The Big Potty Reset: Supporting Child Development, School Readiness and Sustainable Nurseries

The challenge facing early years settings

• 1 in 4 children are starting school not fully potty trained
• Potty training age has increased by over 30% in the UK
• Around 3 billion disposable nappies are thrown away every year in the UK
• Nurseries are facing growing pressure on nappy waste management

Across the UK, nurseries are facing increasing pressure around how disposable nappy waste is handled in settings. Nappies are classified as “offensive waste”, meaning they must be separated from general waste and disposed of through specific collection systems. This requires dedicated bins, specialist collection services and ongoing management to remain compliant.

As regulations tighten and disposal costs continue to rise, managing nappy waste is becoming both an operational and financial challenge for many nursery settings.

For larger nursery groups in particular, this can represent a significant and growing cost, alongside additional administrative burden for staff.

Nappy waste is a growing, everyday challenge

Staff are spending more time on nappy changing. Children are taking longer to build independence. Potty training has become more inconsistent, often split between home and nursery, leaving children with mixed signals and parents unsure where to start.

This is where change needs to happen.

Introducing The Big Potty Reset

The Big Potty Reset is a new initiative from Bambino Mio®, designed to support nurseries and families through the potty training stage.

It brings together practical products, simple guidance and a nursery partnership model to make potty training:

• Easier for children
• Simpler for parents
• More sustainable for everyone

At its core, The Big Potty Reset is about one thing: helping children move out of nappies sooner, with confidence.

Why this matters for nurseries

Nurseries play a critical role in shaping early habits and supporting families through key developmental stages.

But the reality today is different to even a decade ago:

• Children are staying in nappies for longer
• Staff time is increasingly stretched
• Waste volumes and costs are rising

The Big Potty Reset is designed to support nurseries in addressing all of these challenges at once.

A solution that works in practice

Bambino Mio’s potty training approach focuses on helping children learn, not just stay dry.

Our Elite Potty Training Pants are designed to:

• Encourage independence with a pull-up design
• Catch small leaks while allowing children to feel wetness
• Help children understand cause and effect

This sensory feedback is a crucial step in potty training. It helps children recognise when they need to use the potty, building long-term habits and confidence.

When used consistently between nursery and home, this approach can help create smoother, faster transitions out of nappies.

The benefits for your nursery

The Big Potty Reset is not just about child development. It is designed to deliver clear, practical benefits for nurseries as a business.

Save money and reduce waste

Fewer nappies mean lower purchasing costs and reduced waste disposal. With landfill costs rising, this is becoming increasingly important for nurseries.

Unlock a new revenue stream

Nurseries can earn commission on parent purchases through a simple referral model, creating a new income stream with no complex setup.

Support school readiness

Helping children become potty trained earlier builds confidence, independence and readiness for the next stage of education.

Free up staff time

Less time spent on nappy changing means more time for learning, development and meaningful interactions with children.

A better experience for parents too

Parents are often looking for reassurance and clear guidance during potty training.

Through The Big Potty Reset, nurseries can offer:

• Trusted recommendations from early years professionals
• Simple, effective potty training products
• Clear, supportive guidance during a key transition stage

This strengthens the relationship between nursery and parent, while making the process feel more joined up and consistent.

A simple partnership model

We’ve designed The Big Potty Reset to be easy to take part in.

As part of the pilot, nurseries will:

• Join the programme
• Receive products and guidance
• Share a unique discount code with parents
• Earn commission on purchases

There’s no complex setup and no obligation to purchase. Just a simple, supportive partnership designed to fit into your existing routines.

What we’re building together

This is just the beginning.

Our long-term vision is to build a nationwide network of nurseries working together to:

• Support confident potty training
• Reduce reliance on disposable nappies
• Create meaningful value for both nurseries and families

We believe this is a shared opportunity.

A chance to improve outcomes for children, support parents more effectively, and create a more sustainable approach across early years settings.

Join The Big Potty Reset

We are currently working with a small number of nurseries as part of an initial pilot.

We’re looking for settings that:

• Want to support earlier, more confident potty training
• Are interested in reducing waste
• See value in offering additional support to parents

Participation is simple, flexible and fully supported by our team.

If you’d like to be part of The Big Potty Reset, we’d love to hear from you.

Let’s work together to make potty training simpler, faster and more sustainable.