It’s tough being green when you’re a parent. Not only do you have to cope with sleepless nights, teething toddlers and frantic preteens, but you have to make sure the stuff you use is green and good for the environment. Reducing your impact on the environment is actually easier than you think if you make a habit of checking packaging and choosing the right products.

The good news is there is a whole industry devoted to green baby care that means you don’t have to spend your time searching round for carbon friendly solutions.

Keeping Baby Clean

The first place to start when going green are the creams, soaps and shampoos that you use to bathe baby. Products such as the Organic Baby and Organic Toddler range are 100% organic and contain useful nutrients like Omega 3. They provide a range of washes and balms that are perfect for soothing baby and keeping him or her clean. If you have problems like cradle cap, nappy rash or baby eczema, Bamford Organic Baby Balm is another good choice. Going green when it comes to baby products is not only good for the environment, it’s better for your kid too. It’s also much easier to do now than a couple of years ago.

Clothing for Baby

There are now a lot of options when you come to buy clothing for baby. The first isn’t exactly green in the sense of the materials used but is in terms of reusing what we already have. Buying second hand makes a lot of sense bearing in mind how quickly baby will grow out of stuff. If you are going to buy clothing new, sourcing from stores or brands that use natural materials such as cotton or even bamboo can help. Make sure you check out their manufacturing locations and how they treat their staff before you make any commitment to a particular. Look out for lesser known clothes brands for babies such as:

• Bam Bamboo Clothing
• Wear Chemistry 
• I61 Clothing
• SuperNatural 

These companies not only use natural products in their clothing and source materials sustainably but also have good working practices.

Toys for Baby

Again, buying old toys from charity stores is often better than buying new ones, especially when you’re entertaining a baby. If you want toys that are not only eco-friendly but safer for your child, then choosing ones made out of natural materials is a good bet. You can get toys made out of bamboo which are becoming more popular because they come from a highly sustainable source that can be easily replenished.

Green Rubber Toys

Mushroom & Co sell a great range of Green or Eco Toys which are made from 100% Natural Rubber. From natural teethers to organic bath toys to character toys and sensory toys, perfect for any new baby as they are 100% natural.

Repurposed Toys

Search locally and you might find a few outlets that are either repurposing old toys or making new ones from organic or recycled materials. Interesting suppliers to check out are:

• Nigel’s Eco-Store
• Loubilou
• Kind Toys

There are plenty more out there selling everything from bath toys, trucks and cars to organic cots and mattresses.

Going totally green doesn’t need to be a chore if you have a baby. There are plenty of places to source ethically produced, sustainably manufactured products from cottage industries to major outlets. The good news is that you can find them all online.