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Earth. The third planet from the sun. The place we call home.
With a projected population of about 8.2 billion people for 2025, the United Nations predicts the global population will reach 9 billion in 2037 and 10 billion in 2058.
In 1970, when the first Earth Day took place, the estimated world population was approximately 3.68 billion people.
Our planet's population is ever-growing, with that number sometimes jumping by two at a time.
When you're blessed with twins, you're also blessed with two of almost everything else that comes with having a baby.
And when you're suddenly looking at two of everything, things can really add up.
Double the butts to change, double the tummies to wash, double the mouths to feed.
This means double the wipes and garbage, double the water used, double the food and packaging.
Double the impact on our environment.
According to Time Magazine, the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates ways to protect the environment, was created as a result of the first Earth Day observance, which millions of people took part in.
The movement grew and went global in 1990, with 200 million people in 141 countries partaking, and, by 2020, over one billion people around the globe participated in Earth Day actions, with tens of millions of trees being planted worldwide through the Canopy Project to combat deforestation.
Protecting our planet is paramount to making our world a healthier place to live.
While you don't get to choose to have twins and all of the doubles that come with your dear, little newborns, you can choose to try to lessen the waste that comes in the first few months together (note, there's no lessening the actual amount of literal waste; those babes will still poop around the clock, no matter what, sorry).
Three ways to reduce your waste and embrace sustainability when you have newborn twins
1. Try reusable diapers
Everybody knows that everybody poops. But did you know that you'll go through approximately 720 diapers PER BABY in the first three months?
And by the time your dynamic duo turns one year old, they'll have gone through about 2,500 diapers—each.
If you opt for reusable diapers, the best diaper pail is the Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail. It works well for reusable diapers because of its powder-coated stainless steel structure.
Because it's made of steel, it does a good job of containing the wide array of smells—when it's closed.
For an extra one-two punch on the odor affront, you can sprinkle some baking soda into the bottom of the pail and avoid using cotton bag liners, which tend to absorb the foul funkiness and encourage bacteria growth.
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Steel Diaper Pail by Ubbi
Best Bin for Reusable Diapers
This is the Ubbi Steel Diaper Pail. It's our pick for the best bin for reusable diapers. This sturdy diaper pail works with any type of disposal bag and is made of powder-coated stainless steel. It has a sliding lid and rubber seals to minimize air disruption and keep unpleasant odors to a minimum when disposing diapers. It's an ideal candidate for storing soiled reusable diapers until laundry day, and its neutral design will match any decor.
One other consideration when choosing a pail to use for reusable cloth diapers is how you will be storing the dirty diapers until laundry day. There are two methods: the dry method and the wet method.
The wet method is more advanced, so most people who use reusable diapers choose to go with the dry method, which includes emptying solid waste into the toilet before storing the diapers (without rinsing or pretreating stains) in the pail until laundry day.
Reusable diapers can minimize your level of waste during the first couple of years with your babies, and they can also cut down the overall cost of the diapering stage with your twins. It requires a bit of foresight into planning dedicated laundry days before you run out of clean diapers, but it's definitely doable.
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Reusable Cloth Diapers with Microfiber Inserts by Alvababy
Washable & Waterproof Coverage
This is a six-pack of reusable cloth diapers and 12 microfiber inserts by Alvababy. The outer layer is made of polyester with a waterproof and breathable thermoplastic polyurethane coating. The inner layer is made of suede cloth, which isn't absorbent, but the diaper's design draws moisture away from your baby to the super-absorbent insert. Each insert has three layers of absorbent material. Elastic edging prevents leaking, hip and crossover snaps prevent drooping, and you can adjust the diaper's size for a small, medium, and large fit, so they'll grow with your babies. They're suitable for babies from approximately 6.5 pounds up to 33 pounds, so you don't have to worry about determining diaper sizes. They can be tossed into the washing machine and dryer.
2. Do shared bath time
In an ideal world, you'd always have one parent or caregiver available per baby. You'd never be short-handed and you'd never be wishing you could sprout three new arms to manage everything you need to get done at once.
Without an extra pair of hands, bathing two babies at once is an incredibly tricky task.
While it's more of a challenge, especially if you're flying solo during bathtime, you can try bathing both babies at once, so that you're only filling up the tub once instead of twice.
This won't save you much time because you still have to go through the motions of washing up two little ones, but it will minimize the amount of water you use to keep your kiddos clean.
But, how do you do this safely?
With a product that's designed for exactly this purpose.
The Twin Bath by Bumble Beez is a slim and lightweight unit designed to securely support two newborns side by side in the water, so they can be washed simultaneously. It can be used for infants from zero to six months or until they can sit up on their own.
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The Twin Bath by Bumble Beez
Safely Wash Your Twins Simultaneously
The Twin Bath is designed to sit in most standard bathtubs and is flexible enough to fit in different shaped and sized tubs. It has a front facing position, which means there's no twisting, turning, nor lifting required while bathing your babies. It frees up a caregiver's hands, so they can easily wash their newborns at the same time. It's compact and has a handle for easy transport (read: it's handy when you're traveling), and it can be hung flush against the wall or on a door when it's not in use.
It's easy to wipe clean and is made from a soft and comfortable material, plus it's engineered with a perforated design that promotes easy water drainage, preventing mold and mildew from growing.
3. Make your own baby food
Instead of buying premade purees in pouches that get thrown away after each meal once your babies start on solids, try your hand at making your own baby food.
You'll want to have a reliable blender or food processor on-hand. It might be quicker and easier to buy ready-made jars or pouches of baby food, but making your own food can help your food go further and can cut down on the waste that comes with single-use packaging.
If the idea of making your own purees feels daunting or like an enormous undertaking, know that it IS possible.
The Baby Brezza food processor is a major time-saver because it can both process and steam food in the same unit.
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One Step Baby Food Maker Deluxe by Baby Brezza
Healthy & Organic Food in One Easy Step
This is the Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker Deluxe. It's a BPA-free food maker that cooks and blends ingredients in one unit. It allows you to make organic food for your infants or toddlers at home. With the press of a single button on an easy-to-use LCD control panel, it automatically steams and purees baby food in as little as 10 minutes. It can make up to 3.5 cups of food that you can store in reusable pouches. It has three different settings (automatic steam and blend; steam only; and blend only) for the different development stages your babies will go through. The bowl and stainless steel blade are dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning. This 12-piece system comes with three reusable food pouches and three funnels for filling them ahead of storing the food.
Once you no longer need the Baby Brezza for pureeing baby food, you'll still get use out of it if you switch it over to daily smoothie duty for Mom and Dad or to make frozen fruit and yogurt popsicles to help your toddlers with teething.
Small changes add up
No effort to help the environment is too small because even small changes can add up in big ways.
Yes, there are a lot of doubles that come with having twins. From babies, to diapers, to meals, there are a lot of extras parents need to handle.
But with a bit of planning and a bit of dedication, despite the extra work that might be involved, you can limit the additional waste that comes in your first few months together, making positive change to help protect our planet.
How do you embrace sustainability in your household? Let us know in the Comments section below or connect with us on Instagram to share your thoughts!
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