DYCLE - Diaper Cycle

The Problem

Baby diapers are high-tech products made from different types of plastic and cellulose. Each child uses 4500 pieces. Up to 10% of the household waste are made up by disposable diapers. For France the amount is estimated at 575.000 tons every year, and rising. All the waste is burned or goes to landfill. The DYCLE initiative creates fertile soil and puts it to use for the common good.

Our Proposal

DYCLE designed and tested a two-component system with washable outer pants and compostable inlays which is ready for controlled roll-out. The outer pants are made of durable and washable materials. The focus is on the inlay. The starting point was the selection of a portfolio of readily available materials: untreated wood cellulose, bio-plastic from non-food sources, natural fibers from recycling schemes,and functional additives like charcoal and coffee grounds. The look and feel of the inlays are comparable to the commercial ones. The inlays fit the body of the baby, offering comfort and skin healing (charcoal), while controlling odor (coffee grounds). The key objective is to keep the nutrients active, readily transformed into soil, known as Black Earth, which has been used in traditional cultures in Latin America and Europe. 2. Distribution and Collection DYCLE builds on neighbourhood communities of parents. The diaper inlays are distributed and recollected at meeting points in agreement with the local authorities. This includes kindergartens, public parks, art centers, within one kilometer from home. This permits to operate efficiently in “high baby density” areas, and promote contacts among parents, who receive fresh inlays once every week provided they bring back the soiled ones.

We Assume that...

community engagement

production prices reduction

supply chain

Constraints to Overcome

The team wishes to Improve the efficiency of the production of the diapers Increase our organizational capacity to respond to many demands Build more on the community by offering healthy clothing, real toys To create a platform that can go viral around the world and tackle one of the worst examples of modern over-consumption, waste mismanagement and loss of community. We would like to open source all relevant information if we manage to Cover the expenses to carry the project forward Make sure that the full cycle is implemented following the mindset of DYCLE

Current Work

A simple production can make 20 diaper an hour. This implies that when 10% of the families engage for a couple of hours in production, then this is sufficient for the group. While this is a good starting point, there is more development required, including the possibility to personalize through 3D printing and photography. We started designing a marketplace where parents can find the nearest group, and find approved local fibers. The greatest challenge is that more than 20 countries want to start and we need to prepare for the open source transfer of the business model, ready to adjust to local conditions.

Current Needs

Grants for purchasing a machine and extend the production line.