If you’ve become a parent in the 21st century, then you’re probably aware of the negative environmental impact that modern nappies can have on our environment.
If you’re a parent from any century, then you’re aware that babies squeeze out little log-shaped presents for us all day every day, and that this takes up a large part of the whole chaotic baby-caring shebang.
Here are a few different options to consider if you and your baby wish to tread a little lighter on this earth.
Switch to cloth nappies
Cloth nappies used to be the norm, along with so-called ‘pads’ that resembled adult nappies.
However, as products have been created to keep up with our ever-increasing laziness, this has resulted in single-use nappies made of plastic and other horrendous materials filling up the landfills at alarming rates.
Cloth nappies offer a great reusable alternative to single-use nappies that mean your bin isn’t full of poopy bags all the time.
Although people tend to get deterred from this option because of the effort that goes into cleaning them, there are nappy washing services out there for use (as long as you consider the environmental impact in using these).
If you do choose to go down the brave road of washing them all yourself, you might want to think about choosing detergents that are less harmful to the earth and washing them all together in a front loader before air-drying them.
For extra points, you can use these nappies for all of your future babies should you choose to have them down line.
Buy Bio-Degradable Nappies
If cloth nappies aren’t your thing, that’s OK. We’re very fortunate now in the developed modern world to have access to products such as bio-degradable nappies.
These nappies aren’t perfect as they can take a long time to break down, however they don’t come with the chemicals and plastic that your standard nappy comes with and so is still a better option than the yucky plastic.
There is also always the option to do a mix of both cloth nappies and biodegradable. Single-use can still be a great emergency replacement if all of your cloth nappies have been victims of poo-plosions or are being cleaned after being victims of poo-explosions.
Buy Local
Buying anything locally is going to be better for the environment, as it saves on the carbon cost of shipping things all the way from overseas.
Choosing local brands (or at least Australian-made), is also a great way to support the local economy as well as the individuals and families around you.
So next time you go to purchase, make sure you look for the fine print where it says the origin of the product.
Keep in mind, some companies will use dirty tricks, such as saying ‘packaged in Australia’ (as opposed to actually being made in Australia) as a way to make themselves seem like an ethical local brand when they are in fact not.
No Nappies
The Elimination-Communication method is one that few parents are courageous enough to try, however it has built up some popularity in recent times.
It’s something that you can start almost straight away, and involves reading the body language or expression of your baby to try and pick up on when they’re about to drop a load so that you can quickly grab them and hold them over the potty before they can paint the walls or your favourite t-shirt.
This method may seem a bit daunting or drastic, and a lot of people simply don’t have the time that this method demands. If you feel up to the challenge, the rewards can be big (no nappy-to-potty transition!) and so is worth a try.
As mentioned before, you can always use this method in conjunction with emergency biodegradable or cloth nappies for when you’re out in public or somewhere else that wouldn’t be ideal to be having accidents (the baby, not you).
Don’t Just Stop at Nappies
Although nappies are one of the largest impact points, there are many ways that you can make sustainable choices when it comes to baby products. From what kind of shampoo you use to where you find baby clothes, it all adds up to make a big difference
About the Author
Maddy’s years of experience babysitting as well as her love of words bring us all we need to know about all things babysitting. She currently runs the Babysitters List site and still looks after kids occasionally.
