Sustainble Shower

Getting ready to have a new baby? Most moms-to-be have a baby shower which is a wonderful time to share good food, connect with friends, and, of course, get all of the baby supplies that you will soon be needing.
Baby showers are great and I was lucky enough to have family throw one before my little guy was born (thanks family!). However, looking back, I wish that I would have requested a more sustainable shower. Most of the gifts that you get for your shower are items that could easily be purchased used. If you think about how much wear a baby will put into 0-3 month old clothes, it isn't much. Many of these items are given as gifts, used for a few months, and then become trash. However, a sustainable shower ask guests to try and find the items you need used (via used baby stores, goodwill, craigslist, garage sales). This reduces the number of new items that are purchased, gives old things a new home, and cuts back on waste from packaging. It also saves money meaning that your guests can spend less money or get more for the money they will spend. You can also encourage guest to use more sustainable forms of gift wrap (a reusable gift bag or for baby gifts I love to wrap the gifts in a baby blanket).
You may have trouble convincing all of your friends and relatives to buy your gifts used (those teeny tiny baby clothes in the stores are super adorable), but if you get the word out that you prefer used items, hopefully most of your guests will respect your wishes. And, some items may be better purchased new unless you know the original owner; for example, if a car seat has been in a wreck, it may not work properly. You would want to confirm that a used car seat is still in perfect working condition before you put your newborn baby into it!
And, sustainable shower or not, remember to pass along items that you no longer need to a friend or to a donation center so they can be used again (and again and again!).