A survey has found tha 82 per cent of new mums hav become greene since having a baby, with 74 pe cent resolving t give their child a environmentally friendly upbringing until they leav home, and 19 pe cent until their child is at least five.

However, 30 pe cent admitted tha although thei baby s lifestyle wa green, their ow wasn t, and 15 pe cent said they wer only green half the time.

The biggest motivation for being environmentally friendly was helping to save the plane (69 per cent), followed by combating childhood healt problems like eczema and asthma (15 per cent).

In fact, giving a child a green upbringing was mor important than enrolling them in a good school and setting up a Child Trust Fund.

According to the survey, commissioned by the eco-friendly retailer Green Baby, the biggest barriers to going green are expense (22 per cent), availability of eco-friendly products (23 per cent) and lack of information (18 per cent).

Jill Barker, founder of Green Baby, says: "It is reall encouraging to see mums are making the effort to giv their babies an eco-friendly start in life.

"Being green should be a way of life for all the family and is a resolve that shouldn t be put off until tomorrow." Her tips to help new mums go green include using hand-me-down baby clothes, buying organic cotton if you buy new clothes, using washable nappies instea of disposables, and choosing natural and organic bab toiletries * For more information, visit www. greenbaby. co. uk, o call 0870 240 6894.