Constructive Consumerism

I recently ran across this article in a lovely magazine called Birth of a Mother and though I'd share it with you for this week's CrocTalk. Birth of a Mother's February/March issue was dedicated to what they call Constructive Consumerism, that is, the importance of making your shopping choices matter. The editor-in-chief Leah Chevalier writes about the importance of buying local and supporting businesses that support your personal ideologies rather than running to the closest mass-made-in-China retailer. We think this is an important initiative since rarely do people stop and think about where they shop, not just what they buy.

"I try to make purchasing decisions based on our family needs as opposed to wants. When weighing decision, I try and look at the amount of packaging things come with and yes, whether it is recyclable or not. Tough to do at Christmas time when it seems every toy comes super glued to shrink wrapped plastic and kryptonite twist ties. Yes, sometimes we buy individually wrapped treats or bars but we try to buy most food items in bulk and skip by the fast-food single size servings. My kids are sent to school with stainless steel water bottles, (I wish they would make the effort to get them back to the kitchen sink so I can avoid rummaging in the abyss of their scary backpacks), and we are trying to even reduce our paper towel use by using old cotton clothing recycled into rags. We try to eat local first, then organic and sustainable, and we are eating less meat (hard sell to a European, French husband!). Obviously there are evenings where a drive-by, fast food infraction is mandatory due to piano, guitar and drum lessons all being at the same time. But overall, living in Calgary means that most people live within a 5-9 minute drive from a mini or maxi-power retail center. This makes it ultra easy to support local business and reduce mileage between you and your shopping. As a consumer, I try and look beyond the comfort and ecological radius. I look at WHO I am supporting with my hard earned dollars. Does your favourite store give back to the community? Do they support local causes like Children's Hospitals, Shelters, Food Programs? What are they doing to ensure that they reduce their commercial, carbon footprint? Are they recycling their mountain of cardboard or filling landfills with waste? Are they at least trying to make a difference? It may not seem like much, but every little detail makes a huge impact. If 100,000 people in every large city stopped supporting mass-made-in-Cina retailers and supported local, eco-responsible, Canadian business. Imagine how that would impact the community; that city, the entire country. It would mean potentially saving hundreds of local jobs, a larger budget for local philanthropic work; larger donations to local charities; extra funds for homeless and shelter programs, and better waste reduction and eco-advancements. In the end, you chose where your money goes and who deserves to have it. By keeping your spending local, it just might bring a better selection and improved business practices to you favourite store all the while supporting the ever important eco-initiatives for our planet! So shop wisely!"

Leah Chevalier -Birth of a Mother
FEB/MAR 2008

Why Bamboo?

As I opened my inbox this morning it was to find 2 more companies advertising bamboo products. Its seems that only a year ago, relatively few people even knew that bamboo could be used in the creation of soft fabric products, let alone furniture. But now it seems that bamboo products keep sprouting every which way I look. Beba Bean, Bamboobino, Tulip, Momo-Baby, and David Fussenegger are only a few of the companies capitalizing on the growing popularity of Bamboo products. But why the sudden global interest in bamboo?

As people are growing more and more concerned about the damage our consumerism is inflicting on our environment, Bamboo is presenting itself as a sustainable and eco-friendly solution. Bamboo is a regenerative grass, that is, it can be harvested continually over its lifespan. A bamboo forest can yield up to 25 times the biomass of an equivalently sized forest of trees. In the regions of Asia in which the bamboo grows, the harvests are typically taken from dedicated plantations and are cut down by hand using traditional implements, thus reducing pollution. Also, unlike cotton, bamboo needs no pesticides to grow and is the fastest growing plant (grass) on earth. Due to its intricate root system, once harvested, the plant will sprout a new shoot, which can be the re-harvested in 3-5 years! Few trees grow that fast. This regenerative property of bamboo makes it a very sustainable resource.

In addition to its green component, bamboo has incredible tensile strength, superior water resistance and unlike wood it does not need to be impregnated with oils. This makes it a practical building material for furniture and floors. Bamboo is also lightweight, anti-microbial, and more absorbent than cotton. It is hypoallergenic and grows softer with every wash making it ideal as clothing and bedding for babies as well as those with allergies or sensitive skin.

So, if the e-mails in my inbox are any indication, I think we can expect to see many more companies jumping at a chance to benefit from bamboo's fast growing popularity. It's a great cause to support and here at Crocodile we look forward to featuring new and innovative bamboo creations.

Dishes Made From Corn?

At Crocodile Baby we're always looking for new and innovative sustainable solutions for baby. Recently we came across this lovely company, Dandelion Earth-Friendly Goods. Dandelion creates, among other things, feeding dishes and utensils made from corn! Corn you say? Why Corn?

Corn made products are Reusable. They reduce our dependency on both petroleum-based plastics and disposable ware in general as an essential step toward a healthier future for our families and our environment. Dandelion uses a unique corn (PLA) formula. Unlike conventional plastic, which is largely made from petroleum, this bioplastic is primarily made from corn! Polylactic acid (PLA) requires significantly less fossil resources, and generates far fewer green house gases than conventional plastic. And corn is a renewable and sustainable resource.

So, is corn the solution to our sustainable baby feeding campaign? Unfortunately no. Its a great step don't get me wrong, but even as a renewable resource corn is not ideal. Let's consider for a moment the amount of land required to grow enough corn to replace all current petroleum-based plastics? Now how many trees would have to be cut down to allow this kind of mass-agriculture?

While corn does have its drawbacks as a plastic alternative, it is definitely a step in the right direction. What we need is more companies thinking like Dandelion about new ways to reduce our carbon footprint while creating fun practical products moms and dads will love to use and that Crocodile loves to sell!

Also check out Dandelion's beautiful Organic Cotton Toys.

10 Years of Crocodile Babies! Our Founding Principles

On March 3rd 1999, a small boutique with a quirky name and a unique approach to baby merchandise was born on 4th Avenue. Crocodile was founded on the basic principles of organic parenting, ecological awareness, longevity, and simple quality. Ideas that have now entered local media and are known to most as green living and sustainability. For us there was no such terminology, it was simply the proper way to do business.

Ten years ago, there was no such thing as an organic baby store, sustainable baby furniture or "green" products. Big box stores ruled the baby industry with their plastic strollers, bottles, teethers, and toys. These cheap commodities were meant to be used and tossed. Crocodile saw things differently. We saw this method of cheap consumerism as wasteful and damaging to the environment and even potentially dangerous for babies. So we invested in only the best, products that would last, grow with your child, and be safe and clean for the environment. It started with some clothing and one stroller, a Peg Perego, renowned for its durability and longevity. We turned to European products to get glass bottles, wooden toys, and reusable children's furniture. We challenged the infant car seat on stroller syndrome, encouraging our customers to seek the longer lasting convertible seats and carried only the top rated car seat brands.

We encouraged parents to carry their babies, to pick up and cuddle their babies, and to talk to their babies. When these steps are followed, there is no need for the hundreds of plastic toys to distract and teach baby. You can encourage your child's development just by talking and holding your baby. It seems so simple and instinctive yet we are continuously surprised by the rarity of this behaviour. Parents seem to take the easy way out, place their child in front of the Baby Einstein DVDs and let the TV educate and motivate their children. We truly disagree with this trend.

We seek to reinstate instinctive methods of parenting. The baby expert is not us, its not big box stores, the parenting magazines, or even the DVD that guarantees a higher IQ for your child.The parenting expert is you, your instincts, and the teachings of the parents who raised you. This is organic parenting.