With the climate crisis still an ongoing problem, more people are making the shift to a sustainable lifestyle. Surprisingly, parents are leading the change, thanks to children who are making them aware about the state of the planet. In fact, one research found that 72% of parents have been reprimanded by their children for unsustainable practices. Sustainable living is a practice to reduce personal and societal environmental impact by making positive changes that would counteract climate change and other environmental concerns. As a parent, you are expected to raise your kids to be confident and happy. However, to secure a bright and safe future for them, you must also make changes, as early as now, to help address the environmental problems, and here are the main ways you can do your part to save the Earth.

Go for Reusable 

As a parent, you may already know how much waste your family can produce. You may also have noticed that most of them are disposable products, like diapers and plastic items. One of the top three major environmental issues are disposable products, particularly single-use plastics, which tend to end up in landfills and the ocean, causing harm to the environment. That’s why one of the best changes you can make in order to become an eco-friendly parent is to choose reusable products.

You can carry reusable shopping bags instead of using plastic, and keeping reusable water bottles and other containers. If you have a baby, a great way to reduce waste is using cloth nappies, since diapers actually make up for 2% to 3% of all household waste. Reducing this much waste can already make a positive impact on the environment, and it can reduce your family’s carbon footprint. Moreover, cloth nappies are ethically made and can help you save money in the long run. 

Buy Secondhand

Kids require a lot of stuff, from nursery furniture to clothes and toys. As you know, many of them are only useful for a couple of months. You either store some of them or throw them away, which is why it would be better to buy secondhand if you need items for your children. Buying secondhand reduces the amount of good quality equipment and materials that ends up in landfill sites, not to mention it can save you a lot of money and reduce waste. Second hand clothes are also better since they don’t have the chemicals that can be found in new kids’ clothing. 

Choose Natural 

As a responsible parent, you may have worried about the contents of some products your children use, like soaps and shampoos. Though some people might dismiss your concerns, you are right to be worried because these items usually have some chemicals that can be harmful not just for kids, but for the environment as well. It is always best to choose products with natural ingredients and with no potentially harmful man-made chemicals, so always read product labels. 

Shifting to sustainable living is a responsible thing to do. Making the changes above are smart ways to become an eco-friendly parent.