Bamboo DajDaj diapers save hundreds of euros - Unique product at Serbian market heads towards Europe

Sonja Dakic and Violeta Matijevic are the only ones in Serbia producing bamboo diapers. The pioneer step has been developing for six years and innovative DajDaj diapers have been present for four years ta the Serbian market. Although small Kaludjerica-based workshop is small compared to current demand, the number of parents opting for bamboo diapers is on the increase.

- The basic question we ask parents is: What would you rather wear: soft, cotton panties or plastic throw-away ones, 24 hours a day during two years? – the entrepreneurs say.

Bamboo diapers are multi-usable washable ones whose used the same as the regular throw away ones, expect they can be washed after usage. They are made of bamboo, with antibacterial features which means there is no rash, allergy or infections. If you have not heard for them so far, you probably do not know their usage is two or three times cheaper than of the throw- away ones we got used to. At the same time, they do not produce waste so two years ago, with the decision of the Ministry of energy, development and environmental protection, "DajDaj" diapers got Eco sign thus becoming the first textile product in Serbia with that feature.

How did bamboo diapers reach Serbia?

(Violeta Matijevic and Sonja Dakic)

A little Zara, Sonja’s daughter who got bamboo diapers when she was two is to blame for everything. When they became small, parents looked for new ones but they were unknown for Serbian market. They could not order them from abroad and they found the nearest solution in Croatia and after that they came to the idea to produce them. While still on her maternity leave, Sonja with her best maid, Violeta, who then had a baby shop, stepped into the entrepreneurial adventure. They invested their funds in material, machines and they hired women for production in Sonja’s house.

For a baby, Dakic says, some 20 cloth bamboo diapers are sufficient. They are produced in universal size so a deiper is both for a newborn until the period a baby stops using it. If they are maintained in line with the instructions, a package of diapers can be used by two or three kids. They are washed in a machine with 1/3 dosage of powder, without softeners, they can be dried in a machine and they should not be ironed.

They are sold in packages of two or separately and the price varies from model. They cost RSD 980 -.650 per piece so Dakic says savings is big compared to the expense of thrown-away ones. The only flaw is that you buy all diapers at once so initially you have higher costs.

-Three kids used diapers I got for my daughter and at the end we gave them for further usage. It is a big saving today if we know that for one kid in Serbia we spend nearly EUR 1000. For me as a mom, it was relieving that I did not have a feeling of throwing my money in the garbage by using cloth diapers. Majority of parents also do not know that a kid leaves some 5000 dirty throw-away diapers which is nearly a ton of bio non-degradable waste. Apart from that, for me, usage of cloth diapers for my kid was a matter of common sense just like I have a look at the materials when I buy wardrobe, it was logical that I pack a baby with sensitive skin into something which does not contain chemicals.

As for now, they import everything for DajDaj deipers production apart from bamboo and rubber band. All materials they work with have Oeko Tex certificate which confirms material does not contain harmful substances and that it can come to contact with soft baby skin. Bamboo fiber is produced in line with their special order and that is, as Dakic says, the thing moms recognize when they touch the material for the first time.

DajDaj wipes out boundaries

A cute entrepreneurial idea turned into DajDaj diapers becoming a domestic brand on which 5 women work, an example that a small company even in Serbia can produce a top quality product. In four years, more than 50.000 people visited their site and apart from online sales and sale in Axa department stores, diapers can be bought at the center of Belgrade where they have offices moms can visit and see for themselves all the models as well as to ask everything they would like to know. They regard customers’ suggestions as important so they are planning to expand product range by the end of the year.

The interest is not decreasing and offers are coming from abroad.

(Only one more company in Serbia has the Eco sign which DajDaj diapers have)

- In line with the demand increase, we are planning production boost and our next step is sales outside the boundaries of Serbia. As for now, we are sending individual packages and in the next year we are planning to agree distribution for Croatia, Bosnia and Macedonia. Through the investment program we went through within Impact Hub network, we made contacts in Europe as well and we will see what will happen in the next six months. We know we have a good product with its place on foreign market and it is competitive in price and quality –Dakic says

This fall, DajDaj diapers will be presented at the Family festival, Flower Festival and the Kids’ Fair in Belgrade.

USA is the biggest market

In America, cloth diapers are the ones which are used in the longest period of time and their estimation that some 10% of parents use them. They have laundry services, option to order worldwide and there are many moms who sew diapers for their kids.

Two Serbian models

Dakic says there are more bamboo diapers models. "DajDaj" are produced in two models: classical one and 2in1 model.

Ivana Bezarevic

Daj daj Beograd

DajDaj diapers

Sonja Dakic

Violeta Matijevic

bamboo diapers

cloth bamboo diapers

Eco sign

baby diapers

Oeko Tex certificate

Axa department t stores

bamboo

bamboo fibers

Family fair

Kids’ fair

Flowers fair