How to be Sustainable With Children?
On average 385,000 babies are born each day around the world, that's 140 million babies a year. This number is predicted to stay steady for the next 50 years. I know what you're thinking, that's a lot of babies!
Now with these figures in mind, you can start to build a picture on how environmentally unfriendly having a child can be. Let's take nappies for example, which at present are unrecyclable (unless you decide to use cloth ones, which most people don't). In the first year of a child's life they can use between 2 - 3000 nappies, times that by the amount of babies born, and the figure will take you a moment to comprehend. We then add dummies, bottles, toys, formula, clothes, and a dozen other necessities, which in most cases are made with plastics or come in unrecyclable single use packaging, or create a missive massive carbon footprint by just being made. I think it's safe to say that babies (through no fault of their own) can be pretty unsustainable in their consumption.
Now of course we all want what is best for our children, but should sustainability go out the window for convenience? What can be done to help counteract the carbon footprint left by our innocent children, so they can grow up in a world where they don't have to worry about this?
Below are five companies that are doing what they can to help battle the waste left by our little ones:
Whirli
Whirli's motto is swap instead of shop. Anyone with a child will know how many toys they accumulate, they will also know that within a month these poor toys are no longer used and will at some point end up in landfill to make room for the next best thing on the market. With a Whirli subscription you can swap the toys that aren't being used for new ones. You can keep these toys for as long or as little as you want, saving you money and saving you from having to throw them away.
Kit & Kin
Spice Girl Emma Bunton struggled to find products which were both kind to the planet and didn't irritate her children's skin. She was inspired to develop a natural, gentle and sustainable alternative for families and from this Kit & Kin was born. Providing award winning eco nappies, biodegradable / reusable wipes and nappy bags, carbon neutral clothing and so on. This is definitely a brand you should be looking at if you are trying to reduce your baby waste.
The Little Green Sheep
The Little Green Sheep is a sustainable baby brand on a mission to use natural and organic materials to create stylish, long-lasting products that are away from chemicals. Their beautifully crafted products are always made with comfort and safety at the forefront of their designs. From lovingly made Moses moses baskets, natural cot and cot bed mattresses, as well as a whole host of other baby essentials, you'll find everything you need for your baby's natural nursery at The Little Green Sheep.
Ella's Kitchen
Ella's Kitchen always makes sure their recipes are just right for tiny tummies. That means they only use the best quality, ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients. Products like Ella's Kitchen's 'Cauli-Pizza', the latest addition to the Big Kids frozen range, contain 100% natural ingredients, with no added sugar and artificial flavours, and sprinkled with British cheddar. Their First Tastes range also contain organic single veggies, such as their 'Sweetcorn, Sweetcorn, Sweetcorn' pouch that was launched last year.
Frugi
The market leaders in organic clothing for kids, we're huge fans of Frugi's 100% natural fashion for newborns, toddlers and children up to 10 years of age. Frugi's clever details promote sustainability by prolonging the lifespan of the clothes, such as extendable sleeves and trouser legs. The brand is famous for vibrant prints, fun appliqués, and for using sustainable fabrics such as certified organic cotton, recycled plastic for its outerwear and accessories, certified organic wool blend. Not a plastic hanger in site, Frugi uses cardboard hangers throughout its supply chain and the clothes arrive packed in 100% GM free compostable cornstarch bags.
We are all on our own journeys to live more sustainable lives for the future of the planet and our children. These 5 companies represent a handful of the pioneering companies that are now making a change in their practices. If you have any further recommendations, I would be delighted to hear from you.
Josh Defty is Development Manager at Parliament Hill working with both existing clients as an account manager and new clients as business development executive. Josh is also (and more importantly) the father of Daisy and Oscar, which has made him look at sustainability through a new lens.
If you would like to get in touch with Josh with your recommendations, please click here .