Article

When Carrie Pollak welcomed her first child, she felt a profound shift in her career aspirations. Previously a manager at Amazon, Pollak had long harbored a desire to create a business centered on sustainability.

Her opportunity arose in 2018 when she discovered that Diaper Stork, a cloth diaper service founded in 2014, was up for sale. Seeing the potential for change, she purchased the company, which has since catered to over 2,500 families in the Seattle area.

The environmental ramifications of disposable diapers are staggering, with an estimated 20 billion discarded annually in the United States alone. Disposable diapers account for around 1.5% of landfill waste, with one child using approximately 6,000 diapers before reaching potty training.

The troubling fact that a single disposable diaper can take up to 500 years to decompose highlights the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. While Pollak recognizes the merits of cloth diapers, she also understands that they meet the needs of only about 5% of families. Hence, she began searching for more eco-friendly solutions that could appeal to the majority of parents who opt for disposables.

In 2023, Diaper Stork expanded its offerings to include compostable diapers, and Pollak initiated a pilot project utilizing pyrolysis, a high-heat process that converts compostable diapers into biochar. This charcoal-like substance not only serves as a fertilizer but also has applications in water purification. Collaborating with a local coffee company, Pollak found an innovative way to repurpose coffee roasting byproducts, enhancing the efficiency of the diaper-to-biochar conversion process.

Pollak’s commitment to sustainability led her to navigate the complexities of Washington state regulations regarding the composting of human waste. With the help of a $192,000 grant from King County, Diaper Stork developed a pilot program aimed at creating a commercially viable composting solution. They acquired Boo Diapers, a company producing bamboo-based disposable diapers, which contain minimal non-compostable materials.

The operational hub for this initiative is a compact processing facility housed within a 40-foot shipping container, strategically located near Olympia, Washington. Here, soiled diapers from customers across the Puget Sound region are shredded and processed through pyrolysis. This method, which sequesters carbon and mitigates methane emissions, allows for a swift conversion of waste into biochar—a product that could revolutionize sustainable agriculture.

As Pollak continues to refine the biorefinery process alongside her team, they have recognized the value of incorporating drier organic materials, such as coffee chaff, into their operations. This partnership with the coffee industry exemplifies the collaborative efforts needed to address waste and promote sustainability across various sectors.

While the biochar project remains in its pilot phase, Diaper Stork has successfully diverted approximately 3.3 million diapers from landfills. Pollak is keenly aware of the challenges ahead, including securing additional funding and scaling the operation. Drawing from her experience at Amazon, she aims to build a customer base that values mission-driven products, turning a conventional waste stream into a sustainable solution for modern parenting.