Who needs new stuff? Reuse, recycle!

Adi – I’m sorry when you grow up and read this, but you were a very expensive baby.

The costs of IVF treatments in a different city, and then surrogacy pretty much left me with an empty bank account. So, when the time came to collect baby things I was sure that I do not want to spend on expensive new stuff. Especially since babies grow out of them so fast! I mean what’s the point of buying clothes that won’t fit in a few months’ time? It just sounded wasteful – in my situation at least. Perhaps if I had unlimited access to money, I would have splurged on new things – or maybe not even then. Old baby stuff is in perfectly usable condition!

So when Adi was about to be born I sent out a call for donations. I requested everyone I knew who had a baby, to donate their baby’s old stuff – clothes, blankets, bottles, towels, even the cot, and car seat, and rocker. And the response was fabulous! Everyone went out of their way to find what they could and in no time at all I was all set up to welcome a baby. All i’d need to spend on was perishables – diapers, and meds, and formula. And even those came as baby shower gifts!

And most of the stuff still looks brand new! Coz it was rarely used. And Adi is super comfortable in these things, that hopefully I will pass on to someone who needs them next.

We grew up in old clothes as well, and it was considered a perfectly acceptable way to clothe and accessorize children – things being passed on from child to child, generation to generation. And then in the blitzkrieg of consumerism we just sort of lost our minds! I mean what’s a baby got to do with jackets that cost thousands! I’d rather spend that money on good food! (Now I remember my mom saying something similar :D).

I think what we need is more baby brands that do stuff like Patagonia. Make baby stuff that lasts, create portals to shop used stuff, enable repairs.Portals like Once Upon a Child and Precared have the right idea and there are FB groups etc. that enable such second hand exchanges. Imagine how much money and resources we would save! And just think about the sustainability impact on the planet! Lesser wastage, lesser manufacturing needs, lesser energy burden. After all it’s small things that make lasting impact.

So Adi – there is a lot of second hand stuff to come your way :D.

If you read this and think that you have something that a baby boy will need in the coming year… send it to meeee!!!!

Here’s to reusing and recycling!