EP #121: Sustainable Diapers with Alon Cohen
Sometimes, the most basic things needed are reevaluated. We have this tendency as human beings to get into routines. They’re normally very helpful because they simplify things, save time, and reduce decision fatigue. However, some things just aren’t optimized anymore.
Alon Cohen is a dad. That’s not that special! Wait, that’s very special but Alon didn’t expect his fatherhood to turn into a massively impactful business. Cloth diapers have been around for a very long time but there’s been an issue with cleaning them effectively and the time and expense of using them. Alon realized a need and started collecting diapers in his neighborhood. Before you know it, Pika was born, and using environmentally safe diapers was suddenly much less expensive and easier. This conversation is a little about diapers and a lot about the desire to start an impact project. Make sure you catch Alon’s inspiration at the end.
What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:
Why Pika diapers exist
How disposable diapers are affecting the environment
How cloth diapers are better
How long it takes to clean cloth diapers
The story of how Alon realized the need for reusable diapers
What it took to find different solutions
How Alon biked around his neighborhood collecting dirty diapers
How fatherhood leads to Alon’s business and many lessons
What 258 billion+ diapers will do to the environment
Alon’s thoughts when starting the company
The expectations for a world-changing company
Why zero waste should be the goal
The compatibility of the machine with other diapers
The cost of the machine and supplies
How plastic is bad for a baby’s skin
The cyclical economy concept
How diapers are just like many other consumer goods
About composting and limiting consumption
How travel shaped Alon’s thoughts
The importance of experiencing different cultures
How curiosity powers impact
The effect running a business has on your mental health
What it’s like to be a business founder
The need for community
Ideas Worth Sharing:
“Our goal is to make cloth diapers as disposables.” - Alon Cohen
“Each baby is using about 6-7 diapers per day.” - Alon Cohen
“It all started with my daughter…when she was using diapers.” - Alon Cohen
“I had been collecting diapers in my neighborhood with my bicycle.” - Alon Cohen
“I had a Pika machine in my house.” - Alon Cohen
“I had been searching for employment.” - Alon Cohen
“I wanted to create something that will make some impact.” - Alon Cohen
“Being a father, you learn many things.” - Alon Cohen
“It started with changing my own daughter’s diapers.” - Alon Cohen
“Other parents have the same issue.” - Alon Cohen
“There’s some potential. Who knows?.” - Alon Cohen
“It’s microfiber - not your typical cloth diaper.” - Alon Cohen
“The parents can use their own cloth diaper.” - Alon Cohen
“It will be cheaper than any other disposable diapers.” - Alon Cohen
“It will be cheaper, much better for the environment, and much better for the baby’s skin.” - Alon Cohen
“The machine comes back to us and is passed on to the next parents.” Alon Cohen
“It makes sense.” Alon Cohen speaking about reusable consumer items
“They can pass the diapers on to their next children.” - Alon Cohen
“I love to discover new cultures, and speak to different people.” - Alon Cohen
“I suggest that everyone should do it.” - Alon Cohen about the importance of travel
“To be a founder is not easy. There’s a lack of mental health. It’s a roller-coaster”. - Alon Cohen
“It impacts everyone near you.” - Alon Cohen
“You have no time to yourself.” - Alon Cohen
“It’s something that will come back to you.” - Along Cohen speaking about the benefits of doing good in the world
“What you all are doing at Pika is really an environmentally sustainable project.” - Bob DePasquale
“Not a lot of people are making diapers.” - Bob DePasquale
“You realized that you weren’t the only one.” - Bob DePasquale
“The machine is not obsolete.” - Bob DePasquale
