This is the story of three young fathers, and a little diaper revolution.
These three engineers and true changemakers decided that the world needed to be a better place for their children. As young dads, the founders of Woosh saw the massive environmental impact of disposable diapers. Every year, these diapers account for millions of tons of waste that end up in landfills and are later incinerated. On top of that, most disposable diapers contain valuable materials that are lost forever this way. Time for a change!
And that’s how Woosh began. “We aimed to bring a diaper to market with the promise that we’d also take care of it after it’s been used,” says Woosh CTO Alby Roseveare. Thanks to the unique recycling technology developed by Woosh, used diapers are transformed into valuable materials — ready for a second life. The give-back diaper was born!
Read more about
- The Entrepreneurial Journey of Woosh
- The circular innovation behind the give-back diaper
- Practical Sustainability for Childcare Centers
- Small steps, big change: engaging parents
- The path to a world without diaper waste
The Entrepreneurial Journey of Woosh
The story of Woosh unfolds like an exciting game, complete with heroes, a mission to make the world a better place, a mega-challenge, and countless obstacles that demanded insight, technical ingenuity, and, above all, dedication and collaboration. “Today’s disposable diaper is one of the most successful single-use products in existence. So successful, in fact, that up to 10% of the residual waste you see in garbage bins today consists of discarded diapers,” explains Woosh CEO Jef Stubbe.
The challenge for the three fathers was clear: find a solution to the problem of diaper waste by enabling diaper recycling. They were convinced it was technologically possible but knew they needed access to diaper waste to develop the technology and make the investment feasible. They faced a classic chicken-or-egg paradox: no one would invest in recycling without diapers to recycle, and no one would pay the extra cost of collecting diapers without a recycling facility to send them to. The Woosh team found the solution by reversing the logistical flow with a unique new service that simultaneously delivers diapers and collects diaper waste. This cost-efficient and eco-friendly diaper service created a pivotal shift for childcare centers, which now received high-quality diapers delivered to their doorstep and could return their diaper waste in the same process. A radical transformation that made further development possible.
A small-scale pilot project was launched with 25 childcare centers as early believers. These 25 centers committed to using Woosh diapers, which were delivered to them and collected after use. This gave the determined and dedicated Woosh team the chance to take further steps in the R&D of diaper recycling technology. The small-scale project grew, and Woosh became a company with 1,300 customers, all sharing the same ‘diapers with a mission’ ambition. While the diaper service was fine-tuned, development and research accelerated. In 2023, Woosh engineers began building the unique recycling technology that would recover a significant portion of the raw materials from used diapers. In January 2025, a new milestone was reached: the first installation in Bruges was launched. The give-back diaper became a reality, ready to change the world!
The circular innovation behind the give-back diaper
Let’s start with the context: for years, diaper recycling was considered impossible due to the complex mix of materials involved. The only way to tackle this issue was to control the entire process: from the diaper’s composition to the waste stream and the recycling itself. And that’s exactly the closed-loop system Woosh has set up. To enable diaper recycling, a new diaper was developed, a waste stream was established, and a new recycling technology was created. In this way, the product, logistics, and end-of-life cycle are intrinsically linked in Woosh’s master plan, propelling the ‘diapers with a mission’ startup from one step to the next, with the ultimate goal of a world without diaper waste.
Step 1: The Woosh Diaper
The process starts with production: diapers made from recycled materials, designed with future recycling in mind. To minimize environmental impact, the Woosh team collaborated with Ontex, a global leader in hygiene products, to design a diaper as sustainable as possible. The unique feature here is the recycled material used in the waterproof layer. The Woosh diaper is the first on the market with a waterproof layer made entirely of recycled materials. This significantly reduces CO₂ emissions. Additionally, the cellulose in the diapers comes from FSC®-®certified forests, and the ECF-certified cellulose is more environmentally friendly than common alternatives. The diapers are produced using green energy and contain no perfume or lotion to minimize environmental impact. They are also packaged in recycled and recyclable materials.
Step 2: The Woosh Diaper Service
Rethinking the journey of a diaper from user to waste processing is the second crucial step. With the Woosh diaper service, the delivery of diapers and the collection of diaper waste at childcare centers are combined into one efficient flow, fully under Woosh control. Packaging and containers are delivered as compactly as possible for maximum efficiency. This minimizes transport impact and contributes to a sustainable logistics chain. Over a thousand childcare centers have already joined this initiative over the past few years, helping refine the quality, user-friendliness, and give-back system.
Step 3: The Woosh Recycling Technology
This is where the recycling process begins. Woosh recently launched a brand-new R&D and recycling hub at the IVBO intermunicipal site in Bruges. Here, thousands of used Woosh diapers are processed daily, significantly reducing diaper waste. The ingenious recycling process ensures materials from the diapers can be reused for new valuable products.
CTO Alby Roseveare explains: “By recycling our give-back diapers, we prevent 2,000 tons of diapers from ending up in landfills every year. That’s equivalent to about 200,000 full garbage bags. We developed a unique process that is both efficient and energy-saving. This innovative separation process, which uses no added water, ensures the properties of the materials remain intact. Our approach to recycling is very pragmatic: we focus on the impact we can make across the entire process. That’s why we start by separating materials into two streams: plastics and organic materials. Plastics account for the largest share of CO₂ impact, so we recycle them first. The plastics are repurposed into new raw materials. The next step is developing solutions to fully reuse the organic components, aiming for a fully recyclable diaper in the future. Each new generation of Woosh diapers contains increasing amounts of bio-based and recycled materials.”
Practical Sustainability for Childcare Centers
Woosh’s impact is already being felt in over 1,300 Belgian childcare centers. For them, switching to Woosh is more than an environmentally conscious choice — it’s a practical solution that seamlessly fits into their daily routines.
Childcare centers not only receive high-quality, comfortable diapers but also benefit from a hassle-free service. Diapers can be easily ordered online via the Woosh platform, with sizes conveniently indicated by color codes. Woosh delivers the diapers in the desired quantities, places them in storage, provides Woosh waste containers, collects them, and handles recycling. Woosh has thought of every detail to maximize comfort for childcare centers: no stock issues, no forgotten diapers, and no confusion about which baby needs which diaper. Woosh offers a complete service package, reducing waste management for childcare centers and allowing them to actively contribute to a more sustainable world. By choosing Woosh, childcare centers demonstrate their commitment to both the well-being of children and the future of the planet. Woosh is eternally grateful to these centers for believing in this alternative and more sustainable approach.
Small steps, big change: engaging parents
Woosh shows that big changes start with small steps. Every time a baby uses a Woosh diaper, that choice contributes to a more sustainable future. Take the example of one baby. By the time a child is toilet trained, they will use an average of 5,000 diapers. With traditional diapers, that means thousands of kilos of waste. But with Woosh, those same diapers get a second life. This not only saves resources, but also prevents waste from having to be incinerated. Although Woosh has focused on daycare centers so far, private users can also order the give-back diapers via the webshop.Our next mission is to provide give-back points throughout Belgium, so that private individuals can also easily return their Woosh diapers”, according to Jef Stubbe.
The path to a world without diaper waste
Although Woosh has already made great strides, innovation doesn’t stop here. The ultimate goal? A fully circular diaper. This means that every part of the diaper – from plastic to absorbent material – can be reused. Woosh therefore continues to invest in technology, logistics and product development, working closely with researchers and technology partners. R&D teams are experimenting with new ways to recycle materials more efficiently and to further reduce the environmental impact.
It's a challenging road, but Woosh is determined to keep going.
Woosh continues to believe with great hope in a future where waste no longer exists. Where every product gets a second life. And that is not just a mission, but a promise to future generations.
Woosh: more than a diaper brand
With its give-back diaper, Woosh proves that comfort and sustainability can go hand in hand. It demonstrates that every small change – no matter how insignificant it may seem – contributes to a greater impact. “Together with our partners, we are building a world without diaper waste, step by step,” says Woosh CEO Jeff Stubbe.
Diapers with a mission. Because every change matters.
"Join our mission. Choose a daycare that works with Woosh, recycle your diapers at our give-back points, or share the power of small changes with others. Together, we prove: every change matters.“
