We’re on a mission to make sure that our son, his peers and the generations that follow, inherit a sustainable, healthy and beautiful planet in which they can thrive.

In need of a little inspiration on your journey to a more sustainable life? We’ve interviewed 6 women, mums like you and me, who are on their own sustainable journey, to ask them how they manage it, what their top tips are, and how they stay motivated.

Next up, it’s eco-blogger and cloth nappy guru Ashley, otherwise known as mysonsplanet…

A bit about you…

So hi there! Hopefully we already know you but if not here's an extra big HELLO from Team My Son's Planet! We're a British mummy and an Argentine daddy on a mission, a mission to make sure that our son, his peers and the generations that follow, inherit a sustainable, healthy and beautiful planet in which they can thrive. Our plan of action? To reignite people's passion for the planet, be it individuals, businesses or communities. 

What inspired you to live more sustainably?

I have always been passionate about caring for the planet (I even wrote to Prime Minister John Major about the Shetland Island oil spill - the reply is on our blog! :-) However, since our little boy's arrival, instinct well and truly kicked in and helped to take it up a gear! As with all parents, we are prepared to go to the ends of the earth to protect him and stepping forward to fight for a better planet was something that we simply had to do.

What have you done and what difference has it made?

We have a blog and instagram account @mysonsplanet which we have had a great response to. It's given us a voice on a global platform that allows us to expand our 'sphere of influence' by the day! That said, when we started, we didn't want to just become another blogger. We wanted to take real action and drive change within our local community by getting stuck in! And, stuck in we did! We recently ran a family film fundraiser of the animated film 'Ferngully: The Last Rainforest,' to raise money for WWF and their work with the recent fires in Australia. We even had local group Hartbeeps create a rainforest-inspired play space. It was a fantastic event and we were sold out.

On top of this, we are huge advocates for cloth nappies having been using them since our little man was 4 months old. We now host, along with another local mum Annie, the local Cloth Nappy Trial Kits from the council. Parents can borrow the kits, for free and try our a range of brands and sizes. We have co-founded together Cloth Club Weybridge which is a monthly meet-up group for parents, grandparents and childcare providers. They might be interested in cloth nappies but don't know where to start, or already using cloth, but wanting to share tips and tricks…ultimately, it's about creating a real-life cloth nappy community and another fantastic way to bring new parents together.

Cloth nappies can save you £1,000 per year, and a similar amount again on reusable wipes, before the child reaches potty-training age!

What advice would you give to parents who struggle to fit eco changes into their hectic lives?

I'm a big fan of lists, so write a list of your 'dream swap list'. Focus on the one that will be easiest to switch given your lifestyle and tackle that first. Once that one's nailed, move down your list. The list might seem overwhelming at first but by breaking it up makes it more manageable and it can be a positive experience! For those feeling brave, you could decide to take a room of the house at a time. The bathroom is a great place to start with lots of simple, quick changes (think bars of soap, shampoo bars...)

Your number 1 eco swap…

As parents, I think we would have to say making everything reusable on the nappy-front, so reusable wipes and cloth nappies (which aren't as scary as they might seem - we promise). If you’re interested, check out our latest blog post Cloth Nappies - Your Need to Know Guide. The reusables are so much kinder on baby's skin because they’re chemical free. Plus it's estimated they can save you £1,000 per year on nappies and a similar amount again on wipes before the child reaches potty-training age! Even if you don't use cloth nappies, why not try the wipes…Cheeky Wipes are great!