Having a baby doesn't have to cost the earth

When it comes to having children, whether it’s you or someone you love there’s so much to consider and think about. We all love to buy gifts for our little ones, whether we gave birth to them or not but I always think the best thing you can do for any new mum is to support them so they are best able to take care of their baby.

A baby can result in 58.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions. So how can we support new parents to go green?

Families spend around £6,000 the first year of a babies life, a staggering amount for such a tiny boy or girl and in the first 12 months, a baby can result in 58.6 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

So how can we support new parents to go green?

Think of the parents first

I’m a fan of giving new parents food vouchers, such as Cook so they don’t always have to prepare food. Cook is a B Corp listed company which means they’re a business that’s a force for good and they take sustainability and food waste seriously plus they have a fantastic range of vegetarian and vegan food.

You don’t have to spend lots of money though, I know lots of new parents who’d much rather have a home cooked meal they can put in the freezer than another cuddly toy for their newborn – I know I certainly would have.

Presents for little ones

See if you have a local baby shop so you can support local enterprises.

In terms of gifts, think about natural fabrics like bamboo – great for baby clothes – and have a search for sustainable wooden toys that are very durable rather than plastic ones that often end up in the bin.

Rather than buy from big corporations, see if you have a local baby shop so you can support local enterprises too.

A thermos mug is another great idea, not only will every parent spend most of those early years drinking cold cups of tea and coffee, when they start taking their little one out and about, having a thermos mug in a coffee shop can save them money off their bill too.

How to reduce your baby’s carbon footprint

If you’re a new parent yourself, have a think about what you can do to save money and the environment.

I’m always staggered at the number of parents I know who get a pram or travel system and then purchase a much bigger car to fit it in – who knew something that weighs around 7lbs can warrant the purchase of a huge guzzling SUV that weighs literally over a ton to fit everything in.

They often think they are protecting their child but in fact the opposite is true. Bigger cars are more likely to roll over, be involved in accidents and produce more air pollution.

Large SUVs are not family friends in fact they are foes.

If you’ve got friends with kids a bit older than yours, have a chat about getting their hand me downs.

I’d never advocate buying a second-hand car seat from a stranger as you don’t know if it’s been in an accident but if you have friends who bought it new who are upsizing, it’ll save you money and be better for the environment to reuse rather than buy new.

The same goes for clothes, you can reuse their clothing for years to come and you can gift their child some pocket money in return. They can declutter, earn cash and feel good.

Babies are adorable but the amount they can puke and poop means spending a small fortune on stocking up their wardrobe is a real waste.

You’ll need to buy a new mattress if you’re having a baby but you can reuse a wooden cot.

Due to their size, I didn’t bother with changing tables or big feeding chairs, my friends who did were moving them around constantly as they were often in the way.

Don’t be duped by “flushable”

When it comes to wet wipes, look for 100 percent plant-based ones and bin, don’t flush them – even if they say they’re flushable, they’re not. They enter the sewage system, get stuck and form notorious fatbergs!

There are plenty of ways to make parenting greener. I know disposable nappies are convenient but I’d advocate a hybrid approach.

Tumble dryers are expensive to run – especially with energy costs so high so try using washable nappies in the summer when you can line dry and disposable ones when you’re out for the day or in the winter and drying space is short.

Babies can use up to 2000 disposable nappies a year so it’s worth having a look here at amazing resources from Women’s Environment Network to see what else you can do to help the environment while you parent in an ethical and sustainable way.

Having a baby doesn’t have to cost the earth. The more we can share and pass things on the better the future will be for future generations.

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