The best eco-friendly baby products: 11 sustainable substitutes, from reusable nappies to wipes

Small swaps can make a big difference to a baby’s carbon footprint, but where to begin? We asked parents for the planet-friendly products they swear by

• ‘It gave us both freedom’: parents on the baby gear they wouldn’t go without

In the first 100 days of my daughter’s life, the app my wife and I use to track every feed, pee and poo revealed that we had changed almost 800 nappies: 769, to be precise. Each of these required a baby wipe (or three or four), a cotton wool pad to pat dry and a nappy bag for disposal. With all of this destined for landfill, my baby’s carbon footprint was racking up months before she was even ready to take her first step.

Statistics from the recycling charity Wrap estimate that 3bn disposable nappies are thrown away in the UK each year and that a baby could get through more than 4,500 before they’re potty trained.