With nurseries like this one we’re feeling even more inspired to reduce the amount of plastic that surrounds us and our children. While it’s important to care for the plastic items that we already have, when thinking of future purchases there many alternatives to the items that we might once have chosen automatically.
Eating and Drinking
With so many great alternatives to plastic pots it’s easy to feed our kids when we’re out and about. There are bamboo containers, stainless steel or beeswax wraps. At home we reuse jars for food leftovers rather than using plastic tubs and often take out our snacks in paper bags that are reused from the green grocers. They can be a bit more pricey but I do wish I’d known about alternatives to traditional plastic bottles when my children were younger such as this one from Klean Kanteen.
Toys
There are so many plastic free toys for children to enjoy and these options can provide babies and toddlers with a range of different textures to explore whilst avoiding potentially harmful chemicals in plastics such as phthalates or BPA. Wooden toys are often also more durable than plastic and there are also some gorgeous plastic free baby dolls such as this Bonikka doll in a carry cot. Not to mention Yummikeys and Yummirings which are made from stainless steel so you don’t need to worry about any chemicals there. Charity shops, nearly new sales and social media groups often have some great second hand toys too. These purchases are generally cheaper and you can effectively spread the environmental impact from the production.
Toiletries
There are so many plastic free choices that we can make for toiletries. Many suncreams contain micro plastics but there are alternatives on offer such as this Green People option for kids. For your family’s teeth these toothbrushes are plant based and come with different coloured ends to help you know whose is whose. Many shops sell refills for shampoos to reduce plastic waste or you might try a shampoo bar instead. The Little Goat Soap Company make their shampoo bars using only natural ingredients.
Clothes
Certain fabrics such as polyester release micro particles into the water each time they are washed which are harmful to marine life. Conversely the environmental impact of some natural materials such as cotton can be very high. Why not try clothes made from recycled polyester for lower environmental impact and use a microfibre catching washing bag such as guppyfriend. Second hand clothes are also so much better for the environment as you can keep them out of landfill and those initial environmental outlays have already been made.
With a little bit of extra thought and effort, demonstrating how to make careful purchases and respect belongings can be passed on to the next generation.
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