Being a parent and trying to be zero waste, as it turns out, 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 newborn is a great way to help them start plastic-free and zero waste. Plus, we’re certainly not doing junior any harm by surrounding them with natural goods which 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.
Click to Jump to the Best Zero Waste Baby Recommendations in this Guide:
..or near-zero waste baby items and product picks. We've searched far and wide to compile the list below. And where some items do contain a little plastic or plastic from recycled sources, we've included that information in our write-ups.
You'll typically find that brands 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. This simple set of feeding spoons for ages 6-18 months make 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.
Alongside, we've featured the baby suction bowl by bamboo bamboo. They make the suction base and tip of the spoon from food-grade BPA-free silicone. In a variety of colors, this bowl will not only stay put, but it makes for a long-lasting zero waste dinner time essential.
Bamboo Training Utensils & Bowl on Amazon:
Another zero-waste baby essential is the infant bottle. As an alternative to the plastic baby bottles which 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, who makes these bottles, also claims to make the only 100% plastic-free bottles on the market. They even certify them MADESAFE ensuring their non-toxic manufacture. Safe for baby and better for the planet.
Pura Stainless Steel Bottle on Amazon:
For more options, check out our complete list of non-toxic baby bottles free from plastic.
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.
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 that 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.
Wallaboo Organic Cotton Baby Blankets on Amazon:
Related: We have a bunch more of the best organic baby blankets for you to choose from if these ones aren't quite right
With these cute teethers, you can personalize natural zero-waste baby toys with their name. Two raw beech wood rings and colored beech-wood beads create movement and rattle as well as the perfect teether. You can even build your colors to suit a boy or a girl, or a baby room decor. Suitable for a new baby a few months old and on.
The seller’s hand makes these zero-waste baby teethers with colored beads formed from food-grade silicone. Free from all the nasties such as BPA and PVC, these teethers ship from Australia. So, do be mindful of the timing when buying a gift.
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.
Thus we’ve picked out these 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 through to early years.
Hanna Andersson Pyjamas on Amazon:
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 pick 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:
TheBodaciousBeer handmakes this set of 3 organic soaps from natural olive oils and essential oils safe for baby skin. Choosing organic soap bars helps prevent the use of plastic bottles or wrapping. These castile soaps, which cure for months, will last a long time.
You can also check out the seller’s baby gift box, which comes complete with soaps and lotions for mum and little ones, a stress-release bath bomb, and essential oil zero-waste lip balm. Perfect to gift everything a parent might need a new baby bath time.
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.
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 20-25bn.
Large brands typically make disposable diapers from both wood pulp and plastics. And 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 coupled 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.
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 (amazon) is all-natural, USA-made, vegan, and cruelty-free.
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. Or gifted as stand-alone baby wipes essential for any new parent or zero-waste baby shower.
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.
Washable and made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, these burp cloths deserve a place on your baby registry; functional, and they look good too.
These work just as well if you make your own baby food or buy the store-bought kind.
Accredited to the OEKO TEXT 100 standard, these slings come free from harmful chemicals. Made from bamboo and organic cotton fabric, the result is a super soft, cool, and comfortable product that carries your little one close to the chest—helpfully allowing hands to be free to go about the day's tasks. They do contain a touch of elastane to provide some stretch.
Named Hana, after their product designer’s first child, she designed these bamboo wraps for mums by mums. And they come in a range of colors to suit a little one. Of course, Dad can use them too.
Hana ships from Amazon UK internationally; for US readers, also check out the Simply Life Wrap.
Hana Bamboo Baby Wrap on Amazon:
In a metal tin, last in our list of zero-waste baby products, this balm 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. Ideal for diaper rash, sensitive skin, and minor abrasions, both mom and the little one will love this. And they are the perfect gift for a low-waste baby shower.
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