Small steps everyday can make a huge impact
This month is Plastic-Free July. Both as an individual & a business I love doing my part where possible.
By looking at ways you can make small consistent changes, and implementing them, you’ll soon notice that these small steps lead to having a bigger impact.
As a business we try to reduce our plastic usage by doing the following:
- We use a variety of suppliers for our compostable satchels, but currently using the Sendle bags. We love that these satchels can go into your compost as ‘brown’ materials. Just remember to remove all labels before you throw it in your compost.
- If you have purchased from us before, you may have noticed that we also choose to reuse suitable boxes, bubble wrap and other packaging materials. This is to help reduce our impact on the environment – why use new when you can repurpose, right!?
- At home, we have implemented some changes to reduce our plastic usage. E.g. Buying bulk and avoiding unnessary plastic packed items. Any soft plastics, that we just can’t avoid, go to the RedCycle Project. These are all small changes which have been easy for us as a family to achieve meaning they are quick wins for the environment
- If we do end up with delivery boxes that are not reusable due to damage incurred or being too large. We find other uses for them before we even think about throwing them into the recycle bin. E.g. These boxes make great materials for kids’ craft projects or they can be donated to our Kindy for the kids to use there.
- Our business is powered mostly by solar energy and I even drive an electric car, so any running around delivering goods or making connections has as low an impact as possible.
- When Alex was a still in nappies and toilet training, we used cloth nappies, wet bags and reusable toilet training pants. It has been estimated that over 800 million nappies end up in landfill each year in Australia. Plus, if you dispose of nappies in plastic bags, the nappies have no exposure to environmental elements meaning they will take hundreds of years to break down.
Once you have a routine set up, Cloth Nappies are quite easy to use. Even taking the small step of using a reusable swim nappy for your little one’s swimming lessons or beach trips helps to reduce your footprint.
Reusable breast pads were also my saving grace as they were so much more comfortable than the disposable ones I was gifted. - I also carry a pouch with stainless steel reusable straws in my go bag, so that when we are out at restaurants, we refuse plastic straws and use our own.
- We have been using reusable bags well before Queensland outlawed single use plastic bags, but I also ensure I have my reusable produce bags at hand for fresh fruit and vegetables purchased either at our local farmer’s market or grocery store.
I’m sure we do many other things, but I can’t remember them off the top of my head. I also admit that we’re not perfect and there’s always room for improvement. Hence we believe in making small, intentional steps to make a change.
Hopefully the above might inspire you to make some small changes to reduce your & your family’s environmental footprint.
Or feel free to let us know what steps you’ve been taking for Plastic Free July. I love learning from you guys!
Products you can purchase from Toddler Baby Co to help you along your Plastic Free Journey
1. Newborn Nappies
Starting your baby’s life out in cloth nappies, is a great way to get used to the routine from day 1.
It takes about 5-10 minutes per day quickly rinsing the heavily soiled items in advance of a machine wash every 2nd day and that’s it!
1) Newborns are small, easy to change & easy to pop a nappy on.
2) Newborn no.2’s are easy to wash out (less smelly) – nothing a rinse under the laundry tap, silicone scrubbing brush & Tuff Stuff can’t fix.
3) Nappies can be stored away for future babies!
2.Reusable Wipes
Reusable wipes were among my top three must-haves when prepping for my baby, alongside cloth nappies & wet bags!
Washable wipes are definitely part of what I’d term “the perfect trio” of reusable goods you should gift yourself (and your little one) when nesting time comes around for your Bub!
They’re seriously the gift that keeps on giving – saving your household budget hundreds over the course of your parenting years – as well as keeping excess waste out of landfill or waterways!
3. Nappy Liners
There are two types of nappy liners available in our store, Reusable Microfleece Liners and Disposable Bamboo Viscose Liners.
They are designed to be laid flat over your nappy insert, to collect solid waste from embedding into the natural fibre inserts.
They allow for easier clean-up, as solid waste will fall more easily off the liner, therefore protecting your natural fibre inserts and increasing their lifespan.
4. Swim Nappies
Let your little one learn to swim and experience the benefits of water play without the cost of disposable swim nappies or impact on the environment.
Our One-Size-Fits-Most Reusable Swim Nappies are designed to contain solid waste, but breathable enough for liquids to drain, so baby is not weighed down when in the water.
They are reusable and washable, saving money and excess waste!
5. Toilet Training Pants
Our reusable and washable training undies, are designed as the next transitional item in your little one’s journey to toilet independence.
The undies are designed to offer more protection and absorption than regular children’s underwear, without being bulky, and without any of the regular features of a cloth nappy.
Our undies feature a designer outer water-resistant fabric, with inner lining of organic cotton.
6. Organic Skin, Sun and Defence Balms
Green Foot Mama organic moisturising balms are so natural, they are almost edible, and are safe and suitable for all ages and skin types.
Organic Sun Balm 120g – natural skin-nourishing + SPF15 sunscreen power-packed with antioxidants to protect from UV rays and oxidative damage. It smells like chocolate and kids love it! It also doesn’t bleach our coral reefs, so marine life and our oceans are safe while you and your family are protected.
Organic Defence Balm 120g – natural protective outdoor moisturiser + insect repellent is also great for helping relieve the pain of bites and easing sore muscles with massage.
Organic Skin Balm 120g – natural top to toe moisturiser + skin salve helps relieve itching and irritation and restores health and harmony to dry or irritated skin
7. Wet Bags
Wet bags are truly incredible and handy items, even if you don’t have a baby!
They are a PUL laminated bag with zipper that can basically be use any time you would normally use a plastic bag – but they’re reusable and won’t end up in landfill.
We offer 3 sizes of wet bags for various uses:
– Small – Perfect for gifts, wet wipes, cloth pads and breast pads.
– Medium – Great for nappies, small baby goods, underwear and toiletries, etc.
Many of our customers love to take up the Combo deal which includes a swim nappy
– Large – Great for swimming lessons, beach trips and travel as it’s big enough to fit a towel. Also available as a combo.
8. Reusable Breast Pads & Sanitary Pads
Reusable breast-pads are an essential accessory for every breast feeding mumma. These pads are so soft and comfortable, it’s hard to understand why anyone would want to use disposable breast pads for those pre- & post-partum leakage of fluids/milk. Also more gentle against sore cracked nipples.
Periods, Incontinency and Post-partum bleeding is all a natural part of being female. What’s not natural is the environmental impact from disposable hygiene products. But when it comes to cloth pads, you’ll love the change, appreciate the reconnection, feel empowered by the conscious hands-on approach cloth usage involves.
9. Reusable Produce Bags
Our reusable and washable 100% Organic cotton produce bags are a great replacement for single-use plastic bags when buying fruit and veggies and bulk foods.
Simply take your reusable bag along when grocery shopping, and fill as usual.
These little babies are also great for around the home and travel purposes, they are durable, lightweight and washable.
Other uses include: drying fresh herbs, sprouting, making nut milk, making chutneys, camping, dry produce from bulk store and toiletry travel bags.
