7 simple tips for more sustainability in everyday family life

7 simple tips for more sustainability in everyday family life

Sustainability is extremely important to us and something that is also reflected in our shop Lillygo.de. From the very beginning, it was clear to both of us that with our product selection we not only wanted to offer a sustainable alternative to conventional children's items, but also to carry small labels that share our views.

In our shop you will find sustainably produced small items on the topic. Gardening with children like flower marbles, garden play sets, and seed bombs. We have something for rainy days. ABC flashcards on the topic of forest and exciting Memory games made from sustainable forestry for you. Our backpacks consist of recycled PET bottles and the Muslin scarves and hats Made from organic cotton and alpaca wool.

In our private lives, we also try to lead as sustainable a family life as possible. We avoid plastic as much as we can, don't eat meat, and use natural cosmetics.

As everyone knows, every beginning is difficult, and so we'd like to share our knowledge with you on how to live more sustainably in everyday life. In this post, you'll find some tips for a more sustainable family life.

1. Changing babies with cloth diapers

Cloth diapering is currently very popular. Today's cloth diapers are nothing like they used to be. They don't leak or smell. Quite the opposite, in fact. Cloth diapers are healthy for babies, affordable, and environmentally friendly. Furthermore, using cloth diapers isn't much more complicated than using disposable diapers. Children who wear cloth diapers potty train faster, and the diapers can be passed down.

2. Use natural cosmetics and reduce plastic in the bathroom

Are you familiar with the image of plastic bottles on the edge of the bathtub? Perhaps your bathroom looks quite similar? Plastic is a disaster for the environment. Did you know that a family of four uses over 110 of these plastic bottles of personal care products per year? Crazy, right? And that doesn't even include all the bottles for cleaning products and dish soap.

The plastic waste we produce daily is not only harmful after we dispose of it, but also during its production. Fortunately, there are now excellent, natural cosmetics available. Solid shampoos, hair soaps, body lotions, deodorants, body washes, and hand soaps are also much more economical. This not only eliminates plastic packaging but also saves a lot of money. Paper-wrapped products are now available in every drugstore. You can also find fantastic, sustainable natural care products for children that are not only better for their skin but also environmentally friendly.

3. Buy refill cleaning tablet tablets.

Some cleaning product manufacturers are thinking sustainably and offer their customers so-called tablets that can simply be dissolved in water in an existing bottle. This allows you to mix your own glass, bathroom, or kitchen cleaner in no time. The tablets are also much cheaper than a cleaning product in a plastic bottle.

4. Pay attention to sustainably produced toys

Even with toys, which often end up in toddlers' mouths, we pay attention to sustainability and safety. Most toys are made of plastic and contain polycarbonate. Tiny microplastic particles can be released unnoticed through contact with saliva and thus enter the mouth and bloodstream of young children. Items that smell strange or chemical should definitely be left in the store.

When buying toys, it's advisable to play it safe and only purchase certified plastic toys, or even better, toys made from organic materials such as GOTS-certified organic cotton or wood. Eco-friendly toys are not only significantly better for the environment, but their warm, pleasant feel also provides children with a wonderful play experience.

5. Buy organic children's clothing instead of fast fashion

Have you ever heard of greenwashing? Many large manufacturers of fast fashion are slowly starting to rethink their practices and offer sustainable collections. But can a garment for under €10 or €15 really be sustainable? Using organic cotton instead of polyester or a material blend is certainly a step in the right direction. However, the further production processes of these companies have nothing to do with sustainability. We prefer to buy from sustainable companies that we trust.

The most important reason for choosing sustainable children's clothing is, however, health. Chemicals and pesticides can have serious consequences, especially for babies, and lead to allergies. For example, our baby developed a rash from the printed label on the neck of a bodysuit from a large fashion chain. This prompted us to buy only organic clothing from then on.

Babies have a large surface area of ​​skin relative to their body weight that comes into contact with toxic materials. Their metabolism also works faster, which means that the toxins can penetrate their small bodies in larger quantities.

6. Buy less and more consciously.

Children don't need mountains of toys. Most little ones play with the same things over and over and are very content. Too much choice also leads to overwhelm and frustration. In our play corner, we only have a few carefully selected toys, and when these become too boring, we swap the toy box for a second one that hasn't been used in a long time.

If you'd like to try something new, you can find some tips on the blog about what to consider when buying toys .

7. More ideas for greater sustainability in everyday life

The tips presented here are just small things that can be easily changed in everyday life. Of course, you can do much more to protect the environment and, in many cases, even your wallet.

What's also important for us as a family is, for example, living as minimally as possible, consuming less, abstaining from meat, buying second-hand, flying less, and not taking plastic bags from the supermarket. These are all just small things, but they have a big impact if each of us follows just a few of these tips.

A little tip from us: Plant flowers with your children and create more habitat for bees and butterflies.