People who care about the environment care about the future. When you start thinking in terms of family—your children, your grandchildren, their children, and so on—you begin to realize that the earth isn't yours to use and exploit. It doesn't belong to you, not even the patch of ground you live on—no matter what the property deed says. Your job is to care for and then pass on a robust, thriving, sustainable planet.
One of your duties as caretaker for your kids and the earth is to teach your children that they, too, have a responsibility to the planet and those who'll come after them. This chapter suggests lots of ways to do that. It also has tons of info about caring for you kiddo in environmentally friendly ways before she's old enough to be green herself. And pets are part of your family, as well, so there's a section on them, too.
When you welcome the newest member of your family, you want to be sure that baby's environment is safe, healthy, and natural. It's hard enough for new parents to get a good night's sleep without worrying about their babies getting exposed to harmful chemicals. This section explains the most important stuff to watch out for, and offers tips to help protect the newest member of your family—and the planet.
There's more to getting the nursery ready choosing a pink or blue color scheme. Just like furniture for grown-ups, new baby furniture can give off icky vapors (How Household Chemicals Can Affect Your Health) like formaldehyde, which can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat and may cause coughing or wheezing and allergic reactions such as hives. In the late '80s, the U.S. EPA classified formaldehyde as a probable carcinogen when people are exposed to large amounts or for a long time. That's more exposure than your baby is likely to get in the nursery, but why take chances?
Where does formaldehyde lurk? Mostly in pressed-wood products made with adhesives that contain urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins. That includes particle board, plywood, or fiberboard; plywood paneling; and medium-density fiberboard, which often gets used for cabinets and drawer fronts.
Another group of chemicals you want to avoid are the fire retardants PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers). They're added to many foam and plastic items, and when such products are made, the PBDEs don't bind chemically with the plastic, so they leach out into the environment. According to U.S. Public Interest Research Group, an environmental and consumer advocacy organization, exposure to the specific PBDE Deca-BDE can have all kinds of nasty effects including brain and liver damage, problems with reproductive-system development, and impaired thyroid function.
That's scary stuff, so of course you want to avoid exposing your kiddo to PBDEs. They might be in common items like mattresses, textiles, and carpets. But even if you keep the nursery PBDE-free, you're not totally out of the woods. That's because PBDEs are stored in the body's fat and accumulate in breast milk, so if Mom gets exposed to these dangerous chemicals, she could unwittingly pass them on to her baby at feeding time. Outside the nursery, you might find them in things like computer and TV casings.
In 2008, the Environmental Working Group published a study that found the average American toddler's blood contains three times as much Deca-BDE than his mother's. That's not good. Fortunately, the European Union and several U.S. states have banned certain kinds of PBDEs, and a number of companies—including Dell, Hewlett Packard, Sony, Panasonic, and Phillips—have stopped using them. But many products still contain these chemicals, including Deca-BDE, which has been specifically excluded from some bans.
As if that wasn't enough to worry about, you should take steps to prevent every parent's worst nightmare: SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). While scientists don't know exactly what causes it, some studies have found a possible link between SIDS and the toxic fumes released by mattresses. One theory is that fungi, which occur naturally in the mattress, react with chemicals used to treat the mattress and produce toxic gases. To protect your baby, wrap the mattress in polyethylene sheeting (see the following list for details) to create a barrier and seal the gases inside. Although these studies remain controversial, it's important to know that foam mattresses may pose a danger to your baby.
When you're decorating the nursery, use this list to choose safe, healthy products, so you and baby can both sleep soundly:
Buy used furniture. Furniture that's not brand-new has already done most of its off-gassing of any formaldehyde and other VOCs (VOCs and You) used in its manufacture. Cribs and cradles, high chairs, playpens—most baby furniture is a good candidate for a secondhand purchase or hand-me-down.
Don't buy a used mattress for your baby's bed or reuse an old mattress for a new baby. A study conducted in Scotland between 1996 and 2000 found that "Routine use of an infant mattress previously used by another child was significantly associated with an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome."
Go organic. Look for a crib mattress made from organic cotton, without toxic flame retardants or other chemicals. Same goes for pillows, sheets, and blankets—choose organic over synthetic and nonorganic fibers, and insist on no toxic chemicals.
The nonprofit Greenguard Environmental Institute certifies products that don't off-gas harmful chemicals—including bedding. You can find Greenguard-certified mattresses and mattress pads (as well as lots of other stuff) by going to www.greenguard.org and clicking the Find Products link.
Wrap baby's mattress. To be extra-sure that your baby isn't inhaling toxic fumes from her mattress, wrap the mattress with a sheet of polyethylene that's at least 5 mm thick, which you can buy at hardware and garden centers. Be sure you get polyethylene, not vinyl (which gives off fumes of its own), and choose clear sheeting, not the colored kind. Wrap the mattress and seal it on the bottom with duct tape. Make the top and sides airtight, but not the bottom (the gas needs to escape, but you want it to do so away from your baby). This also makes the mattress waterproof, inhibiting the growth of mold and fungus.
Ventilate. The nursery should have good ventilation. A constant supply of fresh air keeps VOCs from building up.
Use low-VOC paints. For nursery walls and baby furniture, choose low- or no-odor paints (Paint) that give off as few VOCs as possible (VOCs and You).
Select natural flooring. Make sure that the pitter-patter of little feet happens on floors made from natural materials (Floors). And choose organic wool or cotton rugs and carpets.
Don't smoke. Okay, so this tip applies everywhere, not just in the nursery. As you're no doubt aware, cigarette smoke is full of bad stuff: nicotine, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, phenol, tar, and about 4,000 other chemicals. So don't let anyone smoke in the nursery—or anywhere around your baby's growing lungs.
After choosing a name for your baby, perhaps the biggest question prospective parents face is what kind of diapers to use. Changing diapers is a dirty job—and one that you'll do roughly 6,000 times before your newborn is toilet trained. Disposable and cloth diapers both have an impact on the environment, but there's a cool (relatively) new option: biodegradable diapers. To help you decide which kind to use, the following sections explain the impacts of each.
When it comes to convenience, disposables are the clear winner. For a frazzled parent, anything that lets you cross an item off your to-do list is a good thing. And changing diapers is yucky enough—many people would rather throw dirty diapers away and forget them than rinse, soak, and wash used cloth diapers.
But disposables don't just disappear when you toss 'em. Those 6,000 diapers the average baby uses mean a lot of waste headed for the landfill. Each year, Americans throw out 18 billion disposable diapers, which will take at least a couple of centuries to decompose—if they're exposed to air and sunlight. In a containment landfill (Destination: Landfill), they'll be around pretty much forever. And soiled diapers can contaminate the landfill's leachate (Destination: Landfill), which may leak and pollute the area.
Manufacturing disposables takes a toll on the environment, too. The disposable diapers used in just one year in the U.S. require 82,000 pounds of plastic and more than 250,000 trees. Diaper companies don't give detailed info about what their products are made of, but they typically include bleached paper pulp, polypropylene plastic, petrolatum, tributyl-tin, stearyl alcohol, cellulose tissue, sodium polyacrylate elastic, glues, dyes, and perfumes. Here are some of the problems with those ingredients:
Dioxin, a carcinogen, is a byproduct created when paper is bleached, and traces of it have been found in disposables.
Sodium polyacrylate powder makes diapers absorbent—it can soak up 100 times its own weight in water. This chemical was banned from tampons in the U.S. in 1985 because of its link to toxic shock syndrome, a rare but often fatal illness. But it's still used in disposable diapers and the crystals that form when this powder absorbs water can stick to your baby's skin and irritate it.
Tributyl-tin can cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.
The dyes in some diapers can damage the kidneys, liver, and central nervous system.
Perfumes can irritate skin and cause allergic reactions.
Nobody likes a leaky diaper, but leakproof disposable diapers may increase the chances of diaper rash and make existing cases worse by keeping air away from babies' skin.
Two studies published years apart in the Journal of Pediatrics noted cases of diaper rash in babies. The first, from 1959 (before disposable diapers), found diaper rash in only 7.1% of babies. A study from 1982, after disposable diapers had been around for a couple of decades, found that 63% of babies had diaper rash at least once over an eight-week period.
Your kid will spend around 20,000–25,000 hours in diapers. So if you're concerned about the chemicals in disposables, choose cloth or biodegradable diapers instead.
A final factor to consider is cost: Buying 6,000 disposable diapers at 20 cents apiece adds up to of $1,200. That's a lot of money to spend on landfill filler!
These diapers offer the convenience of disposables without cramming landfills full of waste. Made from bioplastics (which are made from plant material, not petroleum—see Rejecting Wasteful Packaging), biodegradable diapers are compostable.
If you've got a composting toilet or vermicomposting system (Neem oil), it can break these diapers down in a matter of days, rather than years. Some cities, like Toronto, have door-to-door composting programs that accept soiled diapers. If your city has a composting program, check to see whether they take biodegradable diapers. Whatever you do, don't throw them in the trash: In a containment landfill, they'll take just as long to decompose as disposables.
The Irish company Ecobaby has instructions for building your own worm composter for biodegradable diapers at www.ecobaby.ie (in the left-hand menu, click DIY Worm Composter).
Brands to try include Tushies (www.tushies.com), Nature Babycare (www.naty.com), and Nature Boy & Girl (www.natureboyandgirl.net). gDiapers (www.gdiapers.com) makes a cloth-biodegradable hybrid, which combines a washable cotton outer pant with a fluffed-wood and rayon insert made from Sustainable Forestry Initiative–certified trees (www.sfiprogram.org). You can flush the insert.
Some biodegradable diapers are made with sodium polyacrylate (Biodegradable diapers) or AGM, a super-absorbent gel linked to increased childhood asthma and reproductive problems in boys. Make sure any diapers you buy are gel-free.
There's no question that these diapers are less convenient than disposables. They're messy, stinky, and cleaning them takes work. But even when you factor in the water and energy it takes to wash them, cloth diapers are more earth-friendly than the throwaway kind. And maybe knowing you're doing right by the planet can help you ignore the smell.
If you're nervous about using diaper pins around your baby, don't worry: Today's fitted cloth diapers have snaps or Velcro closures.
Before the stork arrives, buy 2–3 dozen cloth diapers and put them through the wash several times to soften 'em and remove any chemicals that might be in them. (Better yet, opt for unbleached diapers made from organic cotton, hemp, or bamboo.) Then get a diaper pail with a lid. When you change diapers, dunk the soiled one in the toilet bowl a few times to rinse it, and then put it in the pail. There are two approaches to using diaper pails:
Wet. Fill the pail about halfway with cold water. Pour in a quarter cup of vinegar (this should minimize odor, but add a drop of essential oil if you like). After you rinse soiled diapers, drop them into the pail to soak. When it's time to do laundry, dump everything in the pail (including the water) into the washer. (Don't try this with a front-loading washer—things could get ugly. Go with a dry pail instead.) Run a spin cycle to drain off the excess water, and then wash as usual.
Dry. Simply drop in rinsed, soiled diapers until you're ready to wash them. Sprinkle some baking soda on top of each new diaper to absorb odors, or spray a mixture of vinegar and water onto them before you put them in the pail.
On laundry day, here's how to get cloth diapers clean:
If you use the dry pail method, start with a prewash in cold water. Then, fill the washer with cold water and add half a cup of baking soda or vinegar (not both) and let them soak for several hours or overnight. (You can skip this step if you use a wet diaper pail.)
Wash in hot water. Even if you usually go with cold water to save energy, use hot water to kill germs.
Rinse in cold water. Add half a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. Don't add fabric softener, which can reduce diapers' absorbency.
Dry 'em either outdoors or in your dryer.
You'll probably wash a load of diapers every two or three days. Don't stuff too many into the washer, though—limit loads to two dozen diapers, max—or they won't get as clean.
If the idea of washing several loads of diapers a week makes you cringe, consider a diaper service. They typically stop by once a week to deliver clean diapers and pick up soiled ones. Before you sign up, ask how they clean and sanitize diapers to make sure they don't use bleach or harsh detergents.
What about the environmental impact of all that laundry? Cloth diapers have a much smaller ecological footprint than the disposable kind. One study found that home-washing cloth diapers has 47% less of an impact than disposables. And using a diaper service has only half the impact of washing diapers at home.
To make diapers easier to wash, use liners that you can remove and wash separately or safely flush down the toilet. Flushable liners are made of unbleached, biodegradable paper. Kushies (www.kushies.com) makes both washable and flushable liners. Bio-Soft liners from Bummis (www.bummis.com) are another flushable option.
Cloth diapers put natural fibers next to your baby's skin rather than bleached paper, plastic, and potentially hazardous chemicals. And as noted on Biodegradable diapers, they're less likely to cause diaper rash than disposables (make sure you change them frequently).
How much do they cost? Between $200 and $700 for the time your baby is in diapers (that includes washing and drying them). The exact figure depends on things like the kind you buy, local water and electricity rates, and whether you dry them outdoors or in a dryer. And unlike disposables, you can reuse cloth diapers when the next baby comes along or as cleaning rags.
When your child is an infant, breast-feeding provides the best nutrition. Breast milk is the food nature intended for babies, and it's healthy for both mother and child. It's easier to digest than baby formula and is full of antibodies that protect your little one from disease. According to the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services, breast-fed babies are less likely to get ear and respiratory infections, stomach viruses and upsets, and atopic dermatitis (a type of eczema). They also have lower rates of childhood leukemia, asthma, diabetes, and obesity. And breastfeeding moms are at lower risk of type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and postpartum depression.
But sometimes breastfeeding is impossible or impractical. Breast milk changes as a baby develops, and occasionally the child refuses to feed. Or the mom may not produce enough milk. In rare cases, a doctor may advise against breastfeeding, such as when the mother is taking antiretroviral medications or undergoing chemotherapy. Moms who can't breastfeed their babies have these options:
Formula. Even the best formula can't duplicate breast milk exactly, but if you decide to go this route, choose an organic formula. You don't want pesticides, steroids, growth hormones, antibiotics, and other chemicals to make their way into your baby's food. Here are three brands to try:
Earth's Best (www.earthsbest.com).
Similac Organic (www.similac.com).
Baby's Only Organic (www.naturesone.com).
Human milk banks. These organizations collect milk from healthy donors, test the milk to make sure it's safe, and dispense it through hospitals or by prescription. For more information (including how to become a donor or make a financial donation), visit one of these sites:
U.S. and Canada: Human Milk Banking Association of North America (www.hmbana.org).
U.K.: United Kingdom Association for Milk Banking (www.ukamb.org).
Australia: Mothers Milk Bank (http://mothersmilkbank.com.au).
When it's time to start your baby on solid foods, begin with very thin cereals and vegetables that have a high liquid content. You can buy organic baby food (Earth's Best is one brand to try), or you can easily make your own so you know exactly what's going into baby's mouth. Whipping up your own takes just a few steps:
Buy fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables (or grow your own). Buy organic when you can, to avoid pesticides and artificial fertilizers. Good fruits and veggies to start with include apples, apricots, asparagus, avocados, bananas, blueberries, peaches, pears, peas, plums, potatoes, prunes, and sweet potatoes.
Babies need to grow and develop before they can deal with some foods, including corn, broccoli, and cauliflower. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you wait until your child is 4 to 6 months old before starting him on solid food. And some veggies contain nitrate, a chemical found in water and soil that—at high levels—can cause anemia in babies. So don't feed kids younger than 6 months homemade baby food with beets, carrots, green beans, spinach, or squash in it. (Companies that make baby foods containing these veggies test them for nitrates, so it's okay to feed store-bought food with these ingredients to younger babies.) Nitrates can also show up in well water, so if you get your water from a well, have it tested for nitrates, which should be below 10 parts per million.
Wash your hands, and then wash the fruits and veggies thoroughly. Peel and remove seeds if they have any.
Cook the food in a small amount of water—boil or steam it—until soft. If you prefer, use breast milk or formula instead of water. Don't add any sugar, salt, or spices: Your baby will like the unseasoned taste just fine.
Pour the food and liquid into a blender or food processor and puree. For children just starting solid foods, add water or breast milk to thin the mixture. As your child adjusts to solids, you can use less liquid to get a paste-like consistency.
Let the food cool to room temperature. Put a little of it in a bowl and feed it to your child in small spoonfuls (if any is left over in the bowl, throw it away after the feeding). Freeze the rest of the batch in an ice cube tray. When it's frozen, place each ice cube–sized portion in a plastic bag. Seal and label it so you know what type of food it is and the date you prepared it. You can store baby food in the freezer for up to two months.
Don't thaw frozen baby food in the microwave—that can create hot spots in the food that may burn your baby's mouth. Instead, plan ahead and let the food thaw slowly, in the fridge. Or thaw it over low heat on the stove. Check the food's temperature before feeding time by tasting it (use the spoon just once then wash it) or by dabbing a little on your wrist—the food should feel neither hot nor cold.
Even the sweetest little bundle of joy has a way of getting dirty. To keep your baby clean, skip the products that contain preservatives and other iffy chemicals, dyes, and fragrances (nothing smells better than a baby's clean skin, anyway). Instead, try these natural alternatives:
Baby wipes. These help with cleanup during a diaper change or to quickly clean a messy face and hands. But many commercial wipes contain chemicals that can irritate a baby's tender skin, including propylene glycol, parabens (Green Health and Beauty Products), and perfumes. Look for baby wipes without these ingredients, or make your own: Combine a teaspoon each of aloe vera gel (which you can find at any drug store) and olive oil with a tablespoon of liquid castile soap (Clean and Green: Environmentally Friendly Cleaning) and a cup of water in a spray bottle. When you're ready to use it, spray the mixture on a cloth, clean your baby, and then drop the cloth in the diaper pail for washing.
Baby lotion. Commercial lotions may contain the same chemicals as baby wipes (parabens, fragrances, and propylene glycol), so avoid products with those. The best natural lotion is olive oil: Simply massage a small amount into your baby's skin.
Shampoos and soaps. Just because a product says "gentle" on the label doesn't make it true. Many bath-time products marketed to parents of babies and small children contain chemicals like formaldehyde, phthalates, 1,4-dioxane, and sodium lauryl sulfate. Dyes, preservatives, and fragrances can also be irritating. Even products labeled "all natural" can contain some of these chemicals—as you'll learn on Go Organic, this label isn't the same as "organic." Get products that carry the USDA Organic seal and are free of fragrances and dyes. These websites help you find safe bath products for your children:
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (www.safecosmetics.org). On this site, click Companies, and then click "The Compact for Safe Cosmetics". From there, click "Search Compact signers" to search a database of companies that have pledged to make products that are free of chemicals known to cause—or strongly suspected of causing—cancer, mutations, or birth defects.
Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database (http://cosmeticdatabase.com). Sponsored by the Environmental Working Group, a public-health organization, this searchable database reports on the possible toxicity of thousands of products. Click Baby Care to find the area of the site devoted to products for babies and kids. For each product, a scorecard lists health problems associated with its ingredients and rates the product on a scale of 0 (few or no safety concerns) to 10 (serious concerns).
Sunscreens. The best way to protect your baby's skin from sunburn is, not surprisingly, to keep her out of direct sunlight. If you do go out in the sun, dress your child in long sleeves, pants, and a hat; use a sunshade on the stroller; and try to avoid sunny areas between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun's rays are strongest. When those strategies won't work (at the beach, for example) choose a physical sunscreen—one with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide—over a chemical-based one, which may have ingredients like PABA and oxybenzone, chemicals that filter the sun's rays but can irritate the skin. Look for a sun protection factor (SPF) between 15 and 30.
If your baby is less than 6 months old, avoiding direct sunlight is your best bet. But the American Academy of Pediatrics says it's okay to occasionally use small amounts of a physical sunscreen on children this young when protective clothing and shade aren't available. California Baby (www.californiababy.com) and W.S. Badger (www.badgerbalm.com) both make chemical-free sunscreens.
Bug repellent. Insect bites sting, itch, and can spread illnesses such as West Nile virus or Lyme disease. The first line of defense against bug bites is your kid's clothes: long-sleeved shirts, pants legs tucked into socks. Sometimes, though, you may need to increase protection with an insect repellent. Many of these products contain DEET, and the American Association of Pediatrics says that up to 30% DEET is safe for kids. But be aware that DEET has been linked to health problems—including headaches, seizures, and convulsions—particularly if swallowed. If your repellent contains DEET, keep it out of kids' reach, avoid applying it near their eyes and mouths, wash kids' hands after applying it, and don't put it on over cuts and scrapes.
If you'd rather avoid DEET, try natural alternatives. Most of these repellants use plant oils, like citronella, rosemary, or lemon eucalyptus. But just because an ingredient is natural doesn't mean it's nonirritating. So try a little on a small patch of skin a day or so before you plan to use the product to ward off bugs. Try California Baby Natural Bug Blend (www.californiababy.com), The Natural Newborn's Bug Stopper Spray (http://thenaturalnewborn.com), or Badger Organic Anti-Bug Balm (www.badgerbalm.com).
New parents often feel overwhelmed by all the stuff that comes into their lives along with a baby: stroller, car seat, high chair, bibs, toys, and a whole lot more. You can buy many of these things used, or get them from a friend or family member who doesn't need 'em anymore—that's putting the principle of reuse into action. This section takes a quick look at green approaches to specific baby supplies.
Be careful when choosing a car seat. This is one item you should probably buy new rather than used. Why? Two good reasons:
Safety standards keep evolving, and used seats may not be as safe as newer ones. And even if it served the previous owner well, age and stress may weaken the seat.
If you get a second-hand car seat, you have no way of knowing whether it's been damaged in an accident; you may not be able to tell just by looking at it.
If a friend or family member offers you a used a car seat, make sure it's no more than a couple of years old and that it's never been in a fender-bender. Otherwise, buy new.
Babies grow fast: You buy an adorable outfit, she wears it twice, and in a month it's too small. Instead of spending big bucks on new clothes, take the green route and buy used or go with hand-me-downs from older siblings, cousins, or friends' kids. Because kids grow so darn quickly, second-hand clothes are often in great shape.
When shopping for new clothes for your kiddo, choose natural and organic fibers. Compassion in Fashion has green clothes shopping tips.
Babies and toddlers put everything in their mouths, so avoid toys with small parts, paint that can flake off, or harmful ingredients like lead, PVC, and chemical flame retardants. Look for stuffed animals made from organic materials, wooden blocks painted with lead-free paint, and plastic toys labeled phthalate-free. Planet Happy Kids (www.planethappytoys.com) is a good place to find nontoxic, eco-friendly toys.
It's also easy to find second-hand toys in good condition at thrift shops and yard sales. (Wash 'em before letting your kids play with them.) And encourage your tot to share toys with siblings and friends.
You can find eco-friendly baby bags made from organic cotton, hemp, or recycled plastic PET (More Tips for Easy and Effective Recycling) bottles in various stores. Or try to get a second-hand bag that's in good condition.