How Nursing Your Baby Can Benefit Our Planet

As National Breastfeeding Month draws to a close, breastfeeding as opposed to formula feeding, will be the focus of this series of blogposts. Kindly note that DailyVita acknowledges and respects the fact that some mothers have no other choice than to formula feed for a variety of the different reasons.

“…it is important for [those] who breastfeed to refrain from being judgmental of those who do not. How would it make you feel for someone to make comments about a way of feeding that you have no way to reverse? It is possible to educate without issuing statements that make people feel criticized.” ~ Ina May Gaskin

Breastfeeding creates a bond between a mother and her baby that is not only beneficial for baby’s physical, emotional, and cognitive development, but breastfeeding also has a positive impact on the sustainability and longevity of our planet. Ina May Gaskin sheds light on the unique connection between breastfeeding and environmental sustainability in her book Ina May’s Guide to breastfeeding.

While we acknowledge and respect that some mothers have no other choice than to formula feed for a variety of the different reasons, the reality remains that the large-scale production of baby formula is an incredibly wasteful and unsustainable business practice. If the option is available to you, breastfeeding will not only benefit your baby, but it will influence the environment in several positive ways – let’s take a look!

Reducing Carbon Footprint:

Breastfeeding your baby reduces your carbon footprint. Every single tin of baby formula requires production, packaging, labelling and transportation to reach the consumer. Once purchased, it requires a plastic bottle for baby to drink it from and it needs to be warmed to the perfect temperature. Breast milk on the other hand involves no manufacturing, packaging, shipping, or warming up and therefore actually eliminates the greenhouse gas emissions associated with formula production, as well as your overall carbon output. For every bottle of baby formula replaced with breast milk, we indirectly reduce carbon dioxide emissions and promote a cleaner, healthier environment for all.

Zero Waste:

Breastfeeding generates no waste. In fact, it eliminates the need for single-use bottles, nipples, packaging, and formula canisters and labels, which automatically leads to a lot less non-biodegradable waste ending up in landfills. Breastfeeding is eco-friendly and simple — not a lot of resources are needed, and none are wasted. The natural breast milk containers (breasts!) are always readily available, always at the perfect temperature, and completely free from any of the nasties found in plastic.

Conserving Water:

Breastfeeding conserves water, one of our planet's most precious resources. A three-month old formula-fed baby uses more that 1qt of water per day for formula feeds – and that’s only for consumption. In addition, producing baby formula also requires large amounts of water, from cow's milk production to sterilization and formula preparation. By deciding to exclusively breastfeed (given that the option is available to you) for the recommended first six months, families can save thousands of gallons of water each year.

Sustainable Food Production:

Choosing breastfeeding over formula feeding also leads to sustainable food production. Dairy farming practices (dairy is a key ingredient in baby formula) heavily relies on land, water, and other resources that is often linked to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions, among other things. By deciding to breastfeed your baby, you can reduce your demand for dairy production and as a result, relieve some of the pressure on our environment. In the long term, breastfeeding protects ecosystems, reduces deforestation and helps mitigate climate change - who would have thought?!

Breastfeeding may not be the obvious choice for everyone, but if you’ve ever considered the effects of your choices as a consumer on the environment, you’ll likely welcome breastfeeding as a ‘green choice’ and a chance to have a positive impact on both your baby and the planet. Every time we choose to breastfeed, we contribute to a healthier, greener world for generations to come.