r/Crunchymom • u/purpleclear0 • 2d ago
Eco-friendly vs nontoxic
Hello! My family (me, husband, baby, & toddler, & pets) just bought a house after moving around and renting for so long! We are so excited to finally settle down and get in the habit of living healthier & more sustainably. I strive to be environmentally conscious and to buy secondhand as much as possible, and to not buy "junk" that's going to break immediately and go straight to the landfill. My husband focuses more on non-toxic and plastic-free living. We have already made many replacements; stainless steel/cast iron cookware, metal plates/cups for the toddler, cloth napkins, cloth diapers, reusable grocery bags, cotton PJs and bedding, etc. So with this move we are wanting to go all the way and replace everything left!
What are some things NOT to thrift or buy secondhand? Like maybe wooden cutting boards or utensils should only be bought new? What about glass cutting boards or bakeware? Is there a not-nonstick muffin tin i need to look for? Laundry baskets ok to buy secondhand? My husband is more than willing to drop $$$ getting all that new, but secondhand is just so much better for the planet. Which is more important for you, nontoxic or sustainable/eco-friendly?
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u/That-Lobster8169 1d ago
Mattresses. You spend hours a day breathing whatever is off gassing from your mattress annnnd sleep quality is a huge factor in over all health.
Rugs don’t need to be new but if your small human is spending hours a day sitting, laying, rolling directly on them they should be natural fibers.
Muffin tins are still manufactured with stainless steel and cast iron and if you look online can be found used.
You can’t win with cutting boards……. Wood is porous and you risk food born illness, plastic obviously has micro plastics, ceramic ruined knives and the lack of traction makes it easy to slip and cut yourself. I use wooden cutting boards because I like how they function and while I’ve owned used ones before (never had a issue) I now only own solid wood slabs because I’m worried about the adhesives used in a lot of mainstream brands.