This is the story of three young fathers, and a little diaper revolution.
The three engineers and true changemakers decided that the world had to be better for their children. As young fathers, the founders of Woosh saw how big the impact of disposable diapers was on the environment. Every year, these diapers create millions of tons of waste that ends up in landfills and is then burned. Most of these disposable diapers also contain valuable raw materials that are lost in this way. Time for change!
And that’s how Woosh started. “ We had the ambition to bring a diaper to market with the promise to take care of it after it’s been used,” says Woosh CTO Alby Roseveare. Thanks to the unique recycling technology that Woosh developed, used diapers are transformed into valuable materials – ready for a new life.
The give-back diaper was born!
Read more about
- Woosh's entrepreneurial story
- The circular innovation of the give-back diaper
- Sustainability in practice for daycare centers
- Small steps, big change: parents also involved
- The road to a world without diaper waste
Woosh's entrepreneurial story
The story of Woosh can be told as an exciting game, with heroes, a mission to make the world a better place, a mega challenge and many obstacles that required insight, technical ingenuity and above all dedication and cooperation.
“The disposable diaper today is one of the most successful single-use products that exist. So successful that actually up to 10% of the residual waste that you see in the garbage bin today consists of discarded diapers,” Woosh CEO Jef Stubbe indicates.
The challenge was clear to the three fathers: find a solution to the problem of diaper waste by enabling diaper recycling . They were convinced that the technology could do it, but that they needed access to diaper waste to develop the technology and make the investment possible. They knew that no one would invest in recycling if there were no diapers to recycle, and no one would make the extra cost of collecting them if there was no recycling center to send them to. A chicken-and-egg paradox so. The Woosh team found the solution by turning the logistics flow around with a unique new service that simultaneously delivers diapers and collects diaper waste. A cost-efficient and environmentally friendly diaper service, a position switch for daycare centers that could have quality diapers delivered to their address in one go and return their diaper waste. A radical transformation that would make further development possible.
The new diaper service was launched with a small-scale pilot project with 25 daycare centers as early believers. The 25 daycare centers agreed to work with Woosh diapers, which were delivered to them and collected after use. This gave the independent and committed Woosh club the opportunity to take further steps in the necessary R&D in diaper recycling technology. The small-scale project grew and Woosh became a company with more than 1,300 customers, all of whom endorsed the same 'diapers with a mission' ambition.
And while the diaper service was further refined, development and research also accelerated. In 2023, Woosh engineers were able to fully start expanding the unique recycling technology that would make it possible to recover a large part of the raw materials from used diapers.
In January 2025 a new milestone was reached: the first installation was put into use in Bruges . The give-back diaper was a fact, ready to change the world!
The circular innovation of the give -back diaper
First, some context: for years, diaper recycling was considered impossible due to the complex mix of materials. The only way to get a grip on this problem was to get the entire process under control: in terms of the composition of the diaper, the waste stream and the recycling. And it is precisely this closed loop that Woosh has set up. In order to be able to recycle the diapers, a new diaper was developed, a waste stream was set up and a new recycling technology was developed. In this way, the product, the logistics and the end-of-life cycle are intrinsically linked in Woosh's master plan and the 'diapers with a mission' start-up goes 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 with recycled materials, made with a view to recycling afterwards. To limit the impact on the environment, the Woosh team worked with Ontex, a global leader in hygiene products, to design a diaper that is designed to be as sustainable as possible. The unique feature here is the recycled material in the waterproof layer. The Woosh diaper is the first on the market where the waterproof layer is made of 100% recycled materials. This significantly reduces CO₂ emissions. And of course, the cellulose in the diapers comes from FSC® - certified forests and uses ECF-certified cellulose, which is more environmentally friendly than conventional alternatives. The diapers are made with green electricity and do not contain perfume or lotion to minimize the impact on the environment. In addition, they are packaged in recycled and recyclable materials.
Step 2: The Woosh Diaper Service
Rethinking the diaper’s journey from user to waste processing is the second crucial intervention. With the Woosh diaper service, the delivery of diapers and the collection of diaper waste from daycare centers are combined in one efficient flow, under full Woosh control. The packaging and containers are delivered as compactly as possible, for maximum efficiency. In this way, Woosh minimizes the impact of transport and contributes to a sustainable logistics chain. And this in collaboration with more than a thousand daycare centers that have joined in recent years and helped to get the quality, ease of use and give-back system right.
Step 3: The Woosh Recycling Technology
This is where the recycling process starts. Woosh recently opened a brand new R&D and recycling hub on the grounds of the intermunicipal IVBO in Bruges. Thousands of used Woosh diapers are now processed there every day, resulting in a significant reduction in diaper waste. The ingenious recycling process ensures that materials from the diapers can be reused for new valuable products.
CTO Alby Roseveare explains: “ By recycling our give-back diaper, we prevent 2,000 tons of diapers from ending up on the landfill every year. That is the equivalent of around 200,000 full garbage bags. We developed a unique process for this that is efficient and energy-saving. This innovative separation process, which takes place without added water, ensures that the properties of the materials we separate are retained. We have a very pragmatic approach to recycling: we focus on the impact we can make on the entire process. That is why we start by separating the materials into two streams: plastics and organic materials. The plastics account for the largest share of the CO₂ impact: we recycle them first. The plastics are recycled and converted into new raw materials. The next step is to develop solutions to fully reuse the organic components as well, so that the diaper will be fully recyclable in the future. Each new generation of Woosh diapers contains more and more bio-based and recycled materials.”
Sustainability in practice for daycare centers
The impact of Woosh is already felt in more than 1,300 Belgian daycare centers.
For them, switching to Woosh is more than an environmentally conscious choice – it's a practical solution that fits perfectly into their daily routines.
Daycare centers not only receive high-quality, comfortable diapers; they also benefit from a seamless service. They can easily order diapers online via the Woosh platform, choosing between different sizes that are indicated with handy color codes. Woosh delivers the diapers in the desired volumes and puts them in the storage, provides Woosh waste containers, collects them, and takes care of the recycling. Woosh has thought of every detail to maximize the comfort for daycare centers. No hassle with stock, no hassle with parents who have forgotten diapers, no hassle with which baby needs which diaper… Woosh offers daycare centers a full service package. As a result, daycare centers have less waste to manage and actively contribute to a more sustainable world. By choosing Woosh, daycare centers show that they care not only about the well-being of children, but also about the future of the planet. Woosh is therefore eternally grateful to these daycare centers for their belief in this different and more sustainable approach.
Small steps, big change: parents also involved
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, it uses 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 raw materials, 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 ,” says Jef Stubbe.
The road 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 the give-back diaper, Woosh proves that comfort and sustainability can go hand in hand. It shows that every small change – no matter how insignificant – contributes to a bigger impact. “ In this way, we – together with our partners – 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 via our give-back points, or tell others about the power of small changes. Together we prove: every change matters. “
The future of diapers is circular
This is the story of three young fathers, and a little diaper revolution.
The three engineers and true changemakers decided that the world had to be better for their children. As young fathers, the founders of Woosh saw how big the impact of disposable diapers was on the environment. Every year, these diapers create millions of tons of waste that ends up in landfills and is then burned. Most of these disposable diapers also contain valuable raw materials that are lost in this way. Time for change!
And that’s how Woosh started. “ We had the ambition to bring a diaper to market with the promise to take care of it after it’s been used,” says Woosh CTO Alby Roseveare. Thanks to the unique recycling technology that Woosh developed, used diapers are transformed into valuable materials – ready for a new life.
The give-back diaper was born!
Read more about
Woosh's entrepreneurial story
The story of Woosh can be told as an exciting game, with heroes, a mission to make the world a better place, a mega challenge and many obstacles that required insight, technical ingenuity and above all dedication and cooperation.
“The disposable diaper today is one of the most successful single-use products that exist. So successful that actually up to 10% of the residual waste that you see in the garbage bin today consists of discarded diapers,” Woosh CEO Jef Stubbe indicates.
The challenge was clear to the three fathers: find a solution to the problem of diaper waste by enabling diaper recycling . They were convinced that the technology could do it, but that they needed access to diaper waste to develop the technology and make the investment possible. They knew that no one would invest in recycling if there were no diapers to recycle, and no one would make the extra cost of collecting them if there was no recycling center to send them to. A chicken-and-egg paradox so. The Woosh team found the solution by turning the logistics flow around with a unique new service that simultaneously delivers diapers and collects diaper waste. A cost-efficient and environmentally friendly diaper service, a position switch for daycare centers that could have quality diapers delivered to their address in one go and return their diaper waste. A radical transformation that would make further development possible.
The new diaper service was launched with a small-scale pilot project with 25 daycare centers as early believers. The 25 daycare centers agreed to work with Woosh diapers, which were delivered to them and collected after use. This gave the independent and committed Woosh club the opportunity to take further steps in the necessary R&D in diaper recycling technology. The small-scale project grew and Woosh became a company with more than 1,300 customers, all of whom endorsed the same 'diapers with a mission' ambition.
And while the diaper service was further refined, development and research also accelerated. In 2023, Woosh engineers were able to fully start expanding the unique recycling technology that would make it possible to recover a large part of the raw materials from used diapers.
In January 2025 a new milestone was reached: the first installation was put into use in Bruges . The give-back diaper was a fact, ready to change the world!
The circular innovation of the give -back diaper
First, some context: for years, diaper recycling was considered impossible due to the complex mix of materials. The only way to get a grip on this problem was to get the entire process under control: in terms of the composition of the diaper, the waste stream and the recycling. And it is precisely this closed loop that Woosh has set up. In order to be able to recycle the diapers, a new diaper was developed, a waste stream was set up and a new recycling technology was developed. In this way, the product, the logistics and the end-of-life cycle are intrinsically linked in Woosh's master plan and the 'diapers with a mission' start-up goes 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 with recycled materials, made with a view to recycling afterwards. To limit the impact on the environment, the Woosh team worked with Ontex, a global leader in hygiene products, to design a diaper that is designed to be as sustainable as possible. The unique feature here is the recycled material in the waterproof layer. The Woosh diaper is the first on the market where the waterproof layer is made of 100% recycled materials. This significantly reduces CO₂ emissions. And of course, the cellulose in the diapers comes from FSC® - certified forests and uses ECF-certified cellulose, which is more environmentally friendly than conventional alternatives. The diapers are made with green electricity and do not contain perfume or lotion to minimize the impact on the environment. In addition, they are packaged in recycled and recyclable materials.
Step 2: The Woosh Diaper Service
Rethinking the diaper’s journey from user to waste processing is the second crucial intervention. With the Woosh diaper service, the delivery of diapers and the collection of diaper waste from daycare centers are combined in one efficient flow, under full Woosh control. The packaging and containers are delivered as compactly as possible, for maximum efficiency. In this way, Woosh minimizes the impact of transport and contributes to a sustainable logistics chain. And this in collaboration with more than a thousand daycare centers that have joined in recent years and helped to get the quality, ease of use and give-back system right.
Step 3: The Woosh Recycling Technology
This is where the recycling process starts. Woosh recently opened a brand new R&D and recycling hub on the grounds of the intermunicipal IVBO in Bruges. Thousands of used Woosh diapers are now processed there every day, resulting in a significant reduction in diaper waste. The ingenious recycling process ensures that materials from the diapers can be reused for new valuable products.
CTO Alby Roseveare explains: “ By recycling our give-back diaper, we prevent 2,000 tons of diapers from ending up on the landfill every year. That is the equivalent of around 200,000 full garbage bags. We developed a unique process for this that is efficient and energy-saving. This innovative separation process, which takes place without added water, ensures that the properties of the materials we separate are retained. We have a very pragmatic approach to recycling: we focus on the impact we can make on the entire process. That is why we start by separating the materials into two streams: plastics and organic materials. The plastics account for the largest share of the CO₂ impact: we recycle them first. The plastics are recycled and converted into new raw materials. The next step is to develop solutions to fully reuse the organic components as well, so that the diaper will be fully recyclable in the future. Each new generation of Woosh diapers contains more and more bio-based and recycled materials.”
Sustainability in practice for daycare centers
The impact of Woosh is already felt in more than 1,300 Belgian daycare centers.
For them, switching to Woosh is more than an environmentally conscious choice – it's a practical solution that fits perfectly into their daily routines.
Daycare centers not only receive high-quality, comfortable diapers; they also benefit from a seamless service. They can easily order diapers online via the Woosh platform, choosing between different sizes that are indicated with handy color codes. Woosh delivers the diapers in the desired volumes and puts them in the storage, provides Woosh waste containers, collects them, and takes care of the recycling. Woosh has thought of every detail to maximize the comfort for daycare centers. No hassle with stock, no hassle with parents who have forgotten diapers, no hassle with which baby needs which diaper… Woosh offers daycare centers a full service package. As a result, daycare centers have less waste to manage and actively contribute to a more sustainable world. By choosing Woosh, daycare centers show that they care not only about the well-being of children, but also about the future of the planet. Woosh is therefore eternally grateful to these daycare centers for their belief in this different and more sustainable approach.
Small steps, big change: parents also involved
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, it uses 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 raw materials, 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 ,” says Jef Stubbe.
The road 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 the give-back diaper, Woosh proves that comfort and sustainability can go hand in hand. It shows that every small change – no matter how insignificant – contributes to a bigger impact. “ In this way, we – together with our partners – 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 via our give-back points, or tell others about the power of small changes. Together we prove: every change matters. “