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Parents and caregivers, your toilet training hacks could help protect the planet - Here’s how!
25 March 2025
UCL researchers are working to explore why the average toilet training age for children has risen, and how to reduce plastic waste from disposable nappies. Find out how you can help!
Do you, or someone you know, have a child currently in toilet training?
UCL’s Plastic Waste Innovation Hub is seeking parents and caregivers to help us understand the rising age of toilet training and its environmental impact.
Why it matters
Currently, over 300,000 disposable nappies are sent to landfills, incinerated, or discarded into the environment every minute globally. This alarming figure is only set to rise as the global population increases. In addition to population growth, a significant factor contributing to this mountain of waste is the delayed age at which children are being toilet trained. In the 1950s, the average age for toilet training was 28 months. Today, that age has risen to 37 months, significantly increasing the number of nappies used per child. However, the reasons behind this shift are not well understood.
What we're looking for
If you are currently involved in toilet training a child, or know someone who is, we want to hear from you! Your input will help us gather valuable data to better understand these trends and their environmental consequences.
How you can help
We’re inviting parents and caregivers from around the world to share their experiences.
You can participate by visiting our research page here
The site also includes an automatic translation feature via Google Chrome, making it accessible to an international audience.
Help us make a difference! Your feedback will contribute to a deeper understanding of toilet training patterns and help shape solutions for reducing plastic waste.
Find out more
Read more about our research and its impact through the links below. Join us in our mission to reduce waste, improve potty training, and protect the planet for future generations.
If you would like to get in contact about this study, please reach out to research@instituteofmaking.org.uk.
