By John DeFore

Becoming a new parent presents untold challenges, not least to those hoping to find the greenest path through unfamiliar territory. Cloth or disposable diapers? Store-bought baby food or homemade? One of those decisions just got a little easier, at least for parents with double incomes or generous relatives.

Whatever one decides to put inside it, the “Wee Generation” baby bag itself promises to be about as green as a new product can get: Designed in collaboration with architect William McDonough, whose “Cradle-to-Cradle” vision focuses on the entire lifespan of products, its exterior shell is made from recycled plastic beverage bottles and is PVC-free. (That shell is already C2C certified; the bag as a whole is still in the certification process.)

The bag’s not only righteous, it’s smart: After spending months soliciting ideas from parents, the designers incorporated a range of features like removable (and insulated) bottle pouches, stroller straps, and plentiful pockets. Most delightful is a closure system that lets the user choose a latch, magnets, or Velcro. If you don’t want to worry about scaring your toddler with the rip of Velcro, just cover it with a magnet patch labeled “SHHHHHH” and you won’t make a sound.

At $200, the bag is more expensive than anything sold online by Babies “R” Us. That price, though, isn’t supporting some megacorp manufacturer of useless consumer goods. All profits go to Healthy Child Healthy World, a nonprofit “dedicated to protecting the health and well being of children from harmful environmental exposures.”

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media