Many parents want to be more green, but don’t always know the best places to start, so I’ve put together my top three tips to help become a more sustainable parent!
- Potty train early
While cloth nappies are becoming more popular, disposable nappies are still by and large the most popular and convenient choice. Babies can go through more than 10 nappies a day but disposable nappies are often made from multiple materials including wood pulp, cotton, and plastics, making them very hard to recycle.
If you get your kids potty trained at two years old instead of three, you’ll not only save a year’s worth of nappies from going to landfill, but save yourself the cost of a year’s worth of nappies! While it might feel like a daunting task, many children show the signs of being ready for potty training from as young as 18 months.
- Snack happy
When out and about with your children pre-packaged snacks can be a godsend but are often wrapped in multiple layers of plastic. Even if you’re bringing decanted snacks from home, these will often be stored in plastic food or ziplock sandwich bags.
Instead, I’d recommend reusable silicone bags as these are a great choice for snacking on the go and can be washed out and reused hundreds of times! Bulk buying snacks in large containers and then decanting into these smaller silicone bags will mean you’re not only cutting down on plastic, you’ll be saving money too!
- Clean more green
As much as possible, you should cut down single-use items, which includes paper towels and wipes. Messy fingers and faces are a daily battle with little ones, which is why I recommended a reusable and washable plastic-free flannel or cloth as a great alternative to traditional paper towels.
For those occasions when you might need single use paper towels, I’d recommend opting for recycled kitchen roll - they’re just as absorbent and convenient but far more forest friendly!
Dr. Elissa Foster, Head of Sustainability at Who Gives A Crap
