism, so have many of us.

Woodpulp and crude oil are just two of the unsustainable ingredients used to produce disposables, add their lack of easy breakdown (can take hundreds of years), and that they now make up 3-6% of landfill (a major contributor to greenhouse gasses).

The modern cloth nappy has come along way, they're much easier to wash and put on. Check out this really interesting New Zealand video;

www.treemo.com/users/mrtrombone/channel/item/15203/

Washing cloth diapers takes water, energy, and chemicals (not to mention time), but you might want to consider the benefits of a laundering service. One study has found that home-washing cloth diapers has only 53% of the ecological footprint of disposables, and if you use a diaper laundering service that impact is halved again.

This is certainly a parent's issue to ponder ..."This papery bundle with a bit of wee in it… will out live me and my children"! What a horrifying thought!!

What is also worth mentioning are wipes: these commonly include propylene glycol (a binder also found in antifreeze), parabens (a family of compounds commonly used as preservatives) and perfume, which can be made up of up to 600 different chemicals. No one needs them to be so heavily scented: all this scent malarkey just adds to the chemicals and the emissions churned out in production. A baby's bottom is too sensitive for all these perfumes (better still is organic cotton wool and water). Other things we don't need: disposable changing mats and perfumed nappy bags (why must everything be perfumed?).

Purchase cotton flannel by the metre and make old-fashioned diapers by cutting into squares and hemming the edges. Old flannel sheets can also make good diapers. Patterns for diapers can be found at www.borntolove.com.  
 

2. Clothes
 
You will be inundated with clothes. Particularly if this is your first (and if it's your second you can use all those clothes again). We seem to have fallen in love with putting babies into elaborate little outfits with jackets and shoes and hair clips: yes, they look adorable, but they would be equally happy in a baby-gro (one-piece suits in practical white terry cloth) for the first six months.Choosing organic hemp or cotton, bamboo or wool fabrics made without toxic chemicals are best against a baby's sensitive skin and last longer with the constant washing. Second-hand clothing is the cheapest and most sustainable option. Get hand-me-downs from friends and family or look in thrift shops, Ecobites free classifieds, or Freecycle.

Harmful ingredients: fire retardant chemicals, dyes, formaldehyde finishes, plastic (polyester, nylon, acrylic, spandex), cotton pesticides. Washing baby clothing with scented detergents and fabric softeners surrounds a child with additional harmful chemicals. 
 
It is not always easy to find out if a product has received a chemical finish in the production process. Organic fabrics and products marketed for the chemically sensitive are less likely to have chemical finishes, or to have chemical fabric softeners used during processing. Yard goods are less likely to have chemical treatments than manufactured clothing.
 
Regulations concerning fire retardant and children’s sleepwear have changed. It is no longer required that all sleepwear be treated with fire retardant. Clothes and bedding treated with fire retardant must be labeled. However, companies are not required to disclose what chemical is being used.
Cotton clothing can be used as sleepwear. If sleepwear is made of natural fibre fabrics, close fitting patterns which allow less oxygen flow are recommended for reduced flammability. For other flammability concerns, see www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hecs-sesc/cps/publications/sleepwear/preface.htm.
 
Of the synthetic fabrics, polyester and nylon off-gas the least. Most fleeces are made of polyester. Avoid those with chemical weather-resistant treatments.

3. Skin-care Products

Many skin care ranges are available with a load of marketing - oils, washes and moisturising creams - babies may only require a good quality organic olive or coconut oil.
Available in a kitchen near you.

Pure & Simple Skin Care for Baby:

fromnaturewithlove.com/library/babycare.asp

Diaper rashes seem to be part of babyhood. Leaving the bum uncovered some of the time can help prevent diaper rashes. Some methods that have been proven useful in dealing with baby bum rashes are: 
Air dry the bum
Powder the bum with cornstarch, arrowroot or rice flour
Apply organic olive or coconut oil or a calendula ointment 
In cases of persistent or severe rashes, consult a doctor. In some cases, rashes can be symptoms of hidden food allergies, hidden reactions to contact with chemicals such as antimicrobials in diapers or scents in lotions or detergents, or other chemical sensitivities.

4. Crib/Cot + Furnishings + Accessories + Decorating

Babies don't need much—a secure place to sleep, a car seat, a high chair, and a way to be trundled around. Go for second-hand furniture, everything except cot mattresses (some research suggests a link between second-hand cot mattresses and sudden infant death syndrome) and car seats, (which can have invisible accident damage). If you buy new furniture, purchase high quality, durable pieces made of sustainable, low-toxicity materials. Think about some alternatives to the regular old wooden baby bed; try using an organic cotton baby hammock or a cot that extends into a bed and lasts 6-7 years. The most ethical option for stroller (pram) is recycled.

Harmful ingredients: composite wood products, formaldehyde, glue, paint, plastic.
 
Choose solid wood furniture with a non-toxic finish. New dressers and cribs may be made of particleboard, chipboard or pressboard, which are notorious sources of formaldehyde and other chemicals. These compressed wood products are made with small bits of wood mixed with glue and compressed into sheets or boards. The glue can off-gas for years.
 
Metal furniture is an excellent less toxic option. Used furniture is also a good choice because it will have less off-gassing, but be sure paint or varnish is non-toxic and not peeling or chipping. Older painted furniture (before 1960) probably has lead paint, which should not be anywhere that babies can chew it. Make sure cribs meet up to date safety standards.
 
Crib Safety Tips
www.nsc.org/library/facts/cribtips.htm

Crib futons with unbleached cotton covers and no sizing or fire retardant. They are available with 100% cotton stuffing or with cotton around a foam core.
BabyHemp - organic cotton bedding. www.babyhemp.com 
Under the Nile - organic cotton bedding. www.underthenile.com
Untreated 100% cotton, hemp or linen sheets. President's Choice "Maison" sheets (250 thread count) have no chemical treatment and are made with vegetable dye. Adult sizes can be cut down to make sheets or mattress covers for a crib.

Decorating

Many people prepare for a new child by painting, papering, and carpeting the baby's room with conventional products, never thinking that by doing so they may create an environment high in harmful chemicals.
It's now easy to find less toxic paints. Look for ones with low VOC's, or with the Ecologo or Envirodesic label. A good quality washable paint makes sense for a child's room.
New carpeting can contain toxic chemicals. Carpets carrying the industry's "green label" will contain fewer harmful ingredients. Carpets are traps for dust, dirt, bacteria, moulds, food scraps and urine. Although people tend to think a nice soft carpet will be best for a baby, an easily cleaned hard surface floor, with area rugs which can be washed in less toxic detergents makes a sensible choice for a baby's room.
These days, most wallpaper is made of vinyl, for easy cleaning. But vinyl off-gases plastic compounds. It also tends to trap moisture, which encourages hidden mould growth between the paper and wall, which can release mould spores into the air.
Metal blinds with baked on paint are a less toxic choice than blinds made of PVC plastic. Plastic blinds can give off chemicals, especially when exposed to the heat of the sun or radiators. If using fabric curtains, untreated natural fibers are the best option. When exposed to sunlight, all fabrics break down. When synthetic or treated fabrics break down, they release harmful particulates. Even when using safer products, a room which is being redecorated should be prepared several months in advance and aired out well, so that by the time the baby arrives the chemical load in the room is decreased.

5. Breast or Bottle

Breastfeeding is best. It's free, has health benefits for mother and baby, has no environmental impact, and is a precious bonding experience. However, in our commerce-driven society there are products for everything, and breastfeeding is no exception. For breast pads, ditch disposables and try re-usable organic cotton or wool felt pads. 

If you have problems breast feeding, and many mum's do - don't despair - get in touch with your local breast feeding association - help is at hand from mum's who know how important it is to you - could be as simple as using a supply-line to increase the milk flow. Even mum's who have adopted children have used a supply-line and produced breast milk - the body is so amazing!

If bottle feeding becomes a necessity, pumping your own is the first choice. Beyond that, using a fair-trade organic infant formula is preferable. If this is neither affordable nor accessible, then the next best thing is to ensure the brand of formula you buy is from a company not profiteering from marketing their product to developing countries. These companies disregard or try to get around the marketing code set by The World Health Assembly.

Eco-bottle. If it is not possible for you to breastfeed or if you need to switch between the two, there are eco-friendly bottles such as glass baby bottles or a bottle made of non-polycarbonate plastic. A common plastic used in baby bottles is polycarbonate. In separate studies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Consumers Union and researchers at Nagasaki University in Japan found that baby bottles made of polycarbonate plastic release a hormone-disrupting chemical, bisphenol-A, into infant formula during sterilization and heating on the stove-top. The Japanese scientists also found that used bottles leached up to nearly twice as much as new bottles.
 
Other plastic bottles and plastic disposable bags for bottles may leach phthalates, another hormone disrupting chemical.
 
Some plastic bottles have coloured designs on the inside of the bottle which can come off during heating.
 
The best option is tempered glass bottles with silicone nipples. Both are widely available in pharmacies and department stores. Glass bottles are easily cleaned and sterilized, and can be handed down from baby to baby.

If you are pumping breast milk for later use, it should be stored in glass bottles, not in plastic. Glass is easy to clean, sterilize and heat in warm water. Plastic bags may leach chemicals like phthalates into milk, especially when heated.
Nipple cracking is a common problem for women who are breastfeeding. Lactation consultants do not recommend using lotion on cracked nipples. Instead, they recommend spreading breast milk on the nipple and areola, and letting the area air dry. This will help prevent cracking, and will help nipples heal if cracking does occur, as breast milk contains healing ingredients.

6. Solid foods

At about six months, babies starts to eat real food. Buying jars of organic food is sure convenient, but as an adult you don't live out of jars, so why should your baby? 
All you need is a blender and some cooked organic vegetables, fruits and meats. A little goes a long way with baby and you know exactly what is in the food you prepare.Whether you are buying baby food or making your own, make sure its stored in glass jars. Plastic can leach hazardous chemicals like phthalates into food. For those occasional situations, purchase organic or organic frozen baby foods. DIY ...  grow and use, fresh seasonal organic vegetables, fruit, coconuts or whatever is your thing. (Be sure you discuss any concerns over dietary requirements with your health professional).

A First Bite

http://ecobites.com/index.php?option=com_garyscookbook&Itemid=0&func=detail&id=243

7. Laundry and Cleaning
 
Ignore all those awful adverts where your entire life must be given over to bacteriological warfare forever. Children brought up in over-cleaned houses are more likely to develop atopic illness such as allergies, asthma or eczema. And steer clear of fabric conditioners and highly perfumed detergents: the best thing you can do for sensitive baby skin is not cover it with synthetic chemicals.

8. The baby-go-round
 
So many baby things only get used for a few months, it seems mad to buy them new. Prams and high chairs are just as good second-hand.  Another good source of kit is Freecycle www.freecycle.org where you register online with your local branch, then look through notices to see what people in your area are trying to give away (there's always loads of baby stuff). And there's always, garage and yard sales, online baby product swap and EBay.

9. Toys

Make the rules early - NO plastics. It is best to let family and friends know of your concerns for the health of baby and the environment. Christmas and birthdays and other celebrations can become an Eco nightmare with excess toys.

Today, there are certainly plenty of concerns regarding toy safety, product safety, and environmental oversight. Toys made in China and maybe, the most abused word - natural.

While certainly not all products made in China are unsafe and toys labeled natural often are, parental perceptions may play a big part in how successful these new toys are.
The plastics used to make many of your children's favourite toys are all petroleum based. The worst kinds are the "flexible" plastics that also contain phthalates, a particularly noxious group of chemicals.

10. Making Babies / Additions

If it is additions to the family, most parents either can't remember what nookie is or they're so happy to get it that they can't be bothered trying to make it eco-friendly. But the fact remains that most lubricants and um, toys, used in this arena are petroleum based.  

Baby Eco Bites....
 
1. To have babies at all?

With the world population estimated to pass the nine billion mark by mid-century, the sheer number of people on the planet is one of our biggest risks. While the biggest population booms are happening in the less wealthy developing countries, North Americans and Western Europeans have a per-person environmental footprint that is far above world average. It’s a big decision and a touchy subject, but the number of children you have, is an enormous factor in your impact on the Earth.

2. Try instinctive / attachment parenting...

Attachment parenting is a style of caring for your infant that brings out the best in the baby and the best in the parents.

www.askdrsears.com/html/10/T130300.asp

Sleeping with and wearing your baby, is said to promote a strong bond leading to a sensitive, emotionally aware child.

Cosleeping (sometimes spelled co-sleeping, and also known as bed sharing or "having a family bed") is the practice of having your infant in your bed with you during sleep. Cosleeping promotes breastfeeding and bonding, and it is safer than crib/cot sleeping when practiced correctly. Cosleeping beyond the breastfeeding years is common in many non-Western cultures, and many Western families choose to extend the cosleeping phase for two years and beyond.

www.cosleeping.org/

Ten Reasons to Wear your Baby

www.naturalchild.org/guest/laura_simeon.html

Babies are built to be carried.  A baby's instincts tell him that he isn't safe on his own, so he cries to be held.  His heart rate and breathing are less stable when he's alone.  And our milk, unlike the milk of rabbits or other leave-them-in-the-nest mammals, is tailored for frequent nursing - no problem if we're already holding the baby.

Wearing a baby is healthy and cheap.  If manufacturers can convince parents that human contact isn't adequate or easy, they can sell strollers, cribs, heartbeat teddies, intercoms, infant seats, swings, playpens... the list is endless.  But separation is good for business, not babies.

www.wiessinger.baka.com/bfing/life/wear.html

3. Avoid using nappies / diapers altogether...

Elimination communication is a technique of timing, signals, cues, and intuition to help baby/infant express his or her poo-related needs.Elimination communication - EC for short - is a way of communicating with your baby about his or her elimination needs.
You know how you tell when your baby is hungry or tired - they wriggle or cry or act in a certain way to alert you. They also have ways of telling you that they need to do a wee or a poo since it is innate in babies to not want to soil their "nest".
www.nooneewilga.com/EC/default.html

4. Shower with your baby...

Save water and enjoy precious bonding time by holding your baby while in the shower.

5. DIY from recycled materials ...

Make your own diapers, breast pads, toys, and baby clothes, from recycled materials. There are plenty of  sites offering free patterns and advice on DIY baby goods .
www.ozclothnappies.org/links.html

6. Avoid unnecessary gadgets

Monitors, motorized rockers, musical mobiles and the like are tempting, and can be useful or educational, but keeping the baby-related consumerism in check is a wise move. Ask yourself if you really need them? If so, try for secondhand items first.

When decorating, consider limiting dust collectors, including plush toys and frills on bedskirts or curtains. Having a toy box with a lid that can close, and a bookshelf with doors can help keep dust from collecting. Washing curtains and dusting blinds will help keep down dust and dust mites.

7. Swapping

So many baby things only get used for a few months, it seems mad to buy them new. Buy secondhand, beg, borrow , or swap with friends and family to find what you need. Also remember community fairs, garage sales, and online swap sites or organize a community swap day.
Keeping the Earth green - one swap at a time - Swap Baby Goods
www.swapbabygoods.com/

www.shopandswap4baby.com.au/

8. Enjoy raising eco conscious children...

Children who will grow and will care how food affects their bodies, and the quality of life on Earth.
Children who will know, eg, that organic farmers help renew the soil, clean the air, purify the water, and bring back the wildlife that chemicals have nearly destroyed.

Children who will grow to respect that their parents helped keep their carbon footprint small.

9. Toys...

Opt for wood (particularly FSC certified) or second hand toys to reduce your carbon footprint.

Toy Tips, the fanatically independent testing group.Toy Tips works for the consumer! On this site, you'll find researched product reviews, articles and tips to stimulate the intellectual,social, physical and individual personality development of the child.

www.toytips.com/

10. Making More ???

Look for veggie-based lubes (they even make organic varieties!) and toys that are at least durable (and less likely to get tossed) if they have to be made from plastic or check the fruit and vegetable garden out !!!

The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Environmentally-Friendly Living
by Jenn Savedge (Author) http://thegreenparent.blogspot.com/

The Green Parent is the perfect book for parents who would like to teach their children about living green.From how to save energy, to how to reuse and recycle everything, this resource offers advice for getting children involved in conservation, as well as products and services that can help parents raise more environmentally conscious children. 

"We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors; we borrow it from our Children" Native American saying.