Gifts for the eco conscious baby – five practical ideas
by Katie Virk
Congratulations! You're having a baby! Social etiquette demands your friends and family run to the nearest big supermarket and buy you a cute little outfit for your newborn.
Welcome to the world of consumerism little one.
It is almost inevitable that you will end up with a huge pile of gifts for your baby (mainly 0-3 month clothes), many of which will never get worn or used. To try and avoid this pile up of well-meaning gifts, you can ask for something you actually really need. Not only is this more useful for you, it's much more eco-friendly. Gifts that lie at the back of the drawer for two years then get given to the charity shop, or worse chucked away, are not eco (no matter how plastic free and ethically made they are).
Ask for something that you really need, something that you would have had to go out and buy anyway. Even if it is (shock horror) plastic. Then you save the pointless carbon footprint and the landfill waste of a useless gift.
Here are five gift ideas that I've given new parents that you can ask friends and family for:
1. Books
This is my go to when social etiquette demands I buy a brand new (not pre-loved, second hand, homemade) gift. There is little more precious to me than time spent snuggled up reading with my beloved little squish. By giving books I’m giving the gift of that special loving moment to a new parent. Also when your little one (or more likely you) are tired of them, there’s a big market for second hand books as they last really well.
Plus there are so many adorable board books to swoon over. I love (amongst many many more):
- ‘Everywhere Babies’ by Susan Meyers
- ‘Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes’ by Mem Fox
- ‘Peepo’ by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
- ‘Tickle, Tickle’ by Helen Oxenbury
- ‘That’s not my…’ series of books by Usbourne
2. Sippy cups / spoons / weaning items
I do get a few weird looks when I turn up with weaning items for brand new babies. Clearly I know they’re not going to be nomming down carrot purée for a good few months. But time flies and soon they’re going to need this stuff.
Is plastic kitchenware eco? Yes, since the parents are going to go out and buy it anyway, you are not adding any extra plastic waste to the world. And you’re saving on the waste of an unnecessary gift.
In the first few months of weaning you can’t beat plastic for being strong, light and dishwasher proof. I wouldn’t give a metal sippy cup to a child until they are old enough to know not to whack their own head with it. (Those things are seriously heavy). And I wouldn’t inflict non dishwasher proof kitchenware (i.e. anything wooden or bamboo) on tired new parents.
Our plastic sippy cups are nearly six years old and still used daily.
3. Presents for the new parent
Babies only want milk and a warm chest to sleep on, they couldn’t give a stuff about gifts. New parents, on the other hand, need all the help they can get. Think fancy tea, coffee, nice biscuits, smelly soap, moisturiser etc. Bonus points if you find a lovely plastic free, environmentally friendly version. But frankly a packet of hobnobs is more eco than a baby outfit that gets worn once and tossed, (and much tastier).
4. Nappies
Whether you are planning on using cloth nappies or not, most people will still use the occasional disposable. It’s probably sensible to have a packet on hand in case of crazy diarrhoeal illness (of you, or child, or both) or washing machine breakdown.
Babies are going to use the same number of nappies whether you get them gifted them, or whether you buy them. By getting something the baby would have used anyway you’re keeping an un-needed gift out of landfill. You can also ask for some of the more eco nappies which look a bit more like a special gift than a bumper pack from Aldi.
5. Car seat / cot mattress / breast pump
The saying goes ‘the most eco item is the one you already own’. Apply this to newborn babies and it’s the one you were almost certainly going to have to buy brand new anyway. There are two items even the most eco conscious parents are advised to buy brand new (car seat and cot mattress). And some parents may feel icky with second hand items for more personal use such as breast pumps. These are big ticket items you can ask friends or family to club together and all chip in. You will need to tell people your brand/size preferences to make sure they get the right thing.
