I think it's about time that we actually address the title of this blog, that is "Plastic or Paper." In essence, this statement, which we often hear at the grocery store, represents the personal choices we make that affect the environment. My concern for protecting the environment and living as green as I can stems from more than just my two degrees in Atmospheric Science; I would not like to leave my children in a uninhabitable world due to pollution.
I am currently reading "The eco-nomical baby guide" by Joy Hatch and Rebecca Kelly, mostly for it's section on cloth diapering (more on that topic later). Joy and Rebecca raise an interesting point throughout - living more sustainably can actually save you money, if done right. I know that many naysayers to living green will argue that it costs more to do so. It is true, yes, that electric cars cost more than gas (don't even get me started on that one), but there are many money saving activities that are at the same time green. One good example of this is what the book dubs as a "solar-powered dryer" (i.e., clothesline) - hanging out your clothes on a line outside without a doubt saves you money on your electricity bill.
One of the first points that Joy and Rebecca bring up is good advice to all, whether you are having a baby or not - the difference between needs and wants, or what they call "necessities and niceties." As they say, a really easy way to be green is to just buy less stuff. Everyone remember their three "Rs"? Reduce, reuse, and recycle! With all the crazy baby gadgets they have out there (wow, was it overwhelming to walk through a Babies R Us for the first time), which advertising tells you are "must-haves," it's easy to forget that right at the beginning, the baby you bring into this world doesn't have a need for a lot of stuff. As Joy and Rebecca state, all parents really need to prepare before the baby arrives are a place to sleep, a diapering method, a feeding method, a few garments to keep baby warm, and a car seat. I think this simplifies things so much for first time parents who are bombarded with a million different choices and a desire to do the best for their baby (just because something costs more doesn't necessarily mean it's better quality)!
By the way, I love their point that babies often love to play with regular household items, such as tupperware, spoons, pots, pans, and cardboard boxes, more than their plastic gadgets.
So, how are we doing so far? Well, we've already dipped into the "nicety" of painting the nursery, and plan on getting a stroller, which we do consider a necessity. We've mostly just stuck to holding off buying everything right now, since we've found that people are very generous and more than willing to pass on used baby gear when they find out you're expecting. We'll probably get most of our necessities closer to when the baby is due.
All in all, being as green as we can be is very important to my husband and I, and we hope to continue and even increase our eco-friendliness with the arrival of our baby. True, it is really hard to do absolutely everything green (yes, we still fill up our car at the gas pumps, fly home to visit family, and wash our dishes in warm water), but in my books, every little effort counts.
Trying to avoid a plethora of new plastic baby gizmos!
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