How to Create a Sustainable Baby Registry
You’re having a baby, congratulations! Now what? You might start thinking about all of the things your little one may need, and wondering what’s really necessary. Babies may be small, but their belongings can accumulate quickly! Many parents start to realize the environmental impact of buying all of these items when thinking of the overwhelming amount of “stuff” babies need. Once there’s a baby in the picture with a future on this planet, we tend to care about Earth’s wellbeing a little bit more so that it will be around for our baby while they grow up!
The great news is that there are a lot of options out there for baby items now that have a lower environmental impact. Most of the items listed below can be found secondhand, which is the most sustainable option as it doesn’t add more waste to the planet (several secondhand resources are listed at the bottom of this article). You can also reach out to baby gear manufacturers for spare parts if you find something pre-owned that’s missing parts or needs replacement pieces! For the items you can’t find secondhand, or that you’d prefer to purchase new, here is a list of eco-friendly items to add to your baby registry.
Building a sustainable baby registry may seem like an overwhelming task, but it doesn’t have to be! Here’s a rundown of typical items many parents find useful for their first baby registry, with links to sustainable options for each. Be sure to download our complete baby registry checklist!
Nursery items
Bassinet
Joovy makes the Foodoo High Chair and Bassinet, which utilizes the same base for 6 products in order to reduce waste, shipping, packaging, and fuel waste associated with shipping 5 more products. Other options include the Halo Bassinest swivel sleeper with Greenguard GOLD certified mattress and organic cotton sheet, Baby Bjorn Cradle, and the Nuna Sena Aire pack and play that we used as a crib in our room can also be raised to bassinet level.
Crib
Many are available secondhand, just make sure that it’s in good shape and not recalled (avoid drop-side cribs). Some brands to look for that are Greenguard Gold Certified include Oeuf, Babyletto, DaVinci Baby, Pottery Barn Kids, and Crate & Kids. For those who are looking to transition from bassinet to floor bed rather than a crib, Sprout Kids offers one that fits a crib-size mattress.
Crib Mattress
Some organic options include
Bedding
Look for 100% organic cotton sheets for the baby’s crib.
- Burts Bees Baby,
- Pottery Barn Kids,
- Monica + Andy (they recently did a collaboration with Target and offer some of their designs there as well)
- Under the Canopy
Changing Station
While not entirely necessary, any dresser works for a changing station as long as the changing pad is securely attached. There are some dressers that come with changing station attachments that can be removed so that you can use the dresser as the child gets older, such as Babyletto. Having a dedicated “changing table” that offers no other features such as storage is not at all necessary, and many parents choose to just change their baby wherever they may be (on the floor, on the bed, on a roomy countertop), just make sure you are with them at all times so they can’t roll off a high surface!
Changing Pad
These can be tricky as they need to be waterproof to be useful, but there are a few sustainable options. Babyletto (PVC-free and Greenguard Gold certified), Nook Changing Pad, and the Keekaroo Peanut (BPA-, PVC-, and phthalate-free) which is very easy to wipe down, and doesn’t need covers are all great options. We love the Keekaroo and plan to use it again for baby #2!
Changing Pad Covers
If you opt for a changing pad that requires covers, I recommend getting a few so you can always have a clean one! Look for ones made from organic cotton. Some options include Burt’s Bee’s Baby, Monica + Andy as well as Monica + Andy at Target, and HonestBaby.
Nursery Chair or Glider
Here are some options for non-toxic rocking chairs and gliders.
Blackout Curtains
Pottery Barn makes fair-trade certified blackout curtains.
Pack and Play/Playard
As I mentioned above, we used the Nuna Sena Aire as our baby’s primary sleeping surface for the first 14 months, and it has a bassinet level to use for infancy. Now that our baby is 3, they actually still fit in it and will nap there when at their grandparent’s house! Other great non-toxic options are the Guava Lotus Everywhere Travel Crib which opens at the bottom as well to use for playtime and the Baby Bjorn Travel Crib Light.
Sound Machine
You can use your current phone (there are many apps for this) or an old phone you don’t use to make it a dedicated sound machine. We used the Marpac portable sound machine and have had the same model for 3 years. Portability is key for continuing naps in the car/on the go!
Feeding
Bottles
Go for glass bottles with silicone slipcovers to protect against breaks, such as Joovy Boob, LifeFactory, Philips Avent, or get nipples to fit on any mason jars you may already have from Mason Bottle. Silicone is another option that is a better alternative to plastic bottles, such as Comotomo. I recommend trying a few different shapes of bottles to see what your baby likes best, as preferences can vary from one baby to the next.
Bottle Sanitizer
Good news! You don’t need a separate product for this. All you need to do is boil water and put the bottles or pacifiers in there for about five minutes and you’re good to go. This isn’t even always necessary, as you can usually just wash everything with dish soap in the sink or dishwasher, but if you do want to sanitize, having a “bottle sanitizer” product is completely unnecessary.
Drying Rack
Boon Countertop Drying Rack is free of BPA, phthalates, and PVC, and can be re-purposed in the toddler years for sensory play.
Breast Pumps
The Haakaa silicone hand pump doesn’t require electricity and is great for collecting let-downs from the opposite side you are feeding your baby, especially for the first session of the day. I built a freezer stash just from this! They make them with lids now, which is a game-changer from when I used it with my first, and I’ll be getting lids for mine this time around.
For electric pumps, avoid any brand that requires that you use their specially sized bags. With most pumps, you will pump into a bottle of some kind that you can either feed directly to your baby or store to use later. One sustainable option is to pour the milk from the bottle into a mason jar to store in the freezer or to use a silicone ice cube tray to freeze and then store in another container in your freezer, but this is one area where plastic is pretty hard to avoid, especially if you have a very large freezer stash. You can’t really re-use the plastic breastmilk storage bags safely either. One option I found is Zip Top silicone storage bags, but for the price, it is likely not realistic to use this for all of your milk storage if you exclusively pump or plan to store a lot in the freezer.
Breastfeeding Pillow
You can use a body pillow or pregnancy pillow if you already have one, but for dedicated breastfeeding, pillows look for organic fill and materials. I used the Blessed Nest breastfeeding pillow and while it is on the heavier side, I really liked it and still find many uses for it outside of nursing. Other options include The Sustainable Baby Moon Womb and Nook, which also sells a selection of “Practically Perfect” items at a discounted price here.
Highchair
Joovy’s Foodoo highchair is great for those who don’t want to accumulate as much clutter, as it offers six products in one! It converts from a bassinet into a highchair, infant booster, toddler booster, and youth chair. The booster and high chair components can be separated to be used for two different children.
Another option for high chairs is the Stokke Tripp Trapp which grows with your child and can also be used as an adult chair. They are VERY easy to clean and easy to adjust as your baby grows. These are always all over Facebook Marketplace which is where I found ours that we have been using for 6 months-3 years with no end in sight! They also sell a newborn attachment, a baby set that includes a harness/seat/tray, and cushions (you can skip these, as they are hard to clean and babies don’t need them). If you are unable to find a secondhand version, this is one product that retains its resale value well and you should be able to recoup some of your money when you no longer need it.
Gear
Strollers
Joovy makes several options for strollers that are made with 100% recycled fabric!
Their options include the Qool (made from 55 water bottles), which can be a single, double or triple stroller, the New Zoom jogging stroller made from 60 water bottles, Big Caboose Triple Stroller made from 115 water bottles, and the Caboose UL Double Stroller made from 50 water bottles.
Car Seat
This is one that you shouldn’t look for secondhand, as car seats expire, and if you don’t know the history of the seat and it’s been in an accident, it is unsafe to use and can be dangerous for your child. With car seats, it is important to watch out for added flame retardants. More and more brands are hitting the market without added flame retardants, which is great, but don’t be afraid to message a brand to ask if you aren’t sure! Infant car seats are portable and can be clicked into strollers as part of a travel system. Many parents find them easy to use, but keep in mind that all babies outgrow these seats by around age 1 and you will need a convertible car seat after this. Infant seats: Uppababy Mesa in merino wool fabrics (Henry and Jordan), Nuna Pipa, and Britax infant seats in Safewash fabric,
Convertible seats, which can be used from infancy through toddlerhood, stay stationary in the car and aren’t portable like infant seats. Look for seats with high rear-facing weight limits to keep your child safe for as long as possible (children are much safer in rear-facing seats, even with bent legs, in accidents vs forward-facing children, and many experts recommend waiting until at least age 5 or outgrowing the weight limits for the seat before switching to forward-facing). Options without added flame retardants: Clek Mammoth collection, Nuna Rava (we have had this seat for about 2 years and love it), and Britax seats in Safewash fabric.
If you go for an infant seat and have multiple cars that the baby will be riding in regularly, I recommend getting an additional base for it. Most infant seats don’t require a base at all, but they are highly recommended for additional safety and stability. For convertible car seats, if you have more than one car it is much easier to have two car seats as those are less portable and more difficult to move around.
Baby Carrier
This is another item that you need different options for depending on age. With a newborn, a soft wrap option like the Baby K’Tan organic carrier or the Organic Boba Wrap is ideal. If you’ll be seated or reclining, a babywearing top like this organic cotton one by Kindred Bravely is perfect for skin-to-skin in the early days!
When your baby is a bit bigger, you can transition to a soft structured carrier such as the LILLEbaby Complete Organi-Touch 6-in-1 Baby Carrier or the Beco Gemini Organic Carrier.
Brands That Give Back
Joovy has a National Park Collection, which includes high chairs, bikes, a walker, and more! 5% of the purchase price is donated to the National Park Foundation.
Pacha Soap: They donate soaps to communities impacted by covid and they donate clean water to communities in need.
The Honest Company: For every diaper sold, they donate one.
Cuddle + Kind: Ethically made dolls. They donate meals to children in need for every doll sold. Get 20% off your purchase using this link.
Secondhand websites to check out + some discount codes:
Facebook marketplace The more often you search for a specific item, the more likely it is to show up in the algorithm on your marketplace home page. This means you’ll see new items shortly after they’re listed for items you search for frequently!
GoodBuy Gear, which offers discounts on new, open box and gently used baby gear (this is the one place you can get a discounted car seat that’s safe because they sell open-box merchandise that hasn’t been used previously). Use code JESSICA10 for 10% off your first purchase!
Floorfound: Babyletto, Nursery Works, and DaVince Baby are all part of Million Dollar Baby Brand that offers a marketplace website for returned items where you can find discounts on new products.
Poshmark for new and preloved baby clothes. Get $10 off your first order with code “Lula44”
Mercari for new and preloved baby clothes and gear, $10 off when you sign up
Will also say that with buying things second hand ensure they meet current safety standards and aren’t recalled. Mattresses shouldn’t be second hand if not from the same household.
Absolutely! Thank you for your tips! So much to think about when creating a sustainable home with children
These are all so perfect for a registry. There are definitely places to find second hand items that are beneficial but also critical to get those items that ensure the babies safety and getting it first hand so you know there are no malfunctions that could be present. Love this list!
Its a great list with the help of our friend Jessica!