I am expecting my first baby (a girl!) this December. I have heard from parents that waste with a child is unavoidable- there’s diapers, all the toys and baby gear, packaging waste from quick snacks, etc. However, I believe that I can find almost everything for this little babe secondhand. If I can keep my carbon footprint low, and gather preloved items instead of new, I believe I will be setting this baby, and my family, up for success.
A registry is one of the first things that you create that will outline your wants and needs as a new parent. Registries can include things for baby, gifts for parents, and nursery items – it doesn’t have to be limited to baby bottles and pacifiers. If you are hoping to have a zero waste/low waste family, it’s important to set expectations for your friends and family (and sometimes your significant other, too) early, by clearly communicating if you want preloved items.
Steps to creating a baby registry with preloved items:
Babylist is a Baby Registry that functions like a typical online registry, but it also allows you to request preloved items instead of new – hooray!
How to Create a Secondhand registry on Babylist:
- Create an account with Babylist on Babylist.com
- Select “add gifts to your registry” at the top of the webpage and then “add help and favors” on the right side of the pop-up.
- Add the “blank/wildcard” coupon from the favor page. This favor is completely customizable, so you can change the title from wildcard to “preloved infant snowsuit”, add a picture, add a description (do you prefer it from a non-smoking home?), and even add a link to an example.
- Repeat as necessary until you have all of your items listed!
One of the great things about the Babylist favors, is you can also add items like “homemade meals”, “dog walking”, “babysitting” etc. to your registry. I love this feature because these are the areas I am pretty nervous about post-baby. How great would it be for someone to drop off a hot meal after bringing the little one home from the hospital? Invaluable, I think.
I would also recommend adding a note to your Baby Registry that gives your community some examples of places to find your preloved items. Some people might not know about the same local resources you do, or need some guidance about how to shop for preloved items. I personally recommend Facebook Marketplace, ThredUp, Nextdoor, and Craigslist for secondhand items.
Interested in learning more about having a Zero Waste Baby? Check out my other post, 5 Tips for a Zero Waste Baby, by clicking here.