a sustainable approach to your baby’s clothes
babies and toddlers go through clothing so quickly. especially in the first year, you might feel like your part-time job is reorganizing your baby’s closet. this post shows you how to manage baby clothes sustainably.
why should you take a sustainable approach to clothing?
In 2018, the US alone threw 17 million tons of clothing into landfills. Depending on the fabric and landfill environment, it can take over 200 years for each item of clothing to completely decompose. Also, making those clothes required a lot of land, water, manufacturing, and transportations: the fashion industry contributes 10% of the global emissions. For me at least, knowing this makes grabbing five dollar leggings at Target more difficult, especially when your baby will only wear them a few times.
how can you change your approach?
Get hand-me-downs. Ask friends and family for pre-loved clothes. My son loves knowing who owned his clothes before him. After I’m done, I share the love and pass the love on to someone else. And it’s a great chance to talk to your kids about topics like lowering their waste and helping others.
Buy from used sites like Poshmark or ThredUp. For specialty items that I want to have good quality, I go to a used clothing site. I’ve gotten beautiful things that are in great condition.
I’ve started using Swoondle Society, a clothing swap membership where you can send in your baby, toddler, or young child’s clothes and get credits to buy other used clothes. I’m always in awe of their sustainable approach: from their bags to their tags to their recycling program, I know that they are devoted to preventing clothes from ending up in landfills. I’ve also heard great things about UpChoose, an organic clothing rental program.
When you do buy new clothes, buy well. That’s not to say that I don’t ever buy clothes from Target, but I can definitely notice a difference in quality and the life of an item of clothing when it’s made well. I love Primary and Mini Mioche and have multiple items of clothing that were worn weekly by all three of my children and are still in good condition.
While you shouldn’t feel guilty for buying new clothes for your kiddos, remember that they won’t wear those clothes for too long, and if they’re poor quality, they’ll end up in a landfill much quicker. The next time you are searching for baby clothes, try to find something new-to-you instead, and see how it goes. After DM me and let me know your experience!
Hi! I'm Gigi; I'm a postpartum doula, mother to three toddlers, including twins, and a wife to my high school sweetheart. I’m a #swiftie who loves cheesy novels.
As a former teacher, I bring realistic, evidence-based, and actionable advice (and LOTS of handouts.) I help families get all the tools they need to prepare, so once baby arrives, they can focus on resting and bonding instead of researching or stressing. I’m here to streamline the newborn learning curve and help birth parents, partners, and other family members. There isn’t ONE way to have and raise a little human. I’m here to guide parents to find THEIR way so that they can thrive in the fourth trimester and beyond.
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