Keep wondering
Keep wondering
Mission
Heading towards a world free of waste, filled with wonder.
The name, Billie Wonder, is purposely androgynous and optimistic. It’s a nod to our commitment to stay impartial, upbeat, tireless, and curious, choosing only the best and most honest materials for our customers and the planet.
We work hard to reduce waste, making washable diapers and essentials that are nice to look at and so well made that you can’t throw them away. And when you do throw them away, ideally after many years of service, our goal is to make products the planet is happy to take back.
We are a work in progress both in product and organization, so stay with us because the ride has only just begun.
Our story
I am Steef Fleur, founder of Billie Wonder and a former documentary photographer. I saw my first washable diaper whilst on assignment with Northern California hemp growers in 2015. What struck me was how natural it looked to have a baby wrapped in cloth at such a critical time in their lives. And why, given the choice, disposable diapers were the norm.
This, combined with everything I learned about hemp that year – its many uses and regenerative qualities as a crop – stayed with me.
As fate would have it, my son was born in 2017 and the Billie Wonder webshop soon after. The web shop sold existing washable diaper brands in an effort to promote washables as the new norm.
In 2020, a coach and I reimagined Billie Wonder with its own product line. Everything would be made of organic hemp, from diapers to bins, and carry an adult aesthetic. Since then, I have worked with a passionate team to bring the new Billie Wonder to life.
We set out to be toxin free, organic, natural, ethical, and biodegradable – or what author Paul Hawken calls Regenerative. What we found were unrealistic prices, high minimum order quantities, large carbon footprints, or in some cases, unavailability - what we were looking for didn’t exist.
This cemented a few things. We are a forward-looking group, who should rate ourselves on intention. That is, focus on what we set out to do and what we achieved, versus what we didn’t. That no job is ever complete when you’re curious. And lastly, everything - life, parenting, business - is about baby steps.
Many more steps to come. Stay tuned!
With Love,
Steef
Image By Madeleine Bolle
Regeneration Generation
Regeneration Generation
Putting life at the center of every act and decision
The world through new eyes.
We’ve taken author Paul Hawken’s call to “put life at the center of every act and decision” to heart.
His idea of Regeneration – inclusive, cooperative, dignified, optimistic, and compassionate – as an approach to the world’s challenges is the guide we apply to our business. From our messaging – high, no guilt, no finger pointing – to our business practices – flat, transparent, flexible, supportive – we are a new generation of commercial business who see the world and our place in it differently. Our success will be measured on a healthier, happier planet and a greater adoption of washable diapers globally, regardless of our market share.
And what better way to begin this journey than with babies, our tiny changemakers, and new parents.Materials
Our diaper materials can be placed in two buckets, water-resistant and absorbent fabrics. The water-resistant fabric is PUL (Polyurethane Laminate). PUL is a common washable diaper material because it is easy-to-clean, soft, breathable, and durable enough to be reused for multiple children.
The absorbent fabric is 55% Hemp, 45% Oeko-Tex organic, unbleached, and undyed cotton. It is extremely absorbent, another example of hemp's many qualities. Hemp is not only more absorbent than cotton, but it requires less water and no pesticides to grow. What's more, hemp nourishes the soil it's grown in, versus other crops that take nutrients from soil.Made in China
Our ambition was to build a product line entirely of hemp. Why? Because we’re big fans of its many uses and regenerative properties as a crop. We also wanted to reduce our footprint and provide the finest quality product available at a fair and reasonable cost. We chose China because it ticked all boxes.
China is the largest producer of hemp and hemp fibre in the world. Our partner is best in class, having made washable diapers for over 25 years. They are Oeko-Tex certified and SMETA audited, meaning their ethics and product quality are tested and documented. They also source hemp and accessories locally, which reduces our overall footprint. We found a lot of local partners were importing from China, so we thought it best to remove the extra steps in the supply chain for now.
The Hemp Oil
We worked with local essential oil and aromatherapy specialist, Volatile, to create The Hemp Oil.
Hemp is known to be anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antimicrobial, as well as support the skin’s natural barriers. Made of 65% cold-pressed hemp seed oil, this oil, when diluted with water, nourishes skin as it cleans. We combined it with chamomile, calendula, and limonene (citrus), to create a fragrant and functional accessory to your washable routine. We’re proud of this partnership. It gave us the opportunity to work locally and showcase the many uses of hemp. Something we plan to do more of in the future.
Transport
Two companies are helping us deliver our products thoughtfully.
Fietskoeriers.nl is a bike carrier platform in over 30 Dutch cities. Its goal is to design logistics that are smarter and cleaner. They use biogas fuelled vans to reach city limits and from there deliver all parcels by bike, thereby diminishing traffic and limiting CO2 footprint.