Nappy Dread

As a new cannabis renaissance unfolds, many people are turning to the plant as a tool for fostering a more sustainable and equitable future. Meanwhile, in the U.S. alone, approximately 27.4 billion disposable diapers are discarded in landfills each year (according to RealDiaper.org). It was inevitable that the worlds of cannabis and sustainability would eventually intersect.

Meet Billie Wonder, a Dutch retailer offering eco-friendly and stylish washable diapers and training pants made from sustainable materials like organic cotton, bamboo, and even hemp. With both an online store and a physical showroom in Amsterdam, Billie Wonder aims to raise awareness about the benefits of reusable diapers while also working toward the creation of the world’s first diaper made entirely from cannabis.

“Hemp is the plant of the future in so many ways, including for diapers,” says Steef Fleur, co-founder of Billie Wonder, which translates to “little bottom miracle” in Dutch.

Fleur, an Amsterdam native and former urban developer turned photographer and entrepreneur, grew up in a country famous for its liberal stance on “soft drugs” like marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms. However, it wasn’t until she distanced herself from Amsterdam’s coffeeshop culture that she began to appreciate cannabis and its many potential uses.

(Steef Fleur (right) and her business partner, Manon Klosterman, join their children in sorting their line of reusable diapers.)

A Seed Is Planted

Despite being from Amsterdam, Fleur didn’t see a cannabis plant up close until she visited a friend who had moved to California’s Emerald Triangle. A planned two-month stay in the Humboldt hills turned into a successful photography career and a lifelong passion for cannabis.

“It really opened my eyes to the plant’s possibilities. Here in the Netherlands, people think we’re very liberal, but we’re actually quite narrow-minded about cannabis,” Fleur explained.

It was also during her time in California that Fleur first encountered washable diapers—something almost unheard of in her home country at the time. After studying informal settlements in Brazil during her university years, Fleur became acutely aware of the need to reduce landfill waste. She decided that if she ever became a mother, she would fully commit to reusable diapers.

“Not long after, I got pregnant,” she laughed.

Two Babies and a Business

Fleur launched Billie Wonder with her friend and office mate, Manon Klosterman, a Brazilian-born accountant who was also expecting her first child only months after Fleur. The duo started researching washable diapers, only to find a gap in the market.

“What was missing was a place where people could go to ask questions about reusable diapers,” said Fleur. “I also noticed that the existing imagery around these products was outdated. If the images look old-fashioned, the product is perceived that way too.”

Billie Wonder’s website was designed with a modern, sleek aesthetic to appeal to today’s busy moms. However, choosing which washable diaper brands to collaborate with required hands-on testing.

“The great thing about starting the business right away was that we could just buy loads of new brands and try them out on our kids!” Fleur said.

From the Bottom to the Top

With her background in photography, Fleur set out to change the perception of reusable diapers across Europe and beyond. However, it was her time documenting cannabis culture in Humboldt that inspired Billie Wonder to aim even higher. Knowing that hemp is more environmentally friendly to cultivate than cotton—and that it’s also a more absorbent material—the company has secured subsidies from the Dutch government to develop a diaper made entirely from hemp.

“The texture of hemp is still a bit too rough to be used alone in diaper material. The fashion industry is facing similar challenges,” she noted, adding that their initial research partnership with the government will continue through spring 2020.

Despite the challenges ahead, the founders of Billie Wonder are encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive feedback they’ve received. Moreover, Fleur is expecting her second child this winter, which marks another exciting chapter for the company.

“We curated our collection by testing it on our kids. They’re both potty-trained now, but we have a new one coming to test the hemp diapers on next year!”

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Read More Article: Cannabis and Parenting: Navigating a Complex Terrain