Should you go plastic-free with your baby?
People are becoming more and more conscious of the damage that plastic is doing to our planet. With single-use plastic bags being phased out across the country (admittedly with mixed success) and the banning of plastic straws hotly debated, it raises the question: Should you go plastic-free with your baby?
Even if you can’t manage a completely plastic free home environment, there are still many ways you can drastically reduce the amount of plastic your family uses with your new baby.
Switch to cloth nappies
I think this is the most impactful way you can start to go plastic free with your baby. On average a baby goes through approximately 2000 single use nappies per year. Depending on how old they are when they toilet train, that’s about 4000-6000 nappies per child. And most disposable nappies are made from around 50% plastics and can take hundreds of years to break down.
But going completely plastic free with your babies nappies isn’t necessary as straightforward as just buying cloth nappies. You also need to consider what the nappy fabrics are made of too. This applies especially the nappy cover – waterproof pilchers or the outer shell of cloth nappies are more often than not made from plastic based materials!
One solution is combining wool nappy covers with natural fabric nappies inside – for example, cotton, hemp, bamboo, etc. Wool covers if they’re treated with lanolin are a safe and natural way to keep your baby clean and dry without using any plastics.
Also, don’t forget to grab a stack of washable baby wipes!
Plastic-free feeding
It’s hard to imagine a family kitchen that doesn’t have a “Tupperware cupboard”, let alone raising a baby without a drawer full of plastic bottles, cups, bowls, cutlery and food storage containers.
But there are lots of ways to reduce or completely remove plastics from your baby’s meal times – which isn’t just important for the environment, it’s also ideal to have BPA-free baby feeding products.
- Glass baby bottles: Using glass baby bottles is not only a great option for plastic free feeding, but also ensures completely BPA-free baby bottles as well.
- Wooden or bamboo baby bowls: Ceramic and glass plates, bowls and cups make a lot of sense later on, but for the first few months (or years) you might want to go for a less breakable option! Not only are wood and bamboo bowls natural and safe, but they’re absolutely adorable as well.
- Silicone storage solutions: Silicone or a combination of silicone and glass are great ways to store food. Silicone “ice cube” trays are perfect for freezing baby sized portions.
- Metal lunchboxes and containers: Metal containers provide the strength and durability you need for taking baby’s food out and about. Whether they’re just regular lunch boxes or bento style boxes, there’s lots of plastic-free lunch box options out there.
- Beeswax/waxed cotton food wraps: Waxed cotton and beeswax food wraps can be used in place of cling wrap and single use plastic bags. They are easy to wash and can last 6-12 months before being replaced.
Plastic-free nursery
- Wooden toys and furniture: Wooden toys are not just beautifully timeless and durable, they also don’t make the annoying sounds so many plastic baby toys do … except baby banging them together of course!
- Nature fibre bedding and clothes: Just like cloth nappies, it’s worth looking at what your babe’s bedding and clothes are actually made from.
- Carpets and flooring: If you’re building your own home or renovating baby’s room, and you want your baby’s room to be completely plastic-free, it’s worth considering what kind of carpet or flooring you’ll use. Steer clear or acrylic carpet or vinyl.
While aiming to go plastic free with your baby is definitely an admirable ambition, it may be a little easier said than done – so just do what you can! Whether it’s using cloth nappies part-time, opting for glass baby bottles, or even just BPA-free baby bottles, every little bit makes a difference.
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By Rachel Stewart.
About the author
Rachel is a Melbourne based mum of two with a background in early childhood education. She enjoys knitting, drinking coffee (sometimes wine), spending too much time on Facebook and is a little obsessed with prams. She also writes for her own website, www.parentingcentral.com.au.
