Eco Baby 101 Part 2
Written by Olivia Richardson: 02-September-2009
New summer range from Purebaby
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We’ve trolled through the latest eco baby options around and have come up with the cutest, most sustainable, must-have items for eco-chic-yummy-mummies.
The criteria? Eco friendly and cute or chic! No hessian-bag-style looks and potato colours here.
Think cutie-patootie organics, biodegradable and sustainable materials and packaging, eco-charity initiatives and carbon offsets, plus we've considered where they've come from ('carbon dioxide miles').
Best eco yummy mummy mobile
This is Australia's number-one, eco-friendly SUV ('sport utility vehicle') as rated by the government's Green Vehicle Guide. It ranks in at #8 in their Top Perfomers list – of all cars (including hatchbacks!) with a 5-star eco rating.
This luxurious, 5-seater eco-mobile releases just 150g of carbon dioxide per kilometre (which is similar to a MINI), and uses a tiny 6.4 lites of fuel per 100km (e.g. more efficient than a Hyundai Getz). How you ask? It's a hybrid, so has a regular petrol engine plus an electric one which recharges while driving and kicks in at certain intervals to save petrol and fuel emissions.
Other fab features include reversing camera, side-parking camera, mirror position memory, satellite navigation system, illumintated and lockable glovebox, lots of airbags, 4 cup holders, 4 bottle holders; 6-CD, 12-speaker sound system; alarm, immobiliser and more; plus it comes in 8 spunky colours. From $89,900. www.lexus.com.au
Best eco baby clothes brands
1. Purebaby
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Purebaby clothes are made from 100% organic cotton (organic cotton farming uses 50% less water than conventional cotton farming) and are the softest and 'creamiest' we've felt.
The company says it was the first Australian business to join the global, ethical initiative MADE-BY, which guarantees that every stage of production is environmentally-friendly and ethical (i.e. no sweat shops). We love their ethics! www.purebaby.com.au
2. Gaia Organic Cotton
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Funky, chic and ridiculously cute fashionwear for babies and children up to age 8. Made from 100% certified organic cotton; and available at David Jones, selected children's wear boutiques and www.gaiaorganiccotton.com.au
3. Nature's Purest
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More neutral-coloured clothes made from 100% organically grown, naturally coloured cotton jersey. The hand-picked cotton buds are grown in natural shades of cream, brown and green (!), so they don't even need to be dyed. The downside is that there isn't much variety with colours and styles (pretty much what's pictured is it for clothes), unlike the two brands listed above. www.naturespurest.com.au
Best eco nursery décor
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1. BabyBaby Seed Organic Cradle / BabyBaby Seed Organic ‘the Pod’
Both are made from breathable, 100% organic cotton; recycled birch pywood; and feature a natural latex breather hole mattress which is naturally hypoallergenic, anti-microbial and contours to the shape of baby's body.
The Pod features all of the above, plus the removable Moses-style basket is made from natural, woven maize. Cradle: $299; Pod: $349, www.babybaby.com.au
2 & 4. Cocoon Couture Enchanted Forest Trees & Enchanted Woodland Mobiles are handcrafted from environmentally friendly plywood from Forest-Stewardship-Council-managed forests; feature silk-screened, wooden leaves with prints inspired by vintage wallpaper; and are finished with non-toxic varnish and inks safe for children and the environment. Shelf Stand Tree: 35cm wide, 45cm high, $89; Forest Tree: 110cm tall, 100cm wide, $350; and mobile: 70cm long, $49.95, www.cocooncouture.com
3. Cocoon Couture Book Ends are made from environmentally friendly plywood from Forest-Stewardship-Council-managed forests, and are finished with non-toxic varnish safe for children and the environment. Designs include Early Bird, Cheeky Squirrel, and Sleepy Owl. 19cm wide, 17cm tall, $89, www.cocooncouture.com
5. Hug Me Bear Decorative Junior Cushion by Natures Purest is made from 100% organic, naturally coloured cotton, but has a polyester filling. 29cm x 29cm, $29.95, www.naturespurest.com.au
Best eco toys
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1. Sophie the Giraffe is touted as "the only 100% natural teething toy in the world" and has been spotted with Nicole Richie's daughter Harlow, Isla Fisher's daughter Olive, and Naomi Watts' son Alexander.
Sophie is 18cm tall, squeaks when squeezed, is handmade from 100% natural rubber from the Malaysian Hevea tree (i.e. latex), and painted with food-grade paint. $34, www.sophiethegiraffe.com.au
2. Hug Me Bear by Natures Purest is so adorable! The outer material is made from 76% organic cotton velour (the rest is 24% polyester); has a heavy, bean-bag-like filling (fair trade polyester beads) so it sits up on its own. All Nature's Purest products are made from cotton that amazingly grows naturally in shades of cream, brown or green; and come in a cute, recycled, brown gift box. Comes in 20cm- and 50cm-tall sizes ($29.95 and $79.95), www.naturespurest.com.au
3. Maud N Lil soft toys are made from 100% certified organic cotton velour; and stuffed with natural, sustainable, bio-degradable cellulose filling – great for the environment and children with allergies or asthma. They're soft, plush, a nice size, totally huggable for little arms, made in fair-trade factories; and inspected and certified by SKAL International, guaranteeing that they're ethically, environmentally and economically viable. More info on their ethics here.
On the downside, we think the eye and mouth stitching positions make them look sad and not as inviting as they could be with a slight stitching postition change. $39.99 or $18.99 for mini versions, www.maudnlil.com.au
4. Sleepy Safari Activity Blocks by Natures Purest (set of 6 blocks). The blocks are made from velour-like, naturally dyed organic cotton (stuffed with foam) and each side features either an elephant, giraffe, lion, animal tail with one of the animal names written above it, 'a', 'b', 'c', or cute hearts. 3 blocks rattle and the other 3 jingle when shaken. On the downside, they're quite pricey for what they are. $69.95, www.naturespurest.com.au
5. Anamalz wooden toys are handmade from maple wood that comes from Forest-Stewardship-Council-approved plantation forests, and any waste wood is used on a farm to grow mushrooms. They're painted with water-based paint, the company uses recylced paper where possible for info tags and packaging, and all Anamalz accessories are made from recycled plastic.
As for designs, think 10 unique types of wild animals, 10 Farm animals, 7 Australian animals and 6 Prehistoric creatures (e.g. llama, giraffe, cow, camel, zebra, horse, goat, kangaroo, koala, echidna, T-rex and more). They would rate higher on our list if they were larger (they're only about 9cm tall and 10cm wide). For ages 3+. Order online from www.todae.com.au. See the entire range at www.anamalz.com.au
Best eco nappies & wipes
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1. Wotnot Biodegradable Baby Wipes
Moisturising, unscented, 100% biodegradable and compostable wipes made from cotton and sustainable forest wood pulp. They're about 2.5cm larger than usual and the ones below, are the moistest and softest, and have a mild and pleasant Cetaphil-like scent. They contain purified water, certified organic aloe vera, vegetable glycerin, vitamin E, potassium sorbate, polysorbate 20 (derived from fruit and berries) and citric acid. Pack of 80 for $8.95, www.wotnot.com.au
WotNot is Australian-owned and uses 100% renewable energy in their office and warehouse, re-uses everything before then recycling, uses recycled paper for all printed materials, supports The Wilderness Society and also donates a percentage of all sales to the Bear Cottage for children with terminal illnesses.
2. Moltex Nappies
These eco nappies have a 100% biodegradable outer lining (and packaging) and a 40% biodegradable inner lining. They're chlorine-free and we think they're more absorbent than Seventh Generation's Chlorine Free Nappies and Coles' conventional Baby Love nappies, for example.
They're imported by www.ecodirect.com.au but the shipping is carbon-offset through Greening Australia's 'Breathe Easy' program, and a percentage of sales is donated to Trees for Life to help regenerate Australia's native bushland. Moltex Mini Nappies (3-6kg), pack of 144, $86.85. See complete range and prices here.
3. WotNot Biodegradable Nappy Bags
These are 100% biodegradable and compostable and are made from GM-free cornstarch (they feel 'silky'). They're unscented, double as doggy-poo or sanitary disposal bags and come in a box of 50, $8.95. www.wotnot.com.au
4. Seventh Generation Chlorine Free Baby Wipes
These smell pleasant (like sweet aloe vera mixed with Cetaphil) and are very thin and light (semi-see-through). They're slightly smaller than Clearly Herbal Bamboo Wipes and a lot smaller than WotNot's. They're from the USA so generate some greenhouse gasses to get here, but all-in-all we like the smell, the ingredients and how they have a great health safety and eco rating on The Environmental Working Group's www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. More info at www.seventhgeneration.com Order from www.natureschild.com.au from $9.95 for a pack of 80.
5. Clearly Herbal Bamboo Wipes
These are made from 100% biodegradable bamboo cloth and mostly natural ingredients. Bamboo is great because it's naturally anti-microbial, and doesn't need chemicals and much water to grow.
The wipes' scent is quite strong (from lavender, tea tree and lemon oils), which is quite pongy for those who like more 'natural' scents.
The wipes are thick, have a silky sheen and are wetter than the Seventh Generation ones, but the fourth ingredient is phenoxyethanol, which we're not too keen on as it scores a 'medium hazard' rating on www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. Of course, conventional wipes usually score 'high hazard' scores, so these are still good in comparison. They're imported from the UK and are available at www.clearlyherbal.com.au. Pack of 60 for $8.95.
If you're in to cloth nappies, visit www.nurturenappies.com.au for a huge range of cute patterns from various brands.
Best online eco baby stores
1. www.ecobabe.com.au – the most stylish, chic and comprehensive range of everything eco
2. www.natureschild.com.au – more 'hardcore', organic and natural products, clothes, etc.
3. www.muddkids.com.au – funky and fashionista-style clothes
4. www.naturebaby.co.nz – eco everything
5. www.ecochild.com.au – eco everything.
More eco baby websites
www.nurturenappies.com.au
www.neco.com.au
www.saharabloom.com
www.issybearnappies.com.au
www.lotuslinens.com.au
www.todae.com.au
www.bamboobaby.com.au
www.appleandbee.com.
More
Eco Baby 101: Top-10 Babycare Products + Reviews
Eco Car Reviews
Cars for Mum Reviews / Yummy Mummy Car Reviews