Price Hanna Consultants LLC, a management consulting firm whose principals have specialized in the nonwoven products, absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) and related fields, worldwide, for more than 35 years, has published a new report which provides a comprehensive global analysis of the threats and opportunities faced by the AHP industry relating to issues of environmental sustainability. Upon studying the entire supply chain and product lifecycle of AHPs, the report evaluates how current developments in science and industry help the AHPs industry solve one, or both, of the two major problems facing the industry today in terms of sustainability: 1) plastics pollution in the oceans and 2) climate change.
The report begins with a rigorous examination of the basic building blocks of AHPs, including the polymers and other raw materials from which key components are manufactured. An examination of the immense trove of research on the topic has produced findings about polymers and other raw materials most relevant to AHPs. The report navigates the scientific body of research and summarizes which industry early adopters are interacting and contributing to this research. Moreover, the report evaluates various directions of the relevant research and which developments show most promise for mitigating or eliminating the ongoing problems of plastics pollution in the oceans traceable to AHPs and the CO2 emissions that contribute most to climate change.
Providing a detailed description and analysis of the status of technology developments in each level of the supply chain for AHPs, this report features individual sustainability profiles on more than 100 companies. Additionally, the report delivers strategic analysis, from the perspective of the AHPs industry, of a range of comprehensive approaches to sustainability that involve the social, industrial and government sectors. Included in the report are four in-depth case studies: 1) Circular Economy Design at Unicharm Corporation; 2) DYPER and TerraCycle’s “REDYPER” Program; 3) Procter & Gamble and the EU’s EMBRACED Project; and 4) Kimberly-Clark and the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance. Following these case studies, a market analysis of the growing consumer demand for more sustainable AHPs is presented. Capturing this demand is essential to any market growth strategy within the AHPs industry. Lastly, current global policy developments to curb marine plastic waste and climate change that may impact the AHPs industry are carefully examined and evaluated.
Our final conclusions take a progress-over-perfection approach to suggest two primary pathways forward—the compostability pathway and the recycling pathway. This report illustrates why the largest challenge facing the AHPs industry today is to increase the level of communication and collaboration between suppliers, manufacturers, regulators, and consumers to achieve a more sustainable AHPs industry.
More information: Price Hanna Consultants LLL; 610-793-1500; E-mail: mscannapieco@pricehanna.com
