Sustainable children’s products for parents who care about the planet
As a parent of two mini eco warriors, sustainability is hugely important to me personally but also as a business owner. I believe every individual has the responsibility to do whatever we can to look after our planet. For our family it isn’t about perfection but it’s about making informed and eco-conscious choices wherever possible. I think this pressure to be eco-friendly is felt particularly strongly by parents around the world because we worry about the state of the world our children and maybe grandchildren will have to live in. Perhaps this is why so many parents resonate with Handmade Hippo and why my commitment to providing a sustainable alternative to children’s products that are harmful to the environment has built a business that many customers shop with more than once.
I believe we could all do a little bit more to protect the environment. That’s why every effort has been made to ensure that my business and my lifestyle is as eco-friendly as possible. I hope that by talking about the steps I take at home within the business, it will encourage other parents to do the same. However, I also know from firsthand experience that being a parent is one of the hardest things anyone can do. The last thing we need is the pressure or guilt related to trying to become a perfect eco-warrior overnight. I believe that small actions from many of us will make a difference. If we all make conscious and informed choices about the products we choose to use in our homes and consider alternatives that last longer as well as being made in a more eco way, we can all make a difference to the planet we live on.
I put these values into my designs and so all of the bespoke sustainable children’s products in my store are made to last and be treasured for a long time. As a parent, there’s nothing more frustrating than having to replace poor quality products that just haven’t survived the reality of being used by kids, not only is it a waste of your money but it is a waste of the planet’s precious resources.
Need a hand starting your eco journey? Handmade Hippo is here to help.
Unfortunately for the planet the vast majority of children’s products and clothes are not made with sustainability in mind. It is thought that 90% of children’s toys are made from plastic and the children’s clothing market is also a significant contributor to the issue of fast fashion. The textile industry is said to account for 10% of global C02 emissions which is more than international aviation and shipping combined. This just gives you an idea of how badly big corporations are treating the planet, but it’s up to us as individuals to change how and where we spend our money to create the financial incentive for change to happen!
As I said earlier, I don’t expect anyone to make massive changes overnight, as someone who has suffered with eco-anxiety in the past, I realise that changing everything is overwhelming and not financially viable for many of us either. One of the easiest and most effective ways to lead a more sustainable life is to stop buying from unsustainable brands. Luckily for you, I have the sustainable handmade children’s products you need to start living a greener life today.
The Handmade Hippo eco-friendly ethos
You too can adopt an eco-friendly ethos by starting with baby steps. For most of us our eco journey starts at home. The first step we made as a family was to stop relying so heavily on single-use plastics in our everyday lives, we took it a room at a time. It isn’t always easy with two young children at home and we don’t strive for perfection but we have managed to find reusable alternatives for a lot of our daily essentials. We also switched to an energy provider that deals solely in renewables.
This approach has informed every aspect of product development at Handmade Hippo. In addition to my sewing machines (and all other machinery in my home office) being powered by renewable energy, all my packaging was designed with sustainability in mind which is why it is plastic free and made from recycled materials wherever possible. My packaging for muslin swaddles, scrunchies and tea towels are printed at home to order and don’t require glue to seal them.
Handmade Hippo reusable bamboo wipes and scrunchies are made with printed fabric remnants from other products that would otherwise go to waste. Where possible, the vinyl used for personalised products such as Handmade Hippo banners is an eco-friendly heat transfer vinyl. If you order a bespoke custom memory blanket from Handmade Hippo, those old clothes will get a beautiful new life instead of being sent to landfill. Any fabric offcuts that are just too small (and I mean teeny) to be turned into a new product are responsibly recycled into stuffing for items such as sports equipment using First Mile.
Looking to the future with Handmade Hippo
Individual action is so important but I wanted to look at the bigger picture too. As a parent of two, I want to do my bit for the world my children will live in. To help with carbon offsetting, I signed up with Ecologi, to give a little bit of my business back every month and contribute to planting trees around the world. If you’d like to help me contribute to carbon offsetting, there’s an option to plant a tree through Ecologi when you shop with Handmade Hippo on my website.
When you buy a Handmade Hippo product you are not only supporting a small and very personal business but also one with a conscience. You can feel good about shopping here, knowing that I make every effort to reduce the impact my business has on the environment. Making beautiful handmade gifts for your family and home is the goal, but sustainability is on my mind every step of the Handmade Hippo journey.
You can learn more about my eco journey and how it impacts Handmade Hippo by listening to my interview on The 50 Shades of Green Podcast | Wear ’em Out.
