This is a Home & Garden innovation from The 70 Best Trend-Driven Innovations of 2019.
Sonny, a portable bidet, is currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo. The personal hygiene device starts at USD 89, and at the time of writing has raised nearly USD 500,000 from over 4,000 backers. Positioned as an answer to the environmental toll associated with toilet paper, the bidet has a refillable water canister, a rechargeable battery that lasts up to three weeks, and a minimalist, Apple-esque design in either Soft Silver or Dusted Champagne finish.
The world is divided. While readers in much of the world will be wondering what the fuss is about, many US-based readers will have been left confused / terrified / curious by bidets they’ve encountered on their travels! But whichever side of the divide you sit, here’s what you can take away from this innovation:
The sustainability bar. Many of you might not instantly think of the environmental impact of using toilet paper, but you should! In the US alone, annual toilet paper consumption comes at an eco-cost of 437 billion gallons of water, 253,000 tons of bleach, and 15 million trees. But the environmental awakening goes far beyond toilet paper. Whichever industry you’re in, someone will be reimagining it to meet consumer demand for the END OF EXCESS: from seaweed water pods to using food waste to dye clothes to make-on-demand zero-waste jeans. Which previously unseen sources of waste can you eliminate in your customer journey? Get moving, before someone does!
New behaviors. New forms. Okay, considering the above, the idea of a bidet begins to make sense. But still, trying to convince Americans to install permanent bidets in their bathrooms is a big ask. Most people don’t have a power outlet next to their toilet. Sonny eliminates all installation overhead – no plumber and electrician are required – and makes using a bidet radically cheaper and easier. If you’re trying to open up an entirely new market, which conventions will you shatter in order to change people’s behavior?
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