More of your fabulous ways that you are going green to read and share.
The couple of things that we do that are linked with us being parents are:
- Turning off the main plug each night that has our TV, DVD player and Freeview box plugged in. Not only does it stop these items being left on standby, but it also means that little hands cannot fiddle with them when they are not in use.
- We also unplug or switch off the plug for the monitors each morning – it is surprising how hot the transformers get even when the monitor unit is switched off.
Hope that helps. - Catrina
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I’d like to know why people talk so much about using cloth nappies but never about NOT using nappies. I have two books on ‘diaper free babies’ and it is common in Japan, China, India, South America not to use nappies at all. It is not unheard of in Europe eg. in Spain and Italy. Even in the UK a few decades ago, parents were much less reliant on nappies and often had their children potty trained between the ages of 1-2 rather than 3-4 as revoltingly seems to be the case now in UK/USA.
Children are born with the instinctive wish NOT to soil themselves and they do try to communicate the need to poo/wee to their parents, the same way they fuss when tired or hungry – all it requires is for the parent to listen carefully for signals rather than force the poor infants to crap themselves only to try to train them not to crap themselves a couple of years down the line. They can then be taken to a basin, loo or potty and held over it. Much easier than changing stinky nappies!
It is not totally foolproof but judging by my friends’ awful experience of potty training their toddler, I think it is much easier and saves a lot of nappies. The children are happier with no nappies too and the parents don’t have to spend their lives wiping shit off their child and changing nappies. It might not be everyone’s favourite option, especially if they don’t have the luxury of staying at home for the early months, but people should at least be informed about it and have the option!
I can’t buy infant underwear in this country as no one here has even heard of the option of not using nappies – I have to order infant underwear from a US website called the EC Store. It’s dead cute – I have some miniature blue and white stripey boxer shorts in t’shirt material for my son which were made in Japan. Kind regards, Charlotte
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When I first got you email looking for green parents I was so excited, I am trying all the time to become greener and welcome the chance to share tmy ideas and the methods we use at home so here goes!!!!!
There is a lot of green things parents can be going now. It's not just washable nappies or re-useable wipes, but the hundreds of little things. And it all adds up.
Breastfeeding, for example is the most organic, green thing a mother can do, forget bottles and sterilisers! However if you can't or don't want to breastfeed, even bottle feeding can be made greener by steam sterilising. It uses a lot less water than the cold water method and is very quick.
When it comes to weaning - make your own baby food. It is so simple and saves on all the waste packaging from shop bought food. If you buy supplies in bulk and then make your baby's food in bulk, freezing the excess, not only by filling your freezer do you make it run more efficiently you are cutting down on waste packaging and saving money. Don't forget to use local in season produce either!
We all know how tempting those cute little outfits are on the rails of Mothercare, but do you really need to buy new? It's far greener to use second-hand clothes. People will always pass things on to you when they find out your expecting and charity shops often have a good selection. And once your done with them pass them onto some one else. The same goes for toys and equipment.
To keep all your babies clothes nice and clean, there is no need for chemical detergents or fabric softeners. Especially on delicate skin. i have recently been told about soap nuts. A natural product containing soap that you put in your machine and washes and softens your clothes. I am waiting on my first order so I'll let you know how I get on with them.
Once you clothes are washed avoid the tumble dryer and line dry if you can.
A lot of being green is simply thinking about things thoroughly, for example do you really need to keep buying baby grobags/sleeping bags or cosy toes? What a complete waste. Why not use blankets instead? They last a lot longer - and don't have to be replaced every time your little one grows a bit.
- Having a baby doesn't have to be expensive or environmentally damaging. Reduce, reuse, recycle. It really is as simple as that.
- Reduce your carbon emissions by walking when ever possible.
- Reduce your impact on the environment by opting to use natural safe cleaning products around your home such as distilled vinegar and baking soda rather than anti bacterial sprays and bleaches.
- Reduce the amount of waste going to land fills by bulk buyer to reduce packaging, getting a green cone for your food waste.
- Reuse washable nappies and wipes.
- Reuse second hand baby clothing and equipment.
- Recycle your old clothing and equipment by donating it to charity or passing it on to a pregnant friend.
If you don't know anyone who is expecting a baby there are plenty of ways to find a willing recipient, for example try your local freecycle network on yahoo, or the non profit freeconomy society - just for the love it, of which I am a member. The aim is to help people in your local area with the skills/equipment/ tools you have for free. As a result making friends and a better non profit community.
There is some much information out there to help parents to become greener but people just don't know where to start. I am so pleased that your site is helping to put the information out there and proud that I am being involved in that. Thank you for the opportunity. Natasha
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One of the things I have done for our household contribution to the environment is to use a combination of bambino mio real nappies and biodegradable disposables... yes, biodegradable. So, they CAN make really good nappies that don't harm the world! They're made from corn based pulp and my son has never yet has nappy rash which i believe is due to the lack of harmful chemicals that you will find in the more popular (and more toxic) disposables. The name - Nature Babycare by a swedish mum, Marlene Sandberg; the price - £5.98 for packs of 38,36,34 (depending on the weight of your baby) to be found in Boots and Sainsbury's (well done them); the performance - excellent! As you can see, the price is comparable to the leading brands but the cost to the environment is nil so, you may ask, WHY aren't the "leading brands" doing the same?
As for the use of "real" nappies, the initial outlay is admittedly steep but over time it saves you a mini fortune and if, like me, you use a combination then you still save a significant amount of money over a short period and you never have to fear running out of nappies again! The only down-side is the washing of your little star's messies before you put them to wash but i hear that when you love someone you'll do almost anything for them... Besides, cleaning poo is just the beginning, isn't it? - Tiffany
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Thanks for your email. Were I live the Council provides orange bags for recycling which I think is great. It has saved me heaps of time and effort in having to run down 4 flights of stairs every time the bin needs emptying!
I recycle plastics, cardboard, tins, magazines/papers/shredded letters/envelopes and even my daughter's empty milk cartons and juice cartons. I have to admit though I don't think they recycle the milk cartons or juice cartons but I stick them into a recycle bag anyway just in case. I re-use bags for my shopping.
Recycling has made such a difference as before we would have been emptying the bin maybe 3 or 4 times a week whereas now it is maybe once or twice a fortnight.
It takes so little time and effort to do. Energy wise I use the energy saving light bulbs and our heating is set on the thermostat at a temperature of about 20 degrees so it just clicks on when the flat feels cold. It is working so well that when it is really cold I don't need to turn the termperature up and it has worked out cheaper than manually switching it on and off all the time.
Good luck on the new section. - Diane
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I use soap nuts for my laundry washing, I have 3 children and they work out so much cheaper than washing detergents, they are better for the environment and you can only use them on quite low heats (upto 60 i think) but they get the clothes nice and clean and they have a natural sofening agent in them too which also saves money. I have been using them as my child has exema so I didn't want any harmful chemicals in contact with his skin either.
If you want your clothes sented you can just add a couple of drops of essesntial oil to the nuts which you place about 6-8 in a small bag or foot of old tights and these can then be used for upto 6 washes.
I love them! - Toni
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I think I do the normal things around the house such as, recycling Paper, Tins, Bottle, Cardboard and now batteries in the local collection/Green bin. I believe you can do clothes as well but haven't tried that yet.
The one thing I do which may stand out, is when I take apart packaging for childrens toys they quite often have plastic covered wire holding the toy in place, so I recycle this by using it as ties in the garden for my plants.
Also I have a small baby knitting business which I use natural fibres for, i.e. cotton, pure wool and just starting with a designer to do Alpaca wool items.
If a baby has ecsema then the cottom items are ideal.
If a baby has real nappies then the shorties/longies/nappy covers made from pure wool, in any colour, size or pattern are great and environmentally friendly as less washing required etc.
Hope this is of interest to you. - Amanda
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While we are not as green as we'd like we try to be when ever we can.
With both my boys I primarily used shaped terry nappies, only bought one lot and they went through two boys, so saved alot of disposables ( apart from when we were on holiday even i need a break sometimes!) and the washing was not as bad as had imagined dry pail and just hot wash . We live in an area with a great kerbside collection so manage to recycle cardboard, tins, paper, garden waste, food waste and glass and theres plastic milk bottles and paper drink cartons near the school so thats very handy. Recently we've started with an organic veg and fruit box plus milk delivery every two weeks they also deliver my meat once a month , I'm now only making one trip to the supermarket per month ( or more often i get them to deliver as it saves me money and time) I've found we are now eating much more freshly made meals, the slow cooker is great for saving time and hopefully money than oven cooking, in addition i think i'm saving about £100 a month by not going to the supermarket and having to cook
what is supplied by not collecting extra food when there is still food in the fridge to eat on a weekly basis.
And a great purchase I made recently is a new washing machine, my new one has a large 8kg drum, so I can now put all the bedding in one wash instead of two so thats at least 52 washes per year, in reality probably save over 200 washes per year as mud seems to stick to my boys like magnets!
Whilst we are not as eco friendly as we could be I like to think every little helps. - Susan
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I recently received your newsletter announcing the new section on greener parents. I am a parent myself to a very lively two year old little girl and I am always looking for ideas on how I can get her involved in greener ways and how as a family we can improve.
But at the same time I am also a freelance jounalist, I am regularly looking for new articles that are aimed at parents both locally and nationally. I am offering my services to yourselves and if there is a particular topic that you would like an article on or information then please let me know the word count wanted and the deadline and I can see what I can do.
Thankyou for taking the time to read my letter. - Kirsty
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We use Ecover products wherever possible in the house; handwash, dishwasher tablets, fabric softener and bathroom cleaning products. The limescale remover is the best I've ever tried. Best of all the products are environmentally friendly without the usual harsh chemicals of most brands.
Wiggly Wigglers sell 5litre bottles for most of the range which means you save on packaging as well. Each bottle has a free postage return label so they can recyle these as well. - Sarah
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Since my children have been tall enough to switch lights on, they have.
Recently we sat down as a family to discuss how we waste energy, the reaction after the talk was to see my oldest switching off all lights in the house except for those rooms that had people in. Good to talk and good on the pocket, not so good for visitors to see if we are in. - Jackie
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The main thing we do in this house is use washable nappies. Even with 2 its no hassle and save us and the environment a fortune. They are also soooo much cuter. The downside is that they can be addictive - cute nappy shopping is a serious addiction - you get sweaty palms waiting for your fluffy post...- Susan
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We have stopped using our car for short journeys. A walk in the fresh air puts everyone in a better mood and it also helps to shift the baby bulge. - Louise
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An invaluable tip - if you are on certain benefits, i.e. disability allowance, income support, income base job seekers allowance, etc you can get free energy saving lightbulbs and a Power Down plug you may also be eligible for loft insulation, cavity wall insulation or a new heating system. These are available from www.eaga.com or www.hees.com (if you live in Wales). - Collette
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As per your request on details for saving money/ being green in the home etc...
I belong to a Freecycle group, who matches people who have things they need to get rid of with people who can use them.
The goal is to keep usable items out of the landfill. By using what we already have on this earth, we can reduce consumerism, manufacture fewer goods, and lessen the impact on the earth.
Another benefit of using Freecycle is that it encourages us to get rid of junk that we no longer need. You can also make friends etc..
I belong to the Mole Valley Group Freecycle group part of an incredibly fast-growing international Freecycle movement, which began in Tucson, AZ on May 1st, 2003 and now boasts thousands of groups all over the world.
Being a mother of twins, it has been a good source of much needed items on and off over the last few months
Hope that helps, Kind regards Olivia
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I find the bio-degradable nappies from Waitrose fit really well. They are kind to my little ones skin, keep her dry and are inexpensive. Emma x
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Since my daughter was born I have always taken a clean flannel out to 'dry' her after using wipes to clean her. Cotton wool was such a pain, pieces stuk to her and I never felt happy using it. This way she can have a drier bottom fluff free! It is easy to wash flannels and cuts down on waste, only slightly but it all helps. - Emily
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I have done a few things i can remeber at the moment.
We bought a time delay washing machine as we get cheaper electricity between midnight and 8 am.
I load up and set my dishwasher and when i need to wake up for a night feed or just early morning i switch it on.
We have bought reusable shopping bags.
We try and recycle our old things on the freecycle website so others can reuse them and also use others unwanted items where we can like toys
Hope thats something - Hasna
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I taught my son from the age of one to turn off the tv when he was not watching it and turn lights off when he left the room. We bought him a little stool so he reach the light switch. The only problem now is that he turns the tv off when we are watching it and leaves us sitting in the dark!
From Samantha and Jason (age 2)
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Ideas for saving energy/being greener - turn off or unplug chargers as many people will just unplug the object being charged from its charger, but leave the charger in the socket. If you touch the charger after it has been plugged, even if it isn't in use, it gets hot, which shows there is power going to it.
Also use 'real' nappies as they don't have to be washed at 60degrees, they can go in with the rest of the clothes. - Anne xx
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