about last night

 Last night I attended a reunion for staff members from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) - it also marked my first outing in the city since COVID and the new baby (yew!), but I digress. 

It is so hard to express the role GBCA has played in my life. It was the first job I had in the environmental sector after what I like to call my 'green awakening', and it challenged me, supported me, and helped me grow into the woman I am today.  From my first day working at GBCA in 2009, I felt I had found a home of kindred spirits; people who were not only committed to helping halt the environmental crises we find ourselves hurtling toward, but also wanted to connect with others, have fun, and form relationships that would last beyond our days working in the same office, the Greenhouse (complete with worm farms, compost, stunning balcony plants, and many many more technical green features than I'll explain here). 

With my former boss, always mentor, Romilly Madew AO FTSE

It is also the time when I wrote my book, with incredible thanks the support of then-CEO Romilly Madew AO FTSE (now CEO of Infrastructure Australia). She supported my move to part-time so I could write, suggesting we turn my role into a job share because she wanted to support women achieve their career aspirations. I used the offices for my book launch party. I returned to the GBCA for a contract after my failed move back to the US, a haven amidst my emotional turmoil. Rom also supported the launch of Clean Cut Fashion, as our key speaker at our first presence at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Sydney in 2014. And even I rented a desk in the Greenhouse for a few months while writing my PhD thesis, craving the energy of other environmentalists (over the years GBCA shared offices with the Climate Institute, Australian Youth Climate Coalition, and 1 Million Women).

Friendships I have made at GBCA continue, though with less catch-ups in person because of life - you know, changing jobs, moving to new cities or countries, having children. But I'm proud to say that much of my professional network is built around this powerhouse of Australia's sustainable development professionals. Though there were many beloved faces missing last night, their presences were felt in the flood of memories that accompanied the evening.

So, thank you for joining me on my quick trip down memory lane. It can be so easy to overlook significant places and people in your life, and it was a real gift to be tossed into the mix last night with this brilliant, funny and determined group. A special thanks to Rom, Suzie and Robin for making it all happen, I'm already looking forward to the next time.

xxLisa

Oh the hilarity! And fabulousness! Suzie and I
wore the same One Dress by Ever By X!

PS - Robin, no photo with you! The one person I see the most in real life - hugs

cloth nappy conundrum

Today's blog post is not so much a lesson on the ins and outs of cloth nappies, but a tale of my experience learning the ropes of a new eco-habit.

When I last wrote I had a big belly full of baby. I welcomed my beautiful son into the world on Boxing Day: as a colleague of mine so eloquently put it, life with a newborn is full and exhausting. Now that I have rounded the corner on my son's first three months of life I feel I can finally come up for air (from time to time, anyway).

Before I had my baby I assumed I'd use cloth nappies (that's diapers for my American readers!). Why in the world would I, a so-called sustainable living expert, even consider using disposables? A friend gave me her collection of cloth nappies so I didn't have to fork out the cash for new ones, and then my husband's colleagues gifted us a month of a cloth nappy service so we wouldn't have to deal with the laundry as we adjusted to life with a newborn. Too easy!

Then baby arrived.

The adjustment to being a parent was larger than I ever could have imagined. Besides my own physical recovery (which was longer and harder than I realised it would be), and the all encompassing exhaustion in the earliest weeks, there was so much to do, learn and understand. When he first came home my son's meals needed to be supplemented by formula and I had to connect myself to a breast pump after each feeding to get my supply up. This meant lots of time washing and sterilising bottles and pump equipment on top of the feeding time itself, which was nearly an hour when he was brand new. Then an endless stream of questions and decisions arose: why is he crying? How is best to bathe him? How to dress him in the stinking hot Sydney summer? How can I help his reflux? Is it too hot to go for a walk? Is he overstimulated? Is he under stimulated? How can I help him sleep?! Etc, etc, etc.

As it turns out I couldn't even fathom cloth nappies for the first couple weeks of his life. We have, however, used reusable cloth wipes his entire life - just small cotton or bamboo clothes and water, soak the used ones in a bucket of pre-soak, and wash a bundle once a week. They always come clean (somehow!) without bleach, and dry quickly on the line. Super easy.

Then we started using the gifted nappy service - Lavenderia. It's a cloth nappy system consisting of cloth inserts and a (mostly) waterproof outer cover. When my son was tiny, though, there were a number of leaks, even on the smallest sizing of the cover, and he got nappy rash quite quickly. After a few leaks that led to changing bassinet sheets at 2 in the morning and a persistent nappy rash, I told my hubby I needed a break until I at least felt more confident in other areas of being a mum. I was surprised that I gave up so quickly given my passion for the environment, but it seemed like one of the quickest changes to make my life as a new mum a bit easier (and I am one of the incredibly lucky ones who had a lot of support from my husband and relatives who visited from the US.).

So, fast forward to the 3 month stage, my beautiful boy has some seriously healthy (read: chubby) thighs so leaks should not be an issue, and so we started up with Lavenderia again. The kind owner of the business has been incredibly helpful at showing us how to adjust the snaps to get the right size for our son (key tip here, make the leg and waist holes even smaller than you may think). I was impressed with the personal attention and felt grateful for the support.

Look at those gorgeous chubby legs!

Now my main gripe with cloth nappies is aesthetic. They are very bulky in comparison to disposables (I have been using Tooshies by TOM as an environmentally-friendly version of disposables) and look enormous. I don't love the look of just having the cloth outer covers as his bottoms (hello, fashion lover here!) and they do not fit well under most of the 3-6 month clothes I have for my little guy.  I tried using just one cloth insert to make them less bulky, but it wasn't enough to absorb all the wee from my wee little boy and I had some leakage through the outer cover.

I have managed to squeeze them under this adorable Carlie Ballard nappy cover.

I am also dealing with nappy rash again. He hasn't had it using the disposables, but now is getting a little bit now that we're on the cloth. Lavenderia suggest changing the nappy every 2-3 hours to prevent it, but (blissfully) I have a great nighttime sleeper on my hands and he is wearing the nappy for long stretches at night.

And, finally, they are less convenient than disposables. There's no denying it. Even with this easiest introduction into cloth nappies with the use of a service, it takes just a little bit longer to change him than using disposables, and requires a little bit more organisation if you're going to be out and about (not to mention space), and time is severely limited with a new bub (and not something you want to squander at that 3am feed and nappy change).

So between the bulkiness, the occasional leak, the nappy rash and (slight) inconvenience, I'm questioning the use of cloth nappies. And I am not even doing the laundry! I have even found myself researching life cycle analysis of cloth versus disposable nappies (there are many conflicting reports, so I am going to keep researching, but common sense suggests reusable is always better than a single-use disposable item, right?).

Once again I am surprised at how quick I am to consider giving up cloth nappies. I don't want to beat myself up - adjusting to being a full time mum is major, and there are so many new aspects to my life that take up time and energy - and yet, what kind of environmentalist am I if I am willing to ditch the cloth nappies so easily? I feel incredibly conflicted, and yet still find myself drawn to the ease of disposables (even as I picture overflowing landfills and depleting natural resources).

I love to write blog posts that give my readers advice or expertise, but for this first post of my new role as a mum, I thought I'd just be honest about an environmental dilemma I am facing. It's an important reminder to me (and other environmentalists) about the significance of individuals' everyday realities when it comes to adopting pro-environmental behaviour. Of course it all sounds so straightforward - here, use this cloth nappy service, it's better for the environment (or recycle, avoid fast fashion, buy organic food, use renewable energy, etc). But in reality, there are multiple facets to everyone's lives that either support or preclude pro-environmental behaviour. And it turns out that even I am not immune.

I will stick with Lavenderia for now, except on days when I am out and about (they really are bulky and would take up a lot of room in the nappy bag!). And I may move over to DIY-laundry cloth nappies in the future. But I'm not loving the experience or finding it as easy as I thought I would, and I'm seriously not happy about them not fitting under most of his clothes (the majority of which are secondhand, but more on that in a later post). I have always tried to be honest with my readers about my adoption of sustainable lifestyle activities, so I thank you for indulging me in this rant.

Have you used cloth nappies? Do you have tips for me?

Take care until next time.
xxLisa

PS - my husband and I also had a lesson in toileting your baby, as in toilet-training from infancy, to avoid this whole conundrum altogether. Sounding like a pretty great idea to me right now....

international women's day

Today I'm celebrating International Women's Day not by going on strike, but by spreading the news about women around the world who would really benefit from a fairer fashion industry.

Did you know that around 85% of all garment workers are women?*

Image c/o Kowtow

The majority of workers killed in the deadly Rana Plaza collapse were women, and most homeworkers are also women - typically sewing at home while also raising children. There have been reports of some garment factories requiring female employees to take oral contraceptives to guarantee their workforce, and according to the ILO, there is a significant wage gap in Asia's textile trade (where most of our clothing is currently produced), with two of the highest being Pakistan and India where women earn 48% and 39% less than men, respectively.**

Throughout the rag trade women hold overwhelmingly more positions than men though, like other industries, it's common to find men atop the highest paid list. According to Forbes, the 10 wealthiest people in fashion are all men, including the world's second richest person, Amancio Ortega, who owns Zara.

The World Economic Forum does not expect the gender pay gap to close until 2186 if current trends are maintained. I don't know about you, but the idea of equal pay for equal work is fairly elementary. The issue of parity is one that needs our full attention, both at home and abroad, and fashion industry is a prime target for improvement.

So what can you do to embrace this year's International Women's Day theme of #BeBoldForChange?

• You can demand fair treatment and gender parity (in terms of pay and opportunity) from the brands you buy. Fashion Revolution Week is coming up next month, which is a great opportunity to ask #WhoMadeMyClothes? But why wait until then? Contact your favourite fashion label today to talk about the women in their business.
• Support labels that are already choosing producers that empower females. Australian labels Carlie Ballard and Cloth & Co are two of my favourites that work with women in India to create beautiful, handwoven garments, and give women opportunities not often found in other workshops/factories (like the female tailor in the workshop that makes Ballard's pieces!). 
• Head over to the Project Just website and download the Good On You app to see how your favourite brands rank on ethics. Though they don't always go into the level of detail of gender pay, it's a start, and you'll discover some great labels that are well on the way to being safer, cleaner and fairer places to work.

However you acknowledge International Women's Day, let's support one another today. Only by joining forces and working together toward a common goal can we hope to smash that 2186 estimate and create a better world for all women and girls.

xxLisa

* * * * 

*From The True Cost. These statistics are notoriously difficult to pin down because of the unregulated and undocumented nature of many clothing factories.
** This is a very complex subject, and I have pulled out the two highest, but I urge you to read the report to get a fuller understanding of how issues of marital status, education, and age all play a part in this gap.