Toddy: potty training children earlier with an app

Did you know that 8% of the residual waste in the Netherlands consists of children’s nappies? On average, children in the Netherlands are toilet trained by the time they are 3.5 years old. However, in Belgium, children are already toilet trained by the time they are around 2.5 years old. The reason for this difference is that almost all children in Belgium attend pre-school, for which they have to be toilet trained in advance. However, this could actually be happening even earlier. Over the past 40 years, children have become potty trained about 1.5 years later. This leads to unnecessary use of nappies, higher costs and more waste.

In collaboration with the Future Diaper Project, we are developing toilet training in the form of an app. Based on scientific studies, including by the University of Antwerp, we are working in a pilot project with the Municipality of Leiden and daycare centers which aims to raise awareness on this subject and create e-learning opportunities for parents. The faster children are potty trained, the fewer nappies they need and the less waste this produces. Ultimately, it is a win-win situation: both for the parents and for the environment.