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Bamboo baBy denim and jeans not only look great but are also an eco frirendly choice.

In the past there have been many articles listing the environmental impacts of the denim industry which ranges from the pesticide and water usage for growing the cotton to the dyes and environmentally damaging processes that are used to make jeans look aritificially worn and aged. But if you take away some of these processes, jeans are actually a fairly environmentally friendly option. Denim is incredibly hard wearing and so lasts for much longer than most other fabrics. You can wear and wash you jeans for many years and they often just get better with age. The are also a really versatile piece of clothing that are suitable for so many occasions and go with just about anything.

Eco/ sustainable organic cotton or bamboo denim, not only is it soft, comfortable and hard wearing but also has less of an impact on the environment than conventional denim.

At Bamboo baBy, our supersoft baby denim is really popular because babies and children love to wear it and it is really practical whether they are tucked up in a cot or pushchair, crawling, walking, riding a bike or even climbing trees! Most children will outgrow their jeans well before they wear out and they can then be passed on to siblings, cousins or friends.

Check out our full range of sustainable and sofy baby jeans and denim for children .

 

In the past it may have been almost unthinkable to dress a baby in clothes made from sustainable fabrics with hemp having a reputation for being rough and not looking great. But in recent years there have been lots of developments with eco friendly fabrics and now there are plenty of luxurious, soft and high quality choices available all of which are great for making clothes with, even baby clothes!

At bamboo baBy we love bamboo for our baby clothes, not only because it is sustainable but also because it is chemical free and supersoft against the skin. Organic cotton is also a great sustainable and chemical free choice for baby clothes but here are a few other sustainable fabrics that could become more popular in the future.

Lyocell - fabric made from woodpulp

Soy Silk - fabric made from the soy bean

Milk Silk - fabric made from milk

Nettle Fibre - fabric made from stinging nettle

Spider web fabric - fabric made from spiderwebs

Image - Bamboo baBy Flying Saucer Denim Shorts

If you have chosen to limit your babies exposure to chemicals or want to minimise your impact on the environment, you will want to use organic baby bedding for your baby. Organic baby bedding is a particularly good choice for children with eczema or allergies and is usually made from cotton or bamboo which has been grown without the use of chemical pesticides.

There is a range of organic baby bedding available from organic cotton sheets to cosy bamboo blankets. Don't forget to find an organic mattress too as conventional mattresses may contain chemicals. Organic mattresses are usually made from a combination of organic wool and cotton.

Bamboo baBy have a selection of knitted bamboo blankets which are soft and cosy for a great nights sleep. They are also ideal for using in prams, pushchairs and in the car. They are Oeko Tex certified and can machine washed on a wool cycle. Also look out for Bamboo baBy organic cotton pyjamas.

Image - Bamboo baBy Teapot Bamboo Blanket

Bamboo clothing is great for babies as it is so soft and is especially good for babies with sensitive skin of eczema. Nappies are also in close contact with a babies skin and bamboo nappies have the same benefits of bamboo clothing in that they are hypo allergenic. The other great benefits of bamboo nappies is that they are chemical free, absorbant and good for the environment. Not only is bamboo a renewable and sustainable crop, it is also biodegradable and most bamboo nappies can be washed and reused cutting down on waste and landfill.

There is now plenty of choice of eco friendly washable bamboo nappies. It is well worth trying out a range of different brands to see which suits you and your baby in terms of fit and absorbancy. You can also add additional boosters to give even better absorbancy. 

You can also buy disposable bamboo nappies for those times when convenience is a must. They are chemical free, biodegradable and great for a babies skin. Reusable bamboo cloth wipes are a great alternative to dispoable baby wipes and better for the environment.

Image - Tots bots eco friendly nappy

Organic baby clothes are not just beautifully soft and cosy for babies but they are also good for the environment.   Here are 3 really good reasons why organic baby clothes are such a great choice.

Organic cotton baby clothes are completely free of chemicals making them less likely to irritate a babies delicate skin.
Organic cotton is grown without the use of pesticides. Conventional cotton is grown using large amounts are pesticide which is damaging to the environment and potentially the health of those living and working nearby.
With organic cotton, farmers recieve a premium helping them to move out of poverty and the cycle of debt caused by the need to buy constantly more pesticide in order to grow conventional cotton.

At Bamboo baBy, our baby clothes are made from GOTS certified organic cotton and bamboo.

Image - Dewdrop Organic Cotton Dress

Denim has long been the choice of hard wearing clothing for children whose mothers want clothes that last. As practical as denim can be, it is not always the best choice for young children and babies as it can feel quite rough against the skin and may even irritate very sensitive skin. Denim is usually made using conventional cotton which is grown using high levels of pesticides some of which may remain in the fabric as a residue. A variety of chemical are also often used to dye, distress, blast, wash and finish denim fabrics. All of which are damaging to the environment and toxic to wildlife when released into the water table or rivers as they often are.

At Bamboo baBy, we are passionate about our denim bamboo because it is great for babies and children and the environment. It is also great for parents as it is high quality, hard wearing and can be machine washed at 30 degrees. 

Not only is our baby denim it made from a blend of organically grown cotton and bamboo, it also feels really soft against the skin. Our ethical and environmental standards and certification also apply to our bamboo denim baby clothes. Both bamboo and organic cotton are known to be hypoallergenic making bamboo denim the perfect choice for babies and children with sensitve skin. We also add features like elasticated and stretchy waistbands so that our jeans are really comfortable for active children.

Why not try out our supersoft baby denim for children?

We couldn't wait to share with you some of the fantastic new baby and children's wear that we have just added to the website for Spring and Summer 2012. The 2012 collection features plenty of super soft and comfortable pieces of bamboo clothing that children will love to wear. The inspiration for the collection was a sweet shop and each piece in the collection has it own fun sweety name from the bon bon organic bamboo bodysuit to the Dolly Mixture hooded top made from 100% bamboo knit. Here are just a few pieces from the new collection.

For the boys



American Hard Gum Bamboo T shirt - a classic style polo shirt for dapper tots



Drumstick organic cotton shirt -  a classic checked shirt, just like Dads!

For the girls



Liquorice Allsorts Skirt with a pretty layers made from organic cotton and bamboo



Love Hearts Bamboo Vest Top with a cute applique floral heart

For Babies



Candy Bamboo Denim Baby Romper - with stylish contrast stitching and adjusable straps.

At Bamboo baBy, our baby clothes are natural and chemical free. This is the best option for baby or children's delicate skin and also for the environment. But how you wash your baby clothes can also effect your baby or child's skin (particularly if they suffer from eczema) and the environment. Laundry detergents can contain a whole host of different chemicals including synthetic optical brightners, surfactants and fragrances, many of which do not easily biodegrade and can cause skin allergies.

There are a number of natural alternatives which are ideal for washing baby clothes (and adult clothing). Whilst it is not actually possible to buy organic laundry detergents, there are a number of other things to look for on the label to indicate how natural they are biodegradable, fragrance free, plant or botanic based, no phosphates, no chlorine and no petroleum. Ecover is probably the most well known make of eco laundry products but there are also a number of other alternatives available.

Lemon juice and sunlight can also help to whiten and bleach clothes naturally, baking soda makes a fantastic natural softener and Borax can be used to remove grease stains. Line drying your baby clothes is also far better for the environment than tumble drying!

Despite its tough woody appearance and properties which make it so useful for building bamboo is actually a grass. It is also the worlds fastest growing plant. Despite its limitations, it is still a highly sustainable crop which can quickly renews and can grow in places that are uninhabitable by many other crops. As an alternative to conventional cotton it does not need either pesticides or extensive irrigation which is what makes bamboo clothing an eco friendly choice.

An area cultivated with bamboo will also absorb much more carbon dioxide than an equivalent stand of trees. Carbon Dioxide is the worlds biggest greenhouse gas and something with the potential to absorb large amounts of it has to be a good thing. Until recently the majority of bamboo has been grown in China. But now, in Nicaragua, where forest has been converted to slash-and-burn agriculture and ranching, bamboo plantations are beginning to spring up providing a source of income for local people. These bamboo plantations will in some way help to reverse the climate change effects of deforestation. After about 4 or 5 years, bamboo can be harvested annually, which is what makes it so sustainable. In comparison hard wood takes many more years to mature and can only be harvested once.

You can read more about Bamboo in this BBC report - Booming Bamboo: the next super-material

We certainly can't complain about the weather in the UK at the moment. We seem to be experiencing plenty of sunshine especially considering the time of year. But the mornings and evenings are still really cold often with frost on the ground. In this changeable weather, it can be difficult to decide what to wear in the mornings when we can go from shivering cold to basking in sunshine within the space of a few hours. Picking out the right baby clothes and ensuring that babies and young children don't get too cold or too warm can be even more of a challenge.

Layering is the easiest answer for both adults and children. Not only to lots of layers provide plenty of warmth but they can also be easily removed as the day warms up. Soft breathable organic cotton and bamboo clothing are also a great choice for layering. Thin bamboo knits are perfect for putting on over a dress or t shirt for a little extra warmth. For small babies an organic cotton vest or bodysuit is a great way to add a layer of warmth and also feels good against the skin. Bamboo knit bodysuits are also a comfortable choice keeping them warm when the weather is cool but not too hot when it begins to warm up.

Image - Sweetie Cable Knit Bodysuit