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There’s no must sugarcoat it. Babies want quite a lot of stuff. And in the event you’re the type of girl who seeks out extra sustainable vogue choices, choosing out the right child present for a good friend or child bathe is extra difficult than simply trying on the want record.
You wish to present your love to your good friend and pleasure for her toddler, however you additionally wish to preserve their toddler protected and wholesome, and contribute to a greater future for them!
There is not any must compromise. There are eco-friendly child items in nearly each class, from child garments, to strollers, to toys.
So, right here’s what to search for when shopping for eco-friendly child bathe items:
Chemical Safety
Safety is every little thing when shopping for merchandise for infants. It would possibly appear to be a no brainer to buy objects that comprise waterproof, stain-resistant or flame-retardant parts. But these added layers can include some points.
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, flame retardants “are related to opposed well being results in animals and people,” together with destructive results on fetal and youngster improvement. The Institute’s truth sheet additionally notes that kids are notably weak to the poisonous results of those chemical compounds attributable to childrens’ proximity to the ground and their fixed hand-to-mouth habits, increasing the focus of flame retardants discovered of their our bodies.
Similarly, the waterproof and stain-resistant coating would possibly make your life a bit of simpler. But to attain this stage of safety, it requires a category of artificial chemical compounds referred to as PFAS or PFC. We recently reported on these chemical compounds and shared that they’ve been linked to a number of points, together with quite a lot of cancers, reproductive illness, miscarriage, and infertility, whereas additionally presenting dire implications for our planet and animals. For future mothers, particularly, a 2020 analysis shows that “PFAS have been related to elevated incidence of gestational diabetes, childhood weight problems, preeclampsia, and fetal development restriction.”
To preserve Mom and her child protected, keep away from efficiency finishes and search for non-toxic labels comparable to OEKO-TEX, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), or bluesign.
Biodegradable and Fossil-Fuel-Free Materials
As we’ve reported before, hardly any garments produced immediately are made fully from pure supplies that don’t pollute our soil, waterways, and oceans, both by means of microplastics, poisonous dyes, or finishes that vogue sheds throughout every put on and wash.
In brief, a cloth is taken into account biodegradable when it decomposes fully and blends again in with the earth with out leaving any dangerous chemical compounds. That contains cotton, silk, bamboo, wool, linen, alpaca, Tencel, hemp, cashmere, and rayon viscose. For these supplies to be biodegradable, they have to be untreated, licensed natural, and never blended with different supplies.
The profit to the newborn is that these pure supplies additionally really feel higher in your child’s pores and skin, and contribute to a more healthy setting each within the crib and on the earth. So it’s a win-win. Just remember that in keeping with federal security requirements, if kids’s sleepwear is just not fabricated from polyester, it have to be a comfortable match so it doesn’t put your youngster liable to catching hearth. That’s why you received’t be capable to discover a bit of woman’s nightgown fabricated from cotton.
Sustainable Packaging
We’ve all been there. We’ve gone by means of layers of packaging — most nonbiodegradable or unrecyclable — to open a really small product. Well, the identical expertise usually occurs when opening child toys, strollers, or tub present units, which frequently are available in plastic or styrofoam. According to Plastics Oceans International, 10 million tons of plastic are dumped in our oceans annually, leading to a million marine animals killed by plastic air pollution yearly.
Next time you might be procuring, seek for merchandise with minimal packaging. Or higher but, discover a product wrapped in packaging that incorporates recyclable or biodegradable supplies, like recycled cardboard, or Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified paper. The bonus is that you just don’t have to fret concerning the (distant, however nonetheless scary) risk of asphyxiation with a plastic bag.
Battery-Free
It’s protected to imagine that you just’ve walked down a toy aisle earlier than and rapidly observed a big selection of battery-powered toys and devices. According to a 2019 Consumer Reports article, “Most batteries—no matter sort—comprise poisonous chemical compounds.” How you get rid of previous batteries is essential. They can find yourself in a landfill, doubtlessly leaking into the setting, contaminating groundwater, or making their method into the meals chain. Certain batteries ought to not go in family rubbish or recycling bins.
But new dad and mom don’t have time to hunt out a accountable take-back program. So do them a favor and get battery-free toys. Or if you wish to get them a gadget that requires electrical energy, select one thing rechargeable.
Fair Working Conditions
A brand new mother can be horrified to think about that youngster labor was concerned within the manufacture of items for her child! Therefore, favor manufacturers which can be clear about the place their product is made and people who pay honest wages and guarantee a protected office. A great tip is to test if the model is Fair Trade certified.
Knowing all that, right here’s an inventory of eco-friendly child necessities with sustainable objects that can you should definitely please new dad and mom, whether or not or not they plan on feeding their new child solely natural meals.
Pact creates child garments utilizing licensed natural cotton fibers, and its manufacturing makes use of 91% much less water than non-organic cotton. The model additionally manufactures in a Fair Trade Factory, guaranteeing protected situations, environmental safety whereas offering extra cash to empower and uplift its communities.
Finn + Emma sells sustainable child attire, gear, and toys that blend traditional, whimsical and complicated kinds. Its merchandise are made with 100% natural cotton, eco-friendly dyes, and all-natural wooden. Its clothes and equipment are produced in honest commerce factories that target social and financial independence for native individuals.
Family-owned and family-run, Badger creates natural physique care merchandise utilizing as many Fair Trade components as potential and prioritizing USDA-certified natural components. The model travels worldwide to satisfy the individuals who develop, harvest, and course of its natural components.
Caboo makes child wipes out of OEKO-TEX licensed bamboo and a little bit of Vitamin E. Its merchandise are freed from parabens, chlorine, BPA, and timber.
Eco Pea Co sells pure diapers and wipes which can be crafted utilizing biodegradable bamboo sheets and water-based ink. They’re hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested, and made with out harsh chemical compounds, fragrances, and chlorine. Its merchandise usually are not examined on animals and are shipped in biodegradable packaging.
Founded in 2019, Pipette creates 100% clear, mild and non-toxic child physique care merchandise fully derived from renewable sources. Its merchandise don’t comprise sulfates, phthalates, artificial fragrances, parabens, pure irritants, or petroleum jelly. All of its merchandise are created with the help of biologists, pediatricians, and dermatologists, and most are EWG verified.
Based in Bangladesh, Pebble sells handmade and hand-knitted toys that help girls with sustainable revenue alternatives in rural areas of the nation. Its toys are made with 100% natural cotton and have a up to date look and tender really feel.
Zeki Learning is a non-profit academic toy model that produces ethically-made studying sources. Its toys are made with domestically sourced supplies and upcycling cloth scraps handmade by girls artisans from the West Bank. Zeki creates its toys with Montessori rules in thoughts, encouraging high-quality motor abilities, sensory abilities, language studying, and emotional intelligence. The model can be Fair Trade licensed, guaranteeing its workers obtain honest working wages and situations.
Coyuchi sells tender child boots and blankets made out of GOTS-certified cotton. Much of its cotton is Fair Trade licensed, which means its companions present traceable and clear provide chains guaranteeing sustainable livelihoods to the employees. Its merchandise are additionally made in a manufacturing unit that recycles 98% of its wastewater. Coyuchi has partnered with Chetna Coalition, a provide chain community that helps sustainable farming communities in India.
Founded in 2003, Naturepedic sells licensed natural mattresses which can be breathable, waterproof, and made with non-toxic components. The model has eliminated chemical compounds comparable to flame retardants, adhesives, vinyl, polyurethane foam, and perfluorinated compounds from all its mattresses. Naturepedic’s merchandise might be present in hospitals throughout the U.S.
Launched in 2003, EKOBO is a French eco-lifestyle model that creates reusable, non-toxic dishware for youths utilizing sustainable supplies comparable to bamboo, cork, rePET cloth, food-grade silicone, and GOTS licensed natural cotton.
Freerider designs breathable child slings made out of Tencel, a biodegradable cloth produced from wooden pulp. The model works with cloth producers and factories that guarantee good working situations, worker security, and sustainable practices.
Bumbleride designs child strollers and automotive seats utilizing recycled plastic bottles, 25% recycled sea neats, and OEKO-TEX licensed cloth. Its merchandise don’t embody dangerous chemical compounds, PVC, BPA, phthalates, or PFC. The model makes use of cork for its stroller’s handlebar, because it’s naturally waterproof, non-toxic, and gives a non-slip, ergonomic grip. Bumbleride’s 2020 Collection options recovered nylon from upcycled fishing nets, making up 25% of the plastic parts in its stroller body. These nylon fishing nets are recovered from the native oceans close to the model’s manufacturing unit in Taiwan and are cleaned, transformed into reusable pellets, and molded into plastic elements. The nylon fishing nets have been examined for sturdiness and confirmed to be as efficient as common plastic.
Our Green House is a socially aware firm that sources eco-friendly child items that help the well-being of each artisan and households. It permits its clients to create their very own present baskets or purchase particular person items from the retailer’s choice of child necessities comparable to attire, blankets, and toys.
