Kristin Revere and Sara Baxter discuss the importance of investing in sustainable products and companies in the latest episode of Ask the Doulas podcast.
Hello, hello! This is Kristin with Ask the Doulas, and I am thrilled to chat with Sara Baxter. Sara is the CEO and co-founder of Paperclip. She’s also a mom of three who juggles business meetings with naptimes, proving that it’s possible to run a thriving company while occasionally using a toddler as a footrest. As the founder of Paperclip, a baby and child product brand, Sara’s not just running her own business but is also charting a course towards a more sustainable future, one recycled diaper bag at a time. She also has a passion for homebirths, having three of her own, and had an incredible birthing team.
I am thrilled to chat with you today, Sara! Welcome!
Yes! Thank you so much for having me, Kristin!
I am excited to talk about sustainability and why it’s important to choose items that you purchase or register for with sustainability in mind. Let’s get started!
Yeah! I mean, I think we can all agree as parents, our kids are the most important thing in our lives. And I really do believe we should all be making a bigger effort to create a better future for our kids and their kids. And it sound sometimes so overwhelming, because everything says organic now. Sustainable products are more expensive, and it does seem like I’m just going to keep doing the things that I’m doing because it works and it’s not expensive. But I think there are so many little, small changes that we can make every day to make sure that we are being mindful about our purchases and the future of our planet. There are a couple of quick, little changes that you can make in your daily life.
Some of those are, first and foremost, really getting behind brands that are purpose driven. At Paperclip, we don’t just create products to make money. We create products that really have a bigger purpose and a positive impact on our planet. As you mentioned in your intro, each of our diaper bags are actually made using 45 recycled water bottles. Those are pulled from our oceans and rivers.
I love your story. It’s so important to repurpose, and the fact that you are utilizing waste, as you mentioned, with our water being so important. I live in a Great Lake state, so water is everything to us in Michigan.
Absolutely. And the sad truth is that plastics are probably never going to go away.
No.
But at least we can do our part by reducing that in some way by repurposing that waste into something that’s really good.
Exactly. My doula agency is a certified B-Corp, so sustainability is important to us, and giving back and supporting women-owned and local businesses. I love everything that you’re doing! And it’s so challenging with inflation for a business like your own to have the sustainable mindset at the forefront because it’s much more expensive.
It is, and it’s so sad that it is that way. It’s hard because like I said, it feels like we’re just stuck. We can’t eat organic because it’s twice the price. We can’t buy products that are more sustainable because they are more expensive. It feels like we’re up against these big corporations that really have control over all of these decisions, and it shouldn’t be that way. But I do feel like, slowly but surely, we will get to a place where we’re all speaking up and we’re making big changes in who we’re supporting.
Have you been following the issues that are going on in the food industry right now, as well?
There are so many. Which issues are you referring to?
The one with Kellogg. That’s been in the media a lot lately, and it’s a good example of what I’m talking about. Buying an organic cereal without dyes in it is more expensive; why? But if we start to get behind brands that actually do care and stop supporting the brands that don’t, slowly but surely, we will make a difference.
Absolutely. And I find when shopping for cereal for my kids that the sugar-based cereals are the ones that are less expensive versus the healthier – as you mentioned, like the organic options. But my children and their health is the most important, so I spend more. When it comes to gifting baby registry items to friends or my own consumer habits, I like to focus on companies that are mission-driven and sustainable items, items that will last, versus the throwaway culture that we live in right now. Certainly, spending more on quality items and companies like your own that are focused on making the world a better place makes perfect sense to me.
Definitely. And like I said before, I think all of this can be done in really small ways that are more attainable. Obviously, supporting the brands that are purpose driven, that’s number one. Think of other little small things to help our environment. For example, eliminating single use plastics. Our feeding products – we sell silicone feeding products. Not only is that product itself sustainable, just because it basically has lifetime usage. It doesn’t break down; it’s not tossed away. It’s a great alternative for paper plates. But also, all of our products come packaged in a reusable Ziplock bag. So it’s a really amazing, premium bag that you just wash out after every use. I don’t even own Ziplock bags anymore. I use these for everything.
And there’s this amazing company called The World Counts. It has some really insane statistics about plastic bags. As of this year, we’ve already products four trillion plastic bags. And then an estimated 300 million of those just end up in the Atlantic Ocean alone. It’s crazy.
Devastating.
Yeah, it’s crazy. But we don’t realize it because it’s just been a part of our daily lives for so long that we just use them and throw them away, and it’s like, okay, that’s fine. We just don’t think about it. But again, I think that’s a pretty easy switch you can make. And obviously, when you buy our products, you get one for free, so it’s kind of nice. But there’s also tons of brands out there that just sell those on their own.
Yes. I think with the pandemic, with using the tote bags and your own recycled bags, some of that ended in grocery stores, at least in my area, and it was a bit of going back to the plastic bags temporarily, or paper bags, and now things have returned to some normalcy there, but habits take a while to break. So the convenience of just getting a plastic bag at the store, but as you mentioned, there’s so much damage to the environment and to our waterways with plastic usage.
Yeah, for sure. I’ve loved seeing all of the initiatives we’ve made, though, in terms of water. You know, at the airports now, there’s refill stations, and at schools, there’s refill stations. I think that’s such a big deal. I love seeing the little steps that we are making.
Exactly. And even at parks, you can refill your water bottles, so you don’t have to bring along the plastic bottles. So let’s talk a bit about registries and outside of your diaper bags, what tips do you have for our audience on having a sustainable baby registry?
I would say, do your research. Creating a baby registry is so overwhelming because there’s a million products out there that all look the same. And you’re relying on just your gut instinct or the reviews or whatever to make that decision to add that to your registry, but take the time. Really look into the brands that are doing a little bit more. Go to their website directly. Don’t just rely on the platform that you’re using to build your registry to learn about that brand. And there’s so many small brands out there. Ours is one of them. We’re small but growing. But really, we’re purpose-driven and we really care about the customer. When you’re able to check out the website and learn a little bit more about that company, it makes you feel so much better about the products that you’re choosing.
Absolutely. And as far as other items, are you a fan of a particular registry site? I know you can add any website like your own to a traditional registry, and people can even add doulas to their baby registries.
That’s so amazing. I wish that was around when I was having my babies.
Same!
I have used a lot of them. Baby List has a huge, huge following.
Yes, they do.
And they’re unique in the way that they obviously have brands that they carry directly but also you have the ability to add any brand that’s out there into that registry, whereas an Amazon registry, that’s obviously very, very convenient, but that wouldn’t be my first choice, the reason being that anybody can sell on Amazon these days. For example, if you’re looking for a diaper bag, it’s maybe going to be something that wasn’t sustainably sourced or wasn’t manufactured properly. You don’t really get as much information about that brand through a lot of these sellers on Amazon, so Baby List would be my first choice. What about you?
I am a fan of Baby List as well, and I agree that some of the convenience of a site like, say, Amazon or Target would be appealing to certain families, but I really talk to my birth and postpartum clients about really looking at their own individual values and creating a customized list from a site like Baby List. If sustainability is their number one focus, then choosing small businesses with a sustainable focus that are making an impact and, again, registering for fewer items, but items that are going to get utilized versus sitting around gathering dust. You don’t need all the onesies. You don’t need ten different bottles. I mean, just looking at the important needs first, and don’t worry about things that you’ll need when your child is two years old or even one, because it’s going to sit around for so long.
For sure. Definitely. I think another suggestion for when you create your registry is to not always be scared of the price. We have this weird way of justifying spending $250 on a meal that we get once but we can’t always see that value in a product that literally lasts us years. And I’m guilty of it, too. Our diaper bag, our best-selling diaper bag, is $199, and for some people, that feels too expensive, but when you think about it, this bag is lasting you four plus years, or as long as you are changing your baby or using it for your next child. When it all comes down to it, there’s so much value in that price. Just always remember that and that you’re not just paying for that product for one time. There is value in it. That would be another tip.
Absolutely. It’s something you use every day, and if it’s one that’s durable, you can use it for each child.
So what are your thoughts on ways that our listeners can connect with sustainable businesses like your own? Do you have any favorite directories or ways to search and really vet out the businesses?
Yeah, I think you were just saying that your doula business is also B-Corp certified?
Yes.
That’s a great resource. We’re in the process of applying for that, as well. Certifications; check for what types of awards they’ve won. Always look at the mission statement. I think that tells you a lot about who they are as a brand. I know for us right now on our website, one of our main pages on our navigation is Our Eco Efforts. And usually, when you go to a site, if they are a sustainable-forward business, they’re going to have that information readily available for you to review. It’s a quick search. If it’s on their main header, for me at least, I know that this brand actually is doing a lot to make an impact on the planet. They have eco efforts and they’re able to explain what those are with a lot of information. So again, that goes back to doing your research.
Right. So if our listeners could only purchase one item from Paperclip, where would you direct them?
Oh, gosh, that’s a hard one. Our diaper bags have been with us as long as we’ve been a business, and they’re tried and true. There’s really nothing else like it out there. Not only are they made with recycled water bottles, but they’re premium bags. They’re very durable. They also have a patented integrated changing station. You literally just unzip the front of the bag. It rolls out, and you can change your baby anywhere, anytime. You have that privacy and that convenience. So that’s our number one selling product and has been for as long as we’ve been in business. We’re actually rolling out a high chair in a few months here, too.
I will be on the lookout!
Yes, please! We should hopefully have them here by January.
Okay, soon!
Yes, it’s very exciting.
Absolutely. So Sara, as you mentioned earlier with the petition for Kellogg, how can we as consumers expect more from the big businesses that tend to have a lot more control over what we see in the stores? Again, using that Kellog example, how can change be made to become more sustainable universally versus just focusing on companies like B-Corps and your own company that are very mission-driven?
I think it just starts with – honestly, a boycott is a strong word, but just choosing not to support companies like that. I mean, why would we, when they are truly acknowledging the fact that they are putting ingredients in our products that are very, very harmful for us? And for me, I’m not a huge activist where I’m out there picketing. I love the people who do have the courage to do that. But for me, I’m just going to stop supporting you. And then obviously spreading that awareness I think is always important too. Sharing on social media or just having open conversations like you and I are having right now.
Right, so signing petitions, using your dollar to make change in that way by not purchasing those items. I think certainly understanding ingredients and the makeup of not only our food but the goods that we’re buying, as you mentioned with plastics, that aren’t recycled, and how we can make more impact with our buying power.
Absolutely. Yes. I mean, it seems like such a hurdle. It’s one of those things where you’re just like, how are we ever going to be able to be in a place where we are fully eco-friendly and we are having foods that are good for us? It feels really unattainable. But I really do believe that through education, conversation, and really speaking your voice, I think there can be change.
Yes. And as moms, we do have to think of the planet that we’re leaving behind for our grandkids and our own kids and anything that we can do to make change will certainly impact their lives.
Absolutely. Just think about what this planet was like a hundred years ago. It’s crazy. You can’t even really fathom what it will be like in another hundred years. You can’t even imagine it.
Exactly. I’m with you. So what are your top tips for our listeners who are looking at making some changes in their buying habits?
Again, I’ll summarize a little bit, but support the brands that are purpose-driven. There are so many out there. You just have to be willing to seek them out. I think making small changes like with disposable plastic bags; maybe opting for those reusable Ziplock bags instead of plastics. Another one that I do at home that is a small difference – I don’t use paper towels. Even though those are made out of paper, it’s still extra waste. So I actually just will buy a pack of those white cleaning rags and instead of using a paper towel to clean off my counters or whatever, I’ll just spray it down and wipe it with the rags and then just throw them in the wash. Maybe I have paper towels for backup for food or whatever it may be, but I probably go through one roll every six months.
Nice. Great tip!
Yeah, I mean, it’s just those small things that you can do each day to make a little bit of a difference. We don’t have to go out there and buy electric cars. That’s not an attainable goal for a lot of people. Starting small and making small changes.
Yes, it all adds up, that’s for sure, Sara. How can our listeners connect with you? I know you’re on social media. You’ve got an amazing website.
Yes, if you want to connect with me personally, I’m always open to that. My Instagram is @sarabaxter. And then you can also check out Paperclip on Instagram @paperclip_life. And then our website is papercliplife.com.
Thank you so much for sharing all of your wisdom and the work you’re doing! Your company is incredible, Sara.
Thank you so much, and it’s been a privilege to be able to chat with you today!
IMPORTANT LINKS
Birth and postpartum support from Gold Coast Doulas