Stress-free sustainable parenting

Becoming a parent is life changing and for the 605,479 mums who gave birth in 2023, the desire to live a more sustainable life may take on new importance. Matching intent with action is another thing. “I would love to grow my own vegetables and buy organic everything but there’s a cost and time consideration,” says Imogen Holmwood, mum to baby Eden and a contributor to the Mum & You survey on stress-free, sustainable parenting.

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Imogen isn’t alone in wanting to become a more eco-conscious parent. In fact, 41% of UK parents are influenced by how environmentally friendly a product is and 41%* also acknowledge that their purchasing choices are guided by how the world around them is changing. 

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Of course, making sustainable eco swaps may seem overwhelming while juggling a new routine, riding the rollercoaster of new emotions and sleep deprivation but there are simple changes parents can make including buying second hand, washing at 30° and even upcycling. 

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New mum and BBC’s Sewing Bee Finalist, Brogan Sommerville, says, “I have always loved upcycling things from clothes to home accessories but when I had a baby it became even more important to me. I became very aware that the choices I make will have a far greater impact on my son’s future than my own and that even small changes can add up in a positive way.”

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Here are five practical steps parents can take to make a positive environmental impact:

1. Buy second hand clothes, toys and books. An astounding 3 million toys made their way to landfill in the UK in the last 6 months alone! 
2. Shop local and cook at home. Meal prepping and batch cooking can save a family up to £40 a week on their shopping bill
3. Wash clothes at 30°. Washing at 30° saves around 40% of energy a year**
4. Pass on outgrown clothes and shoes. Recent research reveals that 183 million items of children’s clothing and 162 million pairs of children’s shoes end up in landfill in the UK every year***
5. Use biodegradable wet wipes

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A staggering 11 billion baby wipes end up in landfill in the UK every year. That’s around 36,000 wipes used per baby over 4 years. Many off these wipes are not biodegradable and take up to 100 years to break down. 

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‍Mum & You 100% Biodegradable Eco-Friendly Baby Wipes have been developed to look after baby’s delicate skin and the world they live in. They are made from sustainably sourced, naturally derived viscose from the most abundant and renewable wood fibre on Earth. Gentle and kind on baby’s skin, they contain 99.4% water and every ingredient is hypoallergenic and suitable for sensitive skin. They are 100% plastic-free too. 

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“The role of a parent is an exciting and challenging one,” says Rajiv Chandra, Mum & You CEO. “Mum & You is a company of mums created around supporting mums because if mums feel supported, they feel empowered to give their baby the best possible start in life. Caring for the planet and our children’s future starts with every individual parent and even small changes made consistently add up to make a big difference.”   

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And here’s a fun fact: Mum & You baby wipes disintegrate faster than an apple core, taking only 3 days to break down! Their lab tests^ show that Mum & You biodegradable baby wipes disintegrate in only 3 days, compared to an apple core which took 7 days in simulated landfill conditions. ‍

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Mum & You eco-friendly baby wipes – wipes that don’t wipe out the planet! 

Now available nationwide in Tesco. 

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*GlobalData’s 2021 Q1 consumer survey

**Energy Saving Trust

***Opinium Research

^Test method ASTM D5511

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