The Nappy Guy

To be fair it’s been a while since a man changing a nappy merited a headline. However Guy & Abi Fennell are on a mission to democratise eco-friendly baby products for all.

Disposing of dirty nappies and wipes are for many the first reminder of the environmental impact we have when bringing a child into the world. So is it important for Pura to use this opportunity to communicate the larger environmental message?

Definitely. Pura was born out of our desire to leave a better legacy for our kids. It all started when my wife Abi and I were preparing to have our first baby. We looked around our friends’ homes and were amazed by the amount of baby waste. Then we saw the BBC’s War on Plastic which highlighted the shocking truth that 90% of UK wipes sold in the UK (at the time) contained plastic – yet many parents weren’t aware of this. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and knew I had to do something. Pura was born to educate parents about plastic in wipes as well as provide a viable alternative. In thinking about how best to communicate our message, it was very import to us not to come across as militant or preachy – being a parent is difficult enough! That’s when we hit upon the idea of using cute “spokesbabies” as playful activists to deliver hard hitting facts with humour and empathy. We wanted to compel people to act but leave them with a smile rather than a frown – and we’ve been hugely successful. When it comes to being a greener parent there’s no quick fix, but we can all take small steps like choosing plastic-free wipes, that could collectively have a positive impact on the planet.

Why should families be using Pura products?

Pura is a family business. It was made by parents, for parents. With two children under 5, we know the daily challenges families face and we believe that busy parents shouldn’t have to compromise between caring for the family and their planet.

Before Pura, it was either buy eco-friendly wipes and nappies that were too expensive, opt for those eco brands that were affordable but didn’t really perform well, or buy from the big brands who might sell nappies that we’re great in preventing leaks but weren’t great for the planet. This is where we came up with the idea of “democratising eco” with products that prioritise baby’s skin with eczema safe ingredients and no chemicals while still being sustainably made, affordable and convenient. We see ourselves as the parents ally.

Pura is not just a business – at times it is aiming to challenge the government and encourage them to update their practices. Was that always part of the plan, and have you been encouraged by the support you’ve received?

As I outlined in the first question,this was definitely always part of the plan. Since launch, we have been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received for our eco mission which has come from many parties ranging from parents to other businesses, retail partners and politicians.
As an example, Asda has been very supportive of Pura NappiCycle’s nappy recycling initiative in terms of helping us spread awareness among parents of the benefits of nappy recycling and the recycling trials we’re holding in Bristol. In February 2023, Pura and Asda joined forces to help to tackle the issue of plastic waste in stores, producing the UK’s first in-store signage using recycled nappies.

I have spoken to many politicians while lobbying for change in the form of nappy recycling and was honoured to be invited to speak alongside UN and government representatives at a United Nations event last November, discussing. The Legacy of COP26 and UK Environmental Practices towards COP28. Just recently, with the announcement that the government had finally acted to ban all wet wipes containing plastic from being sold in the UK, I was amazed by the many messages of support I received from fellow business people expressing admiration for Pura’s part in raising awareness of the plastic problem.