Even Babies Get in on Green Trend

The trend toward eco-friendly and organic products has found the ideal market in new parents.

Expect to see the big players in the $30 billion baby products industry at this year’s American Baby Faire showing off everything from organic cotton bedding, room decor and clothing to chemical-free food, formula and cleaning products.

More than 15,000 parents, kids and grandparents are expected to attend the 11th Annual Baby Faire at the Broward County Convention Center Saturday and Sunday for the nation’s largest infant and parenting expo.

Babies "R" Us will display its organic cotton baby apparel, called Nature’s Purest, along with a new Serta mattress made with organic cotton fill. Avent will bring its new chemical-free bottle liners and Handi-Craft Co. will showcase its Dr. Brown’s line of new glass bottles — no chemicals, as you’d find in plastics. Regal Lager will display its baby carrier, which uses bamboo fabric in the areas that touch a baby’s skin. The same company also will bring its new Diaper Dekor with biodegradable refill bags.

"There’s a lot of excitement in the industry," said Jessica Hartshorn, senior lifestyle editor at American Baby Magazine. "New parents are the perfect market for the green and organic movement. If there’s a question of putting chemicals on the skin, it’s going to be your baby’s skin."

Hartshorn says so far, retailers are keeping the costs reasonable. "It’s easy to be green in the baby realm because organic cotton and baby food is not much more expensive."

While the success of emerging organic baby clothing and products remains to be seen, the numbers show organic baby food has developed a strong following and amounts to a $206 million industry.

Miami Internet retailer Lorena Cedeno is getting in on the green trend, too. Cedeno, founder of beninibug.com, will display some of her products at Baby Faire including her eco-friendly gDiaper, with a flushable, biodegradable liner.

Cedeno, mother of a 7-month-old, says she’s one of the new parents buying into the organic trend. "Parents, especially younger ones, want to feel better about their role in global warming and safer about what they are feeding their babies," she said.

Also expect to see products on display at the Baby Faire that emphasize safety such as the Britax Diplomat car seat with side-impact protection. In total, more than a hundred manufacturers and retailers from across the country including Fisher-Price and Safety 1st will showcase their product lines.