When: 1961
Where: UK
Why: An idea of pure convenience, which millions of parents around the world choose not to do without
How: A Procter & Gamble chemical engineer picked up on an unpatented design and turned it into one of the world’s most successful industries
Who: Vic Mills
Fact: Approximately eight million disposable nappies are used in the UK every day
There have undoubtedly been more glamorous innovations than the disposable nappy, but few can have had more of an impact on everyday household life. At a stroke, the throwaway nappy, or diaper to use its American name, solved the age-old problem of how to keep young children clean and hygienic, without the need for constant washing and replenishing of their dressings – which had taxed mankind since the dawn of time.
Like many great ideas, the disposable nappy was laughed out of town when it first appeared on the scene. However, a sharp-eyed manager at Procter & Gamble saw its benefits, and used it as the foundation for one of the 20th century’s most enduring and commercially successful business ideas.
The disposable nappy is not without detractors – environmental groups claim that at least four-and-a-half trees are required to keep a single baby in disposable nappies before they are potty trained, while critics also point out that it costs the British taxpayer £40m to dispose of all Britain’s used nappies each year. However, research has also shown that due to the level of energy required to wash cloth nappies, the CO2 equivalents are actually higher for cloth nappies than disposables. In addition, as cloth nappies are less absorbent and more likely to cause discomfort and nappy rash, according to scientific research, they have to be changed more often. Even some committed users of cloth nappies switch to disposables at night.
Few can deny that the throwaway nappy has made life for new mums more convenient, less time-consuming and far more hygienic than before.
Parents have used protective clothing for children who aren’t toilet trained since time immemorial – but it wasn’t a pretty business. Our ancestors used everything from leaves to animal skins to swaddle their babies, while the word ‘diaper’ derives from a material used to clothe infants during the Middle Ages. In the late 19th century, Americans began to use cloth nappies, while British people used a similar garment known as a terry nappy; these garments could be reused and washed several times, and were held in place with a safety pin.
Parents have used protective clothing for children who aren’t toilet trained since time immemorial – but it wasn’t a pretty business.
A major breakthrough in disposable nappy technology came just after World War II, when an American housewife called Marion Donovan invented the ‘Boater,’ a diaper with snaps for fastening and a waterproof cover. In 1949, her waterproof nappy was launched by Saks Fifth Avenue in New York, and had instant commercial success.
But Donovan had less success in persuading retailers to buy into her other big idea – a disposable nappy. None of the major firms in New York saw the value, or feasibility, of a disposable nappy, so Donovan decided to concentrate on her waterproof version instead – eventually selling the patent to children’s clothing specialist Keko in 1961.
However, from the late 1950s another visionary was already working on taking forward the disposable diaper. In 1957 Vic Mills, a legendary chemical engineer with Procter & Gamble, who had already transformed the production process for ivory soap and paved the way for Pringles crisps, was tasked with creating new product lines for the company’s recently acquired paper business in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Drawing on his own experience as a grandfather, Mills decided to refine and adapt Donovan’s disposable dream.
Using a doll that allowed water into its mouth and secreted it at the other end, Mills and his team set to work. Pushing the doll on a treadmill, the researchers tested various materials to create the perfect diaper. By 1961, they had their design: a simple rectangular nappy made of rayon, tissue and plastic, held together with safety pins. All that was needed was a name. Then Alfred Goldman, creative director at ad agency Benton and Bowles, hit upon ‘Pampers’. It was swiftly adopted.
Demand for the new disposable nappies increased steadily as people cottoned on to the benefits they offered. Soon competitors began to enter the market, notably Huggies, which was brought to market by Kimberly-Clark, a leading consumer brands company.
The commercial impact was clear – disposable diaper products soon became Procter & Gamble’s single biggest brand, with annual sales growth reaching 25%. Before long, the industry was worth $3bn a year.
The rate of innovation in the disposable nappy market was matched by the speed of its market growth.
Procter & Gamble now had to battle with Kimberly-Clark, Johnson & Johnson and a host of other companies to maintain its market share. Meanwhile, behind the scenes the early diaper design was being modified to produce a lighter, simpler and more user-friendly product.
Among the key innovations that followed was the introduction of a ‘third size’ by Pampers in 1969. A year later, tape to fasten the nappy was added to the design. Then, during the 1980s, super-absorbent polymers were developed, which reduced the nappy’s weight by around 50%.
The rate of innovation in the disposable nappy market was matched by the speed of its market growth. In 2008, Global Industry Analysts estimated that worldwide sales of disposable diapers would reach $26.6bn by 2012 – and $29bn by 2015, with further growth being driven by the rapid population growth in the Asia-Pacific region.
Britain remains a substantial consumer of disposable nappies, and last year it was estimated that Pampers’ share of the UK market was worth £480m. In 2004, Pampers became the first Procter & Gamble brand to achieve turnover in excess of $5bn and in 2010 it was identified as the UK’s most trusted brand, in a survey produced by Millward Brown and the Futures Company.
The invention of Pampers was the last great achievement of Vic Mills’ legendary engineering career, and he eventually settled into retirement in Arizona, where he lived to the age of 100. As for Marion Donovan, she went back to university and earned a degree in architecture from Vale, Colorado in 1958. She went on to earn more than a dozen patents.
Looking forward, the market position of the disposable nappy looks set to endure. However, as ethical issues become a wider topic of conversation, disposable nappies do face competition from some more earth-friendly competitors. Reusable cloth nappies, which can be washed after use, have come back into favour.
Furthermore, many regions offer nappy-laundering services, which take used cloth nappies away each week for cleaning and replace them with fresh ones. This service can now be offered for roughly the same price as a week’s supply of disposable nappies. However, for most parents, the convenience of disposable nappies remains a priority, and thus biodegradable nappies seem to be the best-placed innovation to take the disposable nappy into the 21st century.