The Green Parent

Getting ready for a new baby can be both overwhelming and exhilarating. There’s gear to buy, rooms to clean, and sleep to store up on! If you setting up a nursery for your baby to sleep in (when he’s not sleeping on your shoulder), consider taking a few steps to ensure that the room is healthy and safe for both your new baby and the planet. Here’s how to green your baby’s nursery:

Keep It Simple: If you walk in to any major retail store, you’ll find a dizzying array of products that are advertised as “essential” to a new baby’s nursery. Contrary to the marketing hype, you do not need 90% of this stuff. Talk to your friends and family about which items they found most useful, and skip the rest.

See the Future: Look for furniture that will outlast the baby years to give you the most mileage for your dollars. Cribs that convert to toddler beds or changing tables that become dressers will save you a fortune in the long run and keep your old stuff from filling up the landfill.

No-VOCs: VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, are gases emitted from paints, new furniture, carpetting, and many cleaning products. They are also extremely toxic to your health…especially for babies whose fragile immune systems are still developing. Paint your nursery with low or no-VOC paint. Buy low-VOC carpet and furnishings or better yet, look for secondhand models that have already finished outgassing. (Here’s more info about the harmful health effects associated with VOCs.)

This is especially important when it comes to your choice of crib. If you can get a secondhand crib from a reliable source that meets all of today’s safety requirements, you have hit the jackpot! You will save a bundle of dough and reduce the resources and energy used, and waste created in buying a new crib.

If you do need to purchase a new crib, be very selective. Cheap furniture, while tempting for the wallet, typically contains formaldehyde and high-VOC

particle board. This is not stuff you want your baby to breathe while she slumbers. Steer clear of products that carry the label “known to the state of California to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity,” as it likely contains these toxins. If your budget allows, look for a crib that uses FSC-certified wood.

Clean Green: Get your nursery squeaky clean without the toxic cocktail of chemicals found in most traditional cleaning products. Get a green clean by using eco-savvy cleaning products from companies like Seventh Generation, Seaside Naturals, or Ecover, or make your own environmentally-friendly cleaning products from baking soda and vinegar.