Our Nappy, Our Responsibility

#Campaign

Because Every Change Begins with Responsibility

When we began working in recycling and waste segregation, one of the most disturbing sights we witnessed at dump yards was huge piles of used diapers—mixed with organic and inorganic waste, open, unwrapped, and emitting unbearable odour. Animals would drag them to nearby fields, and waste sorters had to handle this waste by hand, exposing themselves to serious health risks. This harsh reality pushed us to take action and find a sustainable solution.

The Hidden Truth About Diaper Waste in India

Our research into India’s diaper consumption revealed shocking numbers. India has around 27 million babies aged 0–2 years, and during the initial months, an infant typically uses 8–12 diapers per day. Even if we assume only half of these infants use disposable diapers and an average of 4 diapers per day, that still means nearly: 54 million disposable diapers every single day (5.4 crore) Each diaper weighs approximately 50 grams, leading to an estimated 2,000+ metric tons of diaper waste daily — and that’s not counting adult diapers used by the elderly or patients.

Most of this huge volume goes straight into municipal waste — mixed with kitchen garbage and recyclables — and that is the core of the problem. Faced with such scale, we decided to take the challenge on in phases. A single solution won’t work overnight; the response must be layered, practical and scalable.

Our approach is modeled around bringing change at all levels



We address the critical issues faced by waste pickers by working closely with parents, teachers, Anganwadi workers, communities, and district- and state-level governments. Diapers are a necessity in today’s modern world, so banning them is not the solution — proper collection and safe disposal is.

We focus on transforming behaviors and practices at the grassroots level while also influencing public policy at a systemic level. We are working with researchers, NGOs and technical institutes. This will take time — technical solutions at scale are complex — but we are committed and hopeful. Our R&D team is pursuing safe, low-emission methods that respect hygiene while reducing CO₂ and landfill burden.

This is a large problem, but our approach is practical and phased: stop the immediate harm (wrap it, bag it), contain it at home and community level (bins), change behaviour (awareness), and then fix the hard technical piece (R&D and recycling). We believe this combination — immediate low-cost actions plus long-term technology — can transform how India manages diaper waste.

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Our phased approach so far

New York City

Yellow Disposal Bags

We developed Yellow, biodegradable disposal bags with a clear marking so waste pickers can instantly identify diaper waste. These YellowBags are leak-proof and designed for home use so families no longer have to throw loose diapers into regular bins.
Our goal is to make this a standard practice — no more loose diapers in garbage bins, no more mixing with kitchen waste.
New York City

Home & Community Bins

We are designing compact, sealed bins for homes (to hold a day or two of diapers without smell) and larger, rugged bins for societies, day-care centres, hospitals and nursing homes. These green-marked bins make source segregation visible and manageable for collection teams.
New York City

Community Outreach

We run awareness sessions, community chats and nukkad nataks to change behaviour — to make segregation a habit, not a recommendation. When caregivers and families understand the “why” and the “how,” change follows.
New York City

Technical R&D & Long-term Solutions

Diapers contain 60–70% non-degradable plastics, SAPs and synthetic layers, which is what makes them so persistent in landfills. On the technical front we are: • researching biodegradable alternatives for the plastic layers that still perform like current products, and • exploring processes to extract and recover polymer components from used diapers for safe recycling or conversion.

The Impact We Intend to Unlock by 2030

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500
M

Diapers we aim to divert from landfills by 2030.

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1
Million

Families we plan to empower with responsible disposal tools.

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100
K

Waste workers we intend to safeguard with better systems.

5000
+

Drop-off points we target to install across the country.

50

Cities we expect to transition into diaper-circularity leaders.