"Return of the Cloth Diaper"

Brent Pederson's hoping the sweet smell of success will make up for a crappy job. 

Pederson and his wife, Kate MacEachern, walked away from an annual family income of $250,000 to launch Happy Nappy Diaper Service about six months ago.

Tackling the, um, dirtier aspects of the job, Pederson's role is not only to deliver the clean, 100% cotton diapers, but also to pick up the soiled ones from their customers in the Edmonton area. He's also in charge of loading them into commercial washers at the firm's Leduc-based warehouse.

"Yeah, I have a crappy job," laughed Pederson. "You should hear the comments I get. 'Boy, it must stink.' People say anything you can think of that goes with poo. I laugh. I've never been happier. You meet people at the best time because they have a newborn, and we're doing something right."

Enamored with the idea of being their own bosses, the pair decided to launch a new diaper service after exploring and then rejecting the idea of buying a competitor's business in Edmonton. Pederson is a registered nurse while MacEachern, whose duties include meeting with clients, is a former nurse. They were both in medical sales when they decided to start Happy Nappy, named after the British word for diaper.

"It was scary making that leap. We both had six-figure salaries," said Pederson. "We've definitely taken a pay cut, but I've never had so much exuberance or satisfaction working anywhere else. I know Kate feels the same way."

The duo, who have a blended family of four kids, have rented a 1,500 sq. ft. warehouse to house the laundry facilities and the more than 10,000 cloth diapers. They've just placed an order with an Edmonton firm to stitch another 2,000 diapers. The husband and wife team are currently the only employees.

The two sought consulting advice from David Starko, the former owner of Page the Cleaner, who now runs a financial and business consultant service, Page Financial Inc.

"I think it's a winner," said Starko. "I think he's progressing well."

There are more than 60 babies wearing Happy Nappy diapers instead of the mass-produced disposable versions. The company's break-even mark is 60 clients. Based on existing growth, Pederson expects the business to increase by 150 customers annually. Parents who've currently signed up their babies for these cloth diapers include health-care workers and accountants.

Business is largely growing via word-of-mouth as well as those who can't miss Pederson as he travels the roads of Edmonton and its satellite communities. The company vehicle is a large pink van - similar to a Canada Post vehicle - that has the company name printed in vivid blue lettering to represent traditional boy and girl colors.

"We want people to know we're around. They don't miss us," deadpanned Pederson.

The pair has poured about $75,000 of their own cash into the company to avoid having to borrow any funds. They're banking on society's growing interest in reducing landfill garbage, since it takes years for a disposable diaper to decompose in a garbage dump.

And Pederson and MacEachern say this option saves parents cash. As babies age, they need a bigger-sized diaper. The containers are all priced the same. However, there are fewer disposable diapers as the size increases. Most people will find using cloth diapers cheaper because Happy Nappy charges a flat weekly rate of $21.99 plus GST per baby, no matter how many diapers are used, said the couple.

This duo believes babies have fewer diaper rashes when wearing cloth diapers. They cite their own child, 27-month-old Noah, who wears cloth, diapers because disposables left him with a rash. The couple also believes cloth encourages kids to toilet train since disposables pull all the moisture away, leaving a youngster feeling comfortable after they've had an 'accident,' " said Pederson.

"Because there is a bit of moisture near the skin, the children don't like it and they train quicker. It's not rocket science. Its common sense," he said, adding that Noah asks to use the toilet.

Besides the convenience factor of tossing disposables, the biggest sales hurdle is overcoming people's fear of smell. Odor is tackled by placing the diapers inside a cloth bag housed in a recycled plastic pail. There is no soaking or rinsing. The pins that were once used to hold cloth diapers have long been replaced by simple snaps.

Pedersen and MacEachern are so confident the business will be a success that they're looking to start franchising it in fall 2006.

"In the United States there is a resurgence of use of cloth diapers," said MacEachern.

Starko is offering advice on franchising the firm. Pederson is not being overly ambitious to think of such potential, added Starko, who franchised his former dry cleaning company before he sold it in 1996.

"I think we may see him right across Western Canada within a couple of years," said Starko.

• Cloth diapers: The wonders of disposable technology nearly wiped out diaper pins and cloth nappies. But a new generation of environmentally astute — or simply frugal — parents has led to a washable diaper resurgence.

For example, Edmonton-area residents Brent Pederson and his wife, Kate MacEachern, put their 27-month-old son, Noah, in cloth diapers because disposables left him with a rash. They also believe cloth encourages kids to toilet train since disposables pull all the moisture away, leaving a youngster feeling comfortable after they’ve had an “accident,” says Pederson. The couple earlier this year launched Happy Nappy Diaper Service.

For $21.99 plus GST a week, customers receive clean, 100% cotton diapers in exchange for the soiled ones weekly. That’s often comparable to a package of disposables. Similar services are available locally. Parents willing to do the “dirty” work will save money as well as cutting the estimated 10,000 tons of disposable diapers tossed into landfills daily.

Various websites on do-it-yourself cloth diaper use cite savings of up to $2,000 in the standard
21¼2 years it takes to get Junior to use the potty.