Managing Eco-Emotions as a Parent: 8 Steps to Help Mindfully Navigate the Era of Eco-Anxiety
Managing Eco-Emotions as a Parent: 8 Steps to Help Mindfully Navigate the Era of Eco-Anxiety
Juliana Loh of Chicken Scrawlings
Eco-anxiety refers to constant fear and worry over the future of planet Earth and the life it sustains.
Table of Contents
- Cloth Diapering
-
DIY Baby Wipes solution, Using Bamboo Cloth Wipes
- Making Baby Food
- Shopping Local and Seasonal Produce
- Composting
- Cleaning Products
- Upcycling
- Library and Toy Subscriptions
It's overwhelming navigating the market for baby stuff and it makes one wonder how a little person would need so much stuff – and they don't as countless books have reiterated that babies need love, attention, cuddles, and a safe place to sleep above all material things.
I am trying my best to be mindful and buy only what I need, purchasing second hand as much as possible, and graciously accepting hand-me-downs from generous friends. Here are some other conscious steps I’m taking to be kinder to the planet.
Cloth Diapering
I was quite adamant at the get-go to cloth diaper when I was expecting and attended a workshop by Vicky at Petit Tippi to learn the ins and outs of cloth diapering. I started at 8 weeks old and have been cloth diapering 95% of the time, using disposables only when we’re out for long periods.
We use Bambo and Honest diapers as they claim to be “sustainable” and free from microplastics and chemicals, but I don’t think disposable diapers are 100% compostable and still leaves an environmental footprint.
Cloth diapering has saved me a significant amount of diapers that I wasn't aware of. It does require a bigger investment upfront, but there are also plenty of new cloth diapers circulating in the secondhand space (like Retykle!) and also a very helpful Hong Kong-based cloth diapering Facebook group with a community that helps troubleshoot leaks and whatnot.
DIY baby wipes solution, using bamboo cloth wipes
I researched what other eco-parents are doing on their diapering routine and many of them make their wipe solutions. I make my own:
2 squirts of baby Mustela bath gel to 1.5L of water and then I add 10 drops of Lavender essential oil and 5 drops of tea tree oil. I put that into a spray bottle and shake it before I use it every time (as the oil is always floating on the top - density)
I have about 30 Charlie Banana bamboo wipes that I wash along with my cloth diapers. Making my own cleaning solution and using Charlie banana bamboo cloth wipes. Navigating baby poop is daunting, but fortunately, in the 21st century, they have invented “poo catcher” liners. Grovia ones do a good job and you can get it from the bulk store Livezero. You just dump the soiled liners. They say it’s flushable but I haven’t taken the risk as I'm not sure about plumbing system in my building!
Making Baby Food
I try as much as possible to make baby's food a la minute and leave packaged food for insane days when time has run away and the day has gone pear-shaped – the sterile plastic packaging ends up in landfills, we do our best to avoid this as much as possible, but some days, we give in for our sanity. I store and take the baby’s food out in the Beaba Silicon squeeze containers.
We didn’t invest in a baby food maker as I felt there wasn’t a need. We just use the good ol’ hand blender and Vitamix if making food in batches.
Shopping local and seasonal produce
We try as often as possible to shop at the wet market so we can avoid plastic packaging. Bring your collapsible containers to buy tofu and have your net bags on hand to buy fruits and vegetables. I've also recently started ordering fresh produce from the local farmer Farmhouse Productions. It’s organic and seasonal and we’re buying directly from the source, supporting local business – slow food at its best.
Composting
Real estate is gold in Hong Kong and I am so grateful that Hong Kong Composting has created a way for us living in high rises on Hong Kong Island to compost our waste with community bins across the country. The compost goes back into the soil for farming.
Cleaning Products
We buy in bulk Ecostore Hong Kong cleaning products for the whole family, and don’t bother with separate baby laundry or detergent as it’s free of nasties. The containers are made of sugarcane plastic, but Hong Kong doesn’t currently have the facility to recycle them, so they collect and ship them back to New Zealand for recycling. It’s a circular system, every time we order our refills, they pick up the empty bulk size containers.
We use Unpaper towels cloth wipes for everything – food spills, cleaning toys etc. Again, it’s an upfront investment but the amount of disposable kitchen rolls you go through with a baby is insane, this, like cloth diapers, will save you plenty of money in the long run, and way better for the environment.
White vinegar and water is also my default solution to clean most baby things related, instead of constantly buying “baby cleaning products” that mean more plastic packaging in the landfill.
Upcycling
Where possible, we upcycle packaging for fun activities. There are so many creative IG mamas out there. I upcycled an old Mama & Papas mobile I found at Salvation Army and also sewed clothes for the baby with leftover fabric. The good thing about sewing your clothes is you can alter them, let down the hem and leave room for growth so the outfit will last longer.
Library and toy subscriptions
The Hong Kong Central Library offers plenty of options and classics. You can make a reservation for books for $3.30HKD and choose the library closest to you for pick up. I haven’t yet subscribed to Happy Baton for age-appropriate toys on rotation as we're still rotating all the gifts we received after 7 months, but it is on my radar to get on the programme.
To find out more about Chicken Scrawlings and to see what Juliana and her family are up to on the daily or get some food, travel, or life inspiration, please visit her Instagram and Website. To get in touch with Juliana, drop her a line here.
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