When Sam and I started to talk about creating Better Basics, a theme and value we continued to come back to was ‘let’s leave the world better than we found it’. Our future generations deserve the abundance of nature, clean air, and thriving oceans we were fortunate to grow up with.
Thinking back to when I was a kid in the 80’s when ‘it was cool and convenient to have everything made of plastic’ my Mum was constantly looking for ways to live a low waste life. I admire her for putting in that extra effort while balancing a busy career with 4 kids. We always took juice to school in reusable containers instead of juice boxes; wax paper instead of saran-wrap, and second-hand clothes and gear were cool.
Now that I have a baby on the way I’ve been looking to my Mum and community for inspiration on living a lower waste life with a baby. A few of the eco-friendly solutions I plan to adopt:
Cloth Diapers & Wipes, while they do still have an environmental impact - you have to wash them, after all - they don’t end up in our landfills.
Lower-Impact Laundry, use natural detergent, preferably the waste free laundry strips, use cold water, and hang clothes, sheets, etc to dry.
Go Second-Hand, borrow or buy gently-used as much as possible - particularly for things that will only get used for a few short months, like clothes, baby play gear, infant crib.
Plant Based Solids, there’s now so many kid friendly plant based options that can easily be made at home, this will cut down on packaging too.
Wooden & Cloth Toys, not only less manufactured plastic, but with babies touching everything and putting toys in their mouth, these plastic free toys are much better for them too.
Natural Cleaning and Care, environmental toxins affects their skin, the air they breathe, and the spaces they play in so natural is the only way to go.
Hopefully these make 'living green with a kid' easier on us and the planet. I’d love to hear your ideas, tips, and experiences as I prepare for the journey of motherhood.
xo Caitlin
