15 Zero Waste Baby Products & Ethical Baby Gift Ideas
As it turns out, being a parent and trying to be zero waste is not all that easy. Any new parent will be keen to get their kids off to the best start. Yet, if you look around many of the baby products out there, plastic is everywhere. Plastic nappies, bottles, and wipes all add to the amount of plastic we both consume and then discard. As such, we've pulled together a list of zero-waste baby products.
Whether you’re buying for your new arrival or a gift, we aim to make it a bit easier to source the baby essentials you need with the environment in mind.
For planet-concerned parents, sourcing sustainable products for their newborns is a great way to help them start plastic-free and zero waste. Plus, we’re not harming the baby by surrounding them with natural goods that come from organic and sustainable sources.
A no-waste baby might prove a stretch too far for most, but at least our picks of the best products will help close the gap.
15 Zero Waste Baby Products for Baby, Baby Showers, and Gifts
Click to Jump to the Best Zero Waste Baby Recommendations in this Guide:
1. Bamboo Training Utensils And Bowls
Brands typically make most baby and toddler utensils from plastic, yet loads of sustainable wooden utensils now exist.
Bamboo Bamboo makes a wide selection of Bamboo utensils and homewares. They have a wide range of feeding spoons, bowls, and plates for ages 6-18 months, making for a perfect zero-waste gift for young ones.
A father of four founded Bamboo Bamboo in a search for plastic-free products made from natural and sustainable resources. Or rather a search that came up with little that suited the zero-waste lifestyle when feeding his young family. As such, he decided to create his range of bamboo products from this all-natural, fast-growing, and sustainable raw material.
They make the suction base and tip of the spoon from food-grade BPA-free silicone. In various colors and cute designs, their bowls and plates will not only stay put but make for a long-lasting zero, wasted dinner time essential.
2. Insulated Stainless Steel Baby Bottle
Another zero-waste baby essential is the infant bottle. As an alternative to the plastic baby bottles that abound, we’ve featured this stainless steel plastic-free alternative.
Made from food-grade stainless steel and complete with a lifetime warranty, this bottle will last for your babies' first months until they are a few years old - at least.
Pura makes these bottles and claims to make the only 100% plastic-free bottles on the market. They even certify them MADESAFE, ensuring their non-toxic manufacture. Safe for the baby and better for the planet.
For more options, check out our complete list of non-toxic baby bottles free from plastic.
3. Eco-Friendly Baby Stroller
A quality stroller is one of those baby essentials you simply can’t do without. As you’re no doubt already aware, it’s a minefield out there trying to find the right stroller that fits the bill and your lifestyle.
When looking for an environmentally friendly stroller, thankfully, your choices are increasing. Not least as more new parents demand that the baby buggy is also good for the planet and
Greentom claims to be the greenest stroller on the planet. They make them using high-quality recycled plastic and 74 PET bottles. These strollers certainly help you stay true to the values and aims of your zero-waste journey.
You can also recycle them after use. Although we’re sure you’ll find there’s another mum out there amongst your friends and family that could benefit from reusing your second-hand Greentom stroller, providing it still has some useful life left.
A multi-design winning product designed from the ground up with the environment in mind, if you’re in the market for a new stroller, you’d be wise to give these guys a good look.
4. Wallaboo Organic Cotton Baby Blankets
You can use this multipurpose 100% organic cotton baby blanket to cover, snuggle-wrap, and carry. Soft to the touch, it’s also machine washable, making care after a spill easy.
Wallaboo creates its products with “handcraftsmanship” from materials free from chemicals and toxins. The company practices ethical manufacturing, looking after both the people who make their goods and the planet. These zero-waste products are suitable to both last and perfect to add to a zero-waste baby registry.
Related: We have a bunch more of the best organic baby blankets for you to choose from if these ones aren't quite right
5. Personalized Baby Teether
With these cute teethers, you can personalize natural zero-waste baby toys with their name. This is made of 100% non-toxic, food-grade silicone and sturdy beech wood, offering a safe, easy grip for little fingers. With CPC (Children's Product Certificate) and UONE certificates, the teether is ideal for any baby aged three months and above.
The seller’s hand makes these zero-waste baby teethers with colored beads formed from food-grade silicone. These teethers ship from Canada free from BPA. So, do be mindful of the timing when buying a gift.
6. Hanna Andersson Pyjamas
Hanna Andersson makes clothing for babies and kids to last from 100% organic cotton. All of the raw materials they used to make their range of soft, colorful, and durable clothes for young ones get sourced free from pesticides or fertilizers. As such, most of their baby clothes are tested for 100 harmful substances and accredited by OEKO-TEX.
They're also a brand that gives back, with millions of dollars of baby clothes donated to help kids in need.
Their bestsellers are all-in-one sleeper pajamas. They come in an extensive range of sizes from 50cm to suit 0-3 months up to a US size 3. Hanna Andersson also has an extensive range of baby clothing for days out and as they grow up from potty training age to early years.
7. Petit Collage Baby Books
Create an adventurous night storytime with baby books without plastic waste.
We’ve picked out this soft book from Petit Collage as another zero-waste idea. It’s 100% organic, soft, and cuddly and even comes complete with a beechwood bunny for play and teething. Far better than those plastic toys that line the shelves of many a baby aisle.
At Petit Collage, all products are BPA and lead-free. These machine-washable toys feature high-contrast patterns suitable for boys or girls. They print them using natural inks, and their organic cotton is GOTS-certified.
Alongside, we’ve included the Things that Go Wood Stroller Book. This time, made from FSC-certified wood and non-toxic paints and varnishes. It comes complete with a wooden strap to attach to strollers, so it doesn't get lost on one of those long walks.
Petit Collage on Amazon:
8. Organic Baby Soap
Discover Carolina Organics' baby soap, meticulously crafted through a cold-process method, ensuring the oils remain untouched by high heat. This soap blends chamomile-infused organic olive oil, calendula extract, and organic colloidal oats. It's perfect for tender baby skin, even those battling atopic dermatitis, offering a gentle, creamy, and bubbly lather. Paired with expert-recommended soft washcloths, it makes bath time blissful for your little one.
9. Personalized Baby Block
These personalized baby blocks make for another cute and inspired eco-friendly idea. Handmade in the USA from sustainable wood, you can supply the details for each block to personalize the gift, including name, weight, parents’ names, and so on. As such, they become lovely zero-waste keepsakes.
10. Reusable Nappies
No eco-friendly product guide for babies would be complete without taking a look at the disposable vs. cloth diaper issue. Whereas many a mother loves the convenience of disposable diapers, they are, of course, another example of single-use plastic.
According to WRAP, a UK Charity assessing the impact of our consumption and waste, the UK disposes of around 3 billion diapers each year. In the US, it's estimated to be more like 20-25 billion.
Large brands typically make disposable diapers from both wood pulp and plastics. Estimates suggest that babies can get through up to 3000 nappies each year before toilet training. That’s a lot of plastic waste.
Most parents will have stumbled across the many arguments for and against disposable nappies versus their cloth diapers or reusable counterparts. The long and short of it is that the environmental impact is not all that clear cut given the energy and water used in the home to wash non-disposables continually.
However, we can’t argue with the fact that disposable diapers rarely get recycled. And with each disposal, a little more makes its way into landfills.
Hence, we’ve included a couple of choices of reusable cloth diapering sets as an excellent zero-waste baby choice. They do use polyester or PUL laminates, providing a breathable treatment to the cloth outer, which means they don’t come 100% plastic-free.
However, we feel these cloth diapers still make a great choice. Especially given that they could save thousands of disposable plastic diapers once purchased and get discarded over babies’ first few years. The laminate helps these diapers last and provides a sealing layer.
And with people suggesting that you’ll only need around 12 reusable diapers over the first few years in total, any new parent stands to save a lot of diaper waste.
Reusable Cloth Nappies or Diapers on Amazon:
Related: To accompany your reusable diapers, check our list of the best eco-friendly diaper bags.
11. Diaper Balm in a Glass Jar
Whether you end up using cloth diapers all the time or most of it less a few moments where disposables beat their cloth counterparts on convenience, your little one will likely experience diaper rash at some stage.
Thankfully, excellent balms in a glass jar can keep babies’ diapers feeling comfortable and avoid those nasty rashes. Add one of these glass jars to your baby registry in preparation for the inevitable diaper rash.
Our pick from BALM! Baby is all-natural, USA-made, vegan, and cruelty-free.
12. Reusable Bamboo Baby Washcloths
Next up, Bamboo Organics makes these baby cloth wipes from bamboo, providing a super soft, hypoallergenic, and naturally antibacterial cloth wipe.
Made from sustainable bamboo, this set of 6 zero-waste baby wipes makes a terrific top-up gift idea for babies and will help parents achieve less waste. They can be gifted as stand-alone baby wipes essential for any new parent or zero-waste baby shower.
13. Zero Waste Burp Cloths
Many may not realize that wet wipes contain plastic to help them hold their shape. With the cloth wipes above, Tiny Alpaca has come to the rescue with these super cute organic muslin burp cloths. Perfect to gently wipe away spilled baby food or for that urgent car seat clean-up.
Moreover, washable and made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, these burp cloths deserve a place on your baby registry; they are functional, and they look good, too.
14. Bamboo Baby Wrap
The Nalakai Soft Bamboo Baby Wrap is designed to blend comfort and style expertly. This baby wrap utilizes eco-friendly, soft bamboo material. This sustainable fabric choice is gentle on your baby's skin and soothing.
What makes this baby wrap unique is its health-conscious design. The positioning promotes healthy hip development in infants, reducing the risk of hip dysplasia. The front carry design aids digestion and offers relief from reflux and colic. Moreover, the wrap can be repurposed as a nursing cover for discreet breastfeeding instances.
A commitment to social responsibility is another reason to appreciate this product—each purchase includes a donation towards supporting low-income Costa Rican families.
15. Calendula Salve
In a pet jar or a metal tin, last in our list of zero-waste baby products, this salve is made from the calendula flower and is suitable for both mum and baby.
Soothe the skin, alleviate diaper rash, and save the planet from another plastic tub. Both mom and the little one will love this ideal for diaper rash, sensitive skin, and minor abrasions. And they are the perfect gift for a low-waste baby shower.
