In a world that has suddenly become conscious about how we affect our planet and its environment, who wants to have a baby that's not with the times? Check out our guide for tips on going green with your baby and our picks for the best green products.
How to Go Green
Babies are a lot of work. Who knew something so small (but cute!) needed so much time, care and money? Lucky for you, we have some tips to make this whole parenting thing a little easier.
* Your baby will use about 6,000 diapers before toilet500 years to biodegrade.
** Many parents use cloth diapers instead of disposables. If you don't even want to think about cleaning those dirty diapers, you can take on a cleaning service to do the job for you.
** Don't feel bad. According to a study, by using cloth diapers, your ecological footprint is only half that of using disposables. And if you use a cleaning service, your footprint is half that of cleaning them yourself!
** Cloth diapers aren't that retro, so don't worry about a huge cartoonish pin that will have to hold your baby's diaper together. Cloth diapers now come with snaps or Velcro, much like disposables.
** There are also biodegradable diapers and hybrid diapers on the market.
* Your baby will be going through clothes pretty fast, too.
** While it's tempting to buy cute, designer clothes, it's not cute watching them be demolished by your baby's messy (but cute!) habits. It's best to go with absorbent cloth, like terry cloth, when dressing your tot.
** Choosing organic materials, like cotton, hemp, bamboo or wool are gentler against your baby's precious skin and last longer, too.
** Save money and avoid waste by getting your hands on second-hand clothes or even trade them among people you know.
* You wouldn't want to apply harsh chemicals to your baby's skin, would you?
** Unfortunately, chemicals are present in most skin-care products, even for the little ones.
** Stick with organic, allperfumed ingredients. Plain ol' olive oil is the best.
** Go ahead and clean your baby's clothes, sheets, bibs, etc in organic and natural cleaners. This will avoid them having current or future skin problems.
