Everyone loves to shower babies — and new parents — with presents. Luckily, there are many earth-friendly gift options that are adorable, fun and safe.

For the wee ones on your gift list, consider these five toys that are equal parts cute and eco-conscious:

Baby Clothing:

Not that I’m saying pink and blue are a thing of the past, but a green newborn, the organic sustainable green that is, is getting easier every day. And on track with you and your little ones sustainable lifestyle, BuyGreen has some pretty cool, very green, baby products.

Baby Clothing:

Organic Cotton Onesie (BuyGreen.com, $17.60)

There are not a lot of things cuter than a baby in his very first onesie. The Organic Cotton Onesie from BuyGreen is a great choice – made from organic cotton, each features a positive message with a cute graphic. Throw in the part they are fair trade and chemical free and we are cruising down highway sustainable.

Hemp Weebit (BuyGreen.com, $21)

To tie these looks together why not throw in an adorable pair of shoes? The Hemp Weebit is a small shoe big on green creds. The Hemp Weebit is made from recycled plastics, organic cotton, and you guessed it, hemp.

Personal Care:

FuzziBunz Perfect Size Diaper (BuyGreen.com, Starting at $185)

FuzziBunz Perfect Size Diaper is ideal if diapers are on your shopping list. A parent typically spends between $3,500 and $4,500 on disposables diapers for 3 years.  On top of the financials, disposable diapers simply pile up in landfills. FuzziBunz Perfect Size Diaper is a great fitting, highly adjustable cloth diaper that adds a touch of style to a diaper world weighed down with throw away creams and whites. And if you aren’t sold yet, check out FuzziBunz’s YouTube video…

Baby Accessories:

Wee-Go Glass Baby Bottles (BuyGreen.com, $11.99)

It seems like the potential for leaching chemicals is just about everywhere. Fortunately, Wee-Go Glass Baby Bottles come in with a revolutionary baby bottle. Don’t let the glass frighten you; these glass baby bottles are covered with a modern non-toxic silicone sleeve that will help protect the bottle from breakage and aid in gripping. The glass baby bottle and sleeve can also be boiled or put in the dishwasher together. The silicone nipple is latex free and non-toxic, and the plastic ring, plug and cap contain no polycarbonates and are food grade, FDA approved and recyclable.

Re-Run Messenger Bag (BuyGreen.com, $74.95)

Talk about a great green story, all Re-Run bags are made from 100% post consumer recycled plastic bottles. We are talking approximately eight 600ml plastic bottles that would end up in a landfill finding a new home in each bag. Then there’s the part where the Re-Run Messenger Bag is light, comfy and well designed. In all, BuyGreen’s choice for messenger bag keeps baby, parent, and Mother Nature happy.

When you purchase your clothing, it’s rare that you have any idea about its origins, beyond the “Made in…” tag that typically appears on the manufacturer’s label. But how do you know that your clothing was made using ethical standards of production? Can you be sure that they’re not using child-run sweatshops in [...]]]>

When you purchase your clothing, it’s rare that you have any idea about its origins, beyond the “Made in…” tag that typically appears on the manufacturer’s label. But how do you know that your clothing was made using ethical standards of production? Can you be sure that they’re not using child-run sweatshops in Indonesia, or that the sheep that generated that wool for a sweater weren’t starved or abused? Until recently, you couldn’t. For fashion, we were forced to turn a blind eye to the not so pleasant realities that surround the clothing manufacturing industry, the human ethical issues and the environmental impact of fashion.

However, as we’re becoming more concerned about the general well-being of people, animals, and that thing called planet earth (don’t ask me what took us so long as a society!) there are companies that allow us to trace the origins of our fashion choices. There are two leaders in this environmentally-friendly industry including Track & Trace by Made-By and Icebreaker.

Icebreaker is a sustainable clothing line that allows consumers full-disclosure to the complete life cycle of their purchases. Using a barcode (coined BAACode by Icebreaker), eco fashion lovers can log onto the Icebreaker website to learn about the living conditions of the sheep that produced the merino fiber in the garment, learn about the farmers and custodians responsible for maintaining the landscape, and learn about the complete manufacturing process. The company abides by specific standards for the ethical care of their animals, and preservation of the landscapes where they graze; which includes only allow one sheep to graze on every acre of land to ensure that there is a minimal impact on the environment.

Icebreaker sells a complete line of their branded sustainable clothing including outwear, underwear and everything in between for men, women, and children. Most of their line is designed for active, outdoor activities which abide by the stigma that environmentalists are athletic and outdoorsy…but we won’t judge them for that.

Contrasting Icebreaker’s brand of sustainable fashion is Track & Trace by Made-By, which is similar in concept, but not limited to brand. Unlike Made-By, which sticks their tracking labels on only the clothing that they produce; Track & Trace provides their service to fashion designers and fashion labels who believe in full green fashion disclosure.  By using Track & Trace’s labels, these designers can make their contribution to sustainability by letting eco-friendly fashionistas take an in-depth look at the origins of the clothing. Don’t expect to see these labels slapped on brands that are known for their lax ethical standards through use of sweatshops, however, brands that are abiding by clean fashion production standards will certainly be shouting from the rooftops through their use of the Track & Trace service.

While there’s never going to be a 100% guarantee that all of our fashion choices are based on clean, green living, by educating ourselves and making purchases through companies that educate us about sustainability and their contribution, we can make informed decisions about green fashion.