10 Easy Ways to Stop Pollution and Save a fortune along the way!

Below we list 10 absolute essentials all new parents buy. So before we begin, I need to first teach you the “stuff test” which is a little test I made up to help you every time you shop for anything, not just baby products.

The “stuff test” is 5 simple questions that help you assess if an item is essential or a pollutant.

Q1: Where was it made? – Was someone paid a fair wage and how many air miles got it here?

Q2: What is it made of? Is it biodegradable? Toxin Free? Environmentally Friendly? Is it plastics ( polyester, nylon included ) Was bleach or fire retardants used? How was it farmed?

Q3: Can the item be resold, repurposed? If its an essential item? Can recycle or reuse this item?

Q4: How will I dispose of this item after use? Will that make pollution? Can I break up parts of it to be recycled or repurposed?

Q5: Is this item essential or just desired? Don’t get me wrong, decorations are great if they will make you feel joy – but does it pass the 4 questions above and how much joy will you or baby really get out of it in the long term? Maybe holding it in the shop or staring at it on line is enough joy? LOL – worth asking!

If you apply these 5 questions above to any baby purchase you make – you are actively part of the solution by preventing pollution.

DON’T BUY “STUFF“ you don’t need. Baby Shops are full of things that look cute and tempt you but apply the “stuff test” above every time
Breast Pads – Reusable Breast Pads are 100% biodegradable if organic cotton or bamboo only. Avoid brands that add nylons, PUL or other layers that don’t biodegrade. Bonus: Save $250 by reusing instead of throwing away
Baby Wipes – There is a whole generation of parents who are born to parents who used disposables so many new parents actually think the throw away ones are the only option. Reusable baby wipes are super easy to use, easy to wash and Bonus: An average saving of $900 if you use cloth wipes not disposable wipes
Nappies – Before you run for the hills in horror at the thought of cloth nappies. Consider this. 1 – Have you actually tried them? 2 – If you did – did you have the right support to continue? 3 – Did you know it is $5000 cheaper per child to use cloth instead of disposable. Lets call this one the MASSIVE BONUS!!
EQUIPMENT HIRE before you buy or instead of buying – 50% of new parents buy a pram they don’t like as soon as their baby is born. If you can borrow, hire or get gifted a pram, carseat or cot, I strongly recommend this before committing to your own purchase.
Baby Shower – this wonderful, fun activity is often the cause for much pollution. Well meaning friends create games and food that ends up in the bin after the “fun” is over. When planning your baby shower, create a theme around essentials and cloth reusable products. Your girlfriends and relatives will roll their eyes but they will end up being inspired by you once they see it all make sense.
Gifts – people are going to give them. You can pretend not to mention the elephant in the room but they are right now, out there, buying you something so why not find a subtle, happy way of letting them know you only want organic, cloth or reusable. Go on…you can do it, get that chatty friend or sister to do the dirty work for you and let them spread the word if you are not comfortable with this.
Clothes – People love to give cute baby clothes and I say great! Get that chatty friend to let them know only organic cotton – rather than them just thinking you are a born again hippy, I find it helps to explain that chemical free and will prevent excess and allergies, people seem to respond well to that!
Bedding – Off gassing from mattresses is a real thing. Plastic may seem a practical solution for a child’s bed but the off gassing and toxic nature of plastic is not worth it. There are wool underlays that do the job way better! Seek out Natural Mattress Solutions. It’s really common these days to find latex, bamboo, organic cotton mattress solutions. Get a new bed for yourself if you can afford it, you will all be spending a lot of time there! Well, I hope so.
Nappy Change Table – get one that can turn into a cupboard or other useful family furniture item rather than a specific one if possible. Mind you, they have good resale value if you have the room for one.