Babies don’d come cheap either on your purse on the environment.  So if you are looking for ways to cut the environmental impact of your new born and save some pennies read on…

Ethical Toys – Babies will chew almost anything, so it’s good to know what’s in their toys.  Greenpeace first raised this issue with its ‘Toxic toys’ campaign, alerting people to potentially harmful products added during toy manufacture.  EU law now ensures that hazardous chemicals are banned, but Greenpeace says there remain “loopholes” which may cause health problems in some children.

If you want to cut out synthetic chemicals, there are plenty of natural toys to choose from.  As a starting point it’s best to buying wooden toys and make sure they have been painted using non-toxic paints and varnishes.
A wide range of fairly traded toys are  available, which guarantee a fair price and good working conditions to communities in the developing world.

Green nappies – Eight million dirty nappies end up in our bins every single day. The potent mix of plastics and chemicals used in them means they could take up to 400 years to biodegrade.   If you don’t want your baby contributing to this mountain of nappies, there is an easy solution. Reusable nappies are green and can also save you money – on average around £500 according to the Women’s Environmental Network.

Baby milk –  Breast milk is the greenest option of all; it’s free, involves no packaging and doesn’t harm the environment.  It also gives your child the perfect nutritional balance on demand.

Although modern formula is considered safe and nutritious, breastfeeding, which mothers have been doing for nearly half a million years, formula has only been around for half a century.

Originally designed as a lifesaving mixture for orphans and foundlings, formula milk also ranks last in the World Health Organisation’s preferred methods of infant feeding – below breastfeeding, breast milk from a bottle, and breast milk from a wet nurse.

Organic baby food – Having a baby is one of the biggest triggers for starting to buy organic food; for many parents offering them peace of mind as the majority of pesticides and synthetic fertilisers are ruled out of organic food production. Infact more than half of all baby food sold in the UK is organic.

Baby clothes – It’s hard to resist buying new clothes for a new baby, but there are alternatives:

• Ask friends and family if they have any second-hand baby clothes – chances are they’ll be good as new, and won’t cost you a penny.
• Failing that, the Freecycle network is a global email list where people give things away that they no longer need – a non-profit garage sale where is everything is free.
• There are also many ebay traders selling bundles of baby clothes for next to nothing.

The main aim is to avoid sending unwanted stuff to landfill, and you can often find some real gems – everything from baby clothes to prams.

Sourcing second hand  means you’ll reduce both you and your babies impact on the environment and often saving money along the way.