Big fans…
Being big fans of reusing and recycling when we found out about the new addition to our family we were adamant to do as much as we could not to buy new things. We just didn’t want to add more items into a system that was already flooded with products. I cannot say a big enough thanks to all my friends and family who gave us so much, their generosity was next level. The baby had almost a full wardrobe of clothes from newborn to nine months before he was even born. I must say this was probably helped by the fact I was one of the last in my group of friends to have children, just as some of them had completed their own families.
What we got
I used Facebook marketplace all the time, because you can filter it to search local to you. My buggy (and all the bits to go with it), baby carrier, newborn insert, cot and rocking chair all came from there. Some of these had not even been used, or only used once. Some brand new but for half the price.
The cot (£30, retailed brand new for over £300) and rocking chair (£20) we just sanded down and re-painted, with low VOC paint to ensure it wasn’t toxic. Both as good as new. And yes, you have to have the time to do this, it’s about making it a priority. We spent a few hours on each item together. The shelves for Kit’s books are also made from reclaimed scaffold boards.
Provided they remain in good condition we will also sell on, or at the very least give to a charity shop who can benefit from it long after we have.
Brand new is not always best
More of us need to move away from the thought process that new is best. Yes, in some cases new items are essential, for hygiene reasons and if you have a personal reason which you feel strongly about. But for babies, it’s really not necessary and as adults we need to apply those principals to us too. Probably half of my very small maternity wardrobe came from the second hand clothes app, Depop. If you don’t have an account, set one up here. Again, lots of clothes which have barely been worn and even more which are brand new. Considering maternity clothes are worn for such a short period of time it just makes sense. There is also loads of baby stuff on here too, however I am yet to use it for that.
Nappies and wipes
Now, it comes to nappies and wipes. What a minefield. That’s all I can say. We both researched a lot. And I think it then turned into information overload. We had always said from the start that using solely washable nappies and wipes wasn’t going to work and we didn’t want to put ourselves under that much pressure with a newborn. So, we’d said we’d use washable nappies at home and disposable when we were out and about. Or the other option was we’d use washable for one day a week and disposable for the remainder of the time. Something as better than nothing. At the moment we are using disposable but I’m thinking once Kit is around 2 months old to move to the above. I have everything ready.
The wipes are just as confusing. I have a set from Cheeky Wipes which we do use already. And I also invested in bamboo and compostable varieties too. But none of them fully breakdown, and whilst it seems like a good idea, if the product doesn’t fully breakdown then I question if it’s worth the effort, because you are back at square one.
Remember
No one is doing everything. It’s impossible. But if you are doing one thing here and there to be more eco friendly then you are doing your bit. So I challenge you, what’s next on your list?
