Everything you need … and more!
Babies, despite starting so small, are BIG consumers, but there is lots of potential for them to be GREEN consumers. Baby magazines provide long lists of everything a newborn baby needs: cots, prams, changing tables, high chairs and nursery furniture; lots of small items of clothing, and bedding and blankets just the right size to fit the cot and the pram; baby shampoo, oil, soap, cleansers; bottles and bottle sterilising kit; baby milks and baby food; not to mention packets and packets of nappies. All these products and many more are now available, from a growing number of suppliers, in greener, more environmentally-friendly versions. So you can get reusable washable nappies, organic baby food, toiletries made from natural ingredients, and bedding and clothes made from pesticide-free or organic cotton and wool (see Baby goods). There are also manufacturers making environmentally-friendly wooden Toys, instead of using plastic which may contain toxic chemicals.
If you are shopping for a baby you will find lots of other products which are considered ‘essential’. Cots, pushchairs, prams, changing tables, feeding bottles and dishes, and a whole host of other accessories. Many of the baby product suppliers include these in their catalogues. Of course, you may find that you can manage without some of the ‘essentials’ and many can be obtained second-hand from family, friends, neighbours and charity shops.