Zero waste parenting

If you have a cat, you can replace the cat litter, which is made from plastic, with sawdust, paper, pellets or wood. Replace the plastic bags you use to collect your doggy excrement with compostable ones. If you live in a house with a garden, or have a little garden in front of your home, you can compost the excrement. Every detail of a Zero Waste life is fundamental, so it is extremely important to do systematic research and keep looking for better solutions to daily problems.

Zero Waste parenting? Is that even possible? Viktoria Ohulkova

These are some pieces of advice that will make your parenting more sustainable:

1. Use cloth diapers, cloth wipes and nursing pads

Why are single-use disposable nappies a problem? Here are some facts about them:

• The first disposable diaper dates back to the 1950s.

• A baby needs an average of 5 000 disposable diapers, or 1.5 tons of diaper waste. • A disposable diaper takes 500 years to rot. • Nearly 4 000 - 5 000 nappies are used per child before its third year, which equals 1 ton of waste per child. In fact, even though nappies represent only between 1 and 2% of total municipal solid waste, in places with the highest separate collection rates, they represent the biggest fraction of residual waste. The problem with nappies is their high fermentability, combined with their composition – a combination of plastic, cotton, creams and faeces. This means that, firstly, the nappy is disposed of in the waste bin as mixed waste, and, secondly, it requires very frequent garbage collection because of smells

If we could solve the problem of nappies in the waste bin, it would be possible to reduce the frequency of collection, which would reduce collection and disposal costs. Moreover, less nappies in landfills means

2. Use the library

If you have a library nearby, it’s a wonderful opportunity to access books, videos, music and more without having to purchase them.

3. Don’t buy new: rent or use second-hand

4. Breastfeed your baby

Breast milk and breastfeeding have huge benefits for both the mother and baby. Breast milk is package-free, easy to transport and always fresh. 14

14 Sources : www.zerowasteeurope.eu/2011/07/reusable-nappies-a-zero-waste-solution-to-an-european-problem www.wildminimalist.com/blogs/news/7-reusable-items-for-the-zero-waste-baby www.zerowastecalifornia.org/2019/11/05/the-zero-waste-diaper-guide www.www.babygearlab.com/topics/diapering-potty/best-disposable-diaper www.live-with-less.de/en/13-tipps-for-zero-waste-with-baby www.mamaminimalist.com/low-waste-parenting www.netdoctor.co.uk/parenting/baby-and-toddler/a30548792/eco-friendly-baby www.babystepstozerowaste.wordpress.com/2018/03/07/zero-waste-breast-milks-and-breast-feeding-baby