Fibers for Nonwovens

Growing consumer demand for safer, more sustainable products is accelerating the adoption of natural fibers in absorbent hygiene products and wipes. Fibers such as cotton, wool, hemp and bamboo are increasingly being incorporated into diaper topsheets, absorbent cores and wipe substrates due to their ability to reduce humidity in the diaper environment and improve overall comfort.

At the same time, consumers are paying closer attention to product ingredient lists. As demand grows for formulations free from synthetic fragrances, lotions and petroleum-based materials, manufacturers are responding with products positioned around transparency, simplicity and naturally derived components. Natural fibers such as cotton, hemp and rayon provide an attractive alternative for brands seeking to deliver “clean” product offerings.

Sustainability remains another significant market driver. With billions of disposable diapers and wipes entering landfills each year, consumers are actively seeking products with improved environmental profiles. Renewable, plant-based fibers offer biodegradability advantages compared to traditional synthetic materials and help manufacturers meet evolving sustainability goals.

These fibers also align with regulatory developments across North America, Europe and other global markets, where policymakers are introducing legislation aimed at reducing single-use plastic waste and limiting the environmental impact of disposable consumer products. While diapers have largely remained outside the scope of most bans, flushable and non-flushable wipes have come under increasing scrutiny due to their plastic content and contribution to wastewater system blockages and environmental pollution.

As a result, manufacturers are investing in plastic-free and cellulose-based nonwoven technologies to comply with emerging regulations and prepare for future requirements. The shift is particularly evident in Europe, where directives targeting single-use plastics have accelerated the development of wipes made from renewable fibers and other biodegradable materials. Regulatory pressure is also encouraging greater transparency around product composition, recyclability and end-of-life performance.

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Cotton Continues to Shine

According to research recently conducted by Cotton Incorporated, cotton is present in less than a quarter of nonwoven tissue and hygiene products despite attributes such as softness and comfort that make it ideal for products that come into close contact with the skin.

In its report, Cotton in the Nonwoven Tissue & Hygiene Market, Cotton Incorporated offers insights into cotton’s role in the evolving hygiene market, which is valued at $118.5 billion globally. The report explores key trends shaping the industry, including growing interest in materials that support sustainability, skin wellness and product performance and identifies continued opportunities for cotton as brands respond to shifting consumer preferences and an increased focus on material transparency and product differentiation.

“Cotton represents a meaningful opportunity in nonwoven applications, particularly as companies look to differentiate on performance, comfort and material transparency,” notes Neil Demarse, director of new market development at Cotton Incorporated. “This report is designed to help bring greater visibility to where cotton can play a role in future product development.”

Among the brands choosing cotton over synthetic materials is tween- and teen-focused period care brand Pinkie, which has launched its first-ever organic cotton tampons, available in two multipack varieties. Offered in light, regular and super absorbencies, the 100% organic cotton tampons provide up to eight hours of leak protection.

The tampons are toxin-free—containing no rayon, chlorine, dyes or fragrance—gentle on sensitive skin and extensively tested both gynecologically and dermatologically.

Lewis Barnhardt, president and COO of purified cotton manufacturer Barnhardt Manufacturing, says the use of purified cotton in period products can promote skin health. The company has recently developed new products focused on unique fiber finishes. While Barnhardt is not yet ready to discuss the findings publicly, early data suggest there are benefits associated with the hydroentangling process that may support skin health in topsheet applications.

Barnhardt’s High Q is whitened with peroxide, offering what the company describes as one of the safest natural fiber options for nonwovens consumers. High Q is free of substances of concern and has been used in consumer products for more than 100 years. Additionally, Barnhardt recently launched EnviroPur, a washed cotton that maintains its natural color while being free of substances of concern such as glyphosate, pesticides and herbicides commonly found in conventional raw cotton. EnviroPur is also naturally hydrophobic.

Pakistani cotton supplier Ihsan Sons has forward integrated into the production of Cotton Disposable Face Towels, available in both organic and conventional cotton. Designed for modern skincare and hygiene needs, these towels offer multiple benefits. They are ultra-soft and gentle on the skin, highly absorbent for effective cleansing, and hygienic because they are single-use, helping to prevent the bacterial buildup often associated with reusable cloth towels. Made from natural cotton fibers, the towels are breathable, lint-free and suitable for sensitive skin.

According to the company, Ihsan’s 100% organic cotton fibers and spunlaced nonwovens support eco-conscious consumers by providing a more sustainable and environmentally friendly choice. These materials are designed to meet the evolving needs of the global nonwovens industry.

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Hemp Continues to Grow

Since 2018, when hemp cultivation became legal in the U.S., processing advancements have made this natural fiber suitable for a range of nonwoven applications, from durable airlaid products such as grow mats and chicken coop liners to construction materials and, more recently, wipes and feminine care products.

IND Hemp, located in Fort Benton, MT, can process four tons of raw hemp straw per hour. Over the past seven years, the company has focused on establishing specifications for its hemp fibers and developing distinct fiber grades to better communicate the performance characteristics and applications of each.

IND Hemp’s three grades—Bronze, Gold and Platinum—range from a coarser hemp fiber ideal for airlaid materials to a more open fiber used in batt insulation, and finally to its highest-performing fiber grade based on European standards. In the Platinum grade, a biological process uses enzymes to break down the pectin that binds hemp fibers together, creating a softer, more fibrous material suitable for personal care applications and other end uses.

Most recently, IND Hemp has taken processing a step further through a mechanical refining process that “cottonizes” the hemp through washing and scouring. “This gets the fiber to the point where it acts, touches, feels and behaves enough like cotton that you can blend it with cotton,” says marketing and brand director Greg Gnecco. “Once you get to this step, you can spin it into textiles and use it in spunlace applications for products like wipes.”

IND Hemp recently partnered with the Nonwovens Institute at NC State and Southeast Nonwovens to conduct trials of hemp-based wipes for baby care and other applications.

Based in Wichita Falls, TX, another hemp supplier, Panda Biotech, can process 150 million pounds of industrial hemp annually across a variety of product categories. These include mechanically cottonized textile-grade hemp fiber, which has been successfully spun into 50/50 hemp-cotton yarns for denim, canvas and twill applications, as well as mechanically cottonized nonwoven-grade fiber used in needlepunch and airlaid products for acoustic and thermal insulation batting and as a replacement for fiberglass materials in construction and automotive applications. Additionally, Panda Biotech’s reprocessed short fiber is used in wet wipes and shows potential for other personal care and hygiene products within the cellulosic pulp sector.

Outside North America, Panda Biotech recently announced the launch of India’s first fully integrated hemp fiber-to-yarn supply chain ecosystem in partnership with Culturewell Trading LLP and its subsidiary, Culturewell Hemp Pvt. Ltd. Together, the companies have established the infrastructure needed to convert certified U.S.-grown hemp from mechanically cottonized fiber into finished yarn, including degumming and spinning capabilities that were previously unavailable in India.

The partnership positions both companies at the center of one of the most significant growth opportunities in the global textile supply chain. India is home to some of the world’s largest and most sophisticated textile manufacturing systems, supplying yarns, fabrics, denim, garments, technical textiles and home furnishings to leading global brands. As demand accelerates for traceable, sustainable raw materials, Indian mills are increasingly seeking reliable hemp fiber suppliers capable of delivering consistent quality at scale.

“India represents one of the most strategically important textile markets in the world,” says Panda Biotech president Dixie Carter. “The country’s mills and manufacturers are searching for high-quality natural fibers that can compete globally on consistency, performance, traceability and price. Through our partnership with Culturewell, we now have a trusted, experienced partner on the ground to accelerate adoption of American-grown hemp across India.”

By combining Panda Biotech’s premium mechanically processed hemp fiber with Culturewell’s market expertise and established distribution network, the companies aim to accelerate adoption of high-performance hemp materials throughout India’s textile sector. Every shipment is backed by OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and USDA BioPreferred certifications, reinforcing the partnership’s focus on traceability, quality and sustainability.

Products available through the Panda Biotech-Culturewell partnership include Textile-Grade Mechanically Cottonized Fiber, which is sustainably processed through mechanical cottonization without scouring or bleaching. The fiber can be blended with cotton or other cellulosic fibers and spun into coarse-count yarns. Mills have successfully produced yarn counts ranging from 6s to 30s for knitting applications. The fiber also has potential in nonwoven applications including thermal and acoustic insulation, vacuum-insulated panels, carpet backing and mattress ticking.

In addition, the companies offer Degummed Fiber, which has been scoured and either bleached or semi-bleached for use in knits and lightweight fabrics requiring medium- and fine-count yarns. This fiber can be blended with cotton, viscose, lyocell and other cellulosic fibers for yarn spinning, as well as applications in absorbent hygiene products, filtration media, wipes and medical products.

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Lenzing Focuses on Sustainability

Late last year, fiber supplier Lenzing AG announced plans to invest approximately €15 million to expand production capacity for premium viscose fibers serving the global hygiene market. The expansion at its Lenzing, Austria, site is part of a previously announced €100 million investment program aimed at securing the long-term competitiveness of the company’s Austrian operations.

“This investment represents a strategic step forward—reinforcing one of the key pillars of our nonwovens business and strengthening the foundation for long-term growth and sustainable supply,” says Rohit Aggarwal, former CEO of Lenzing AG.

The investment focuses on increasing capacity and ensuring the highest quality standards for the trilobal cross-section fiber Veocel Viscostar. The fiber’s unique cross-section delivers superior Syngina performance compared with conventional viscose, contributing to improved absorbency in tampon applications. The expansion will allow Lenzing to meet growing demand from strategic customers while maintaining stringent quality standards.

“Lenzing’s commitment to delivering sustainable innovation in the hygiene segment is once again demonstrated through this investment at our Lenzing site,” says Patricia A. Sargeant, EVP Commercial Nonwovens at Lenzing. “It’s a clear signal of our long-term growth ambitions and customer-centric approach in a dynamic market environment.”

The initiative supports Lenzing’s strategic focus on premium products, sustainability and technological differentiation. It also contributes to the continued diversification of the company’s value-added portfolio and strengthens its competitiveness in the hygiene sector.

Recently, Lenzing hosted a roundtable discussion in Brussels, Belgium, examining how bio-based materials can strengthen Europe’s economic security while supporting the transition to a fossil-free future. Organized in cooperation with Euractiv, the event brought together representatives from the European Commission, the UK Mission to the EU, academia, civil society and industry.

While Europe has the industrial foundation needed to scale these fossil-free materials, competitiveness remains constrained by regulatory and cost disparities. Participants identified clear, consistent policy signals—including potential updates to the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD)—as essential to encouraging investment and broader market adoption.

“Europe has set ambitious goals for a clean industry transition. Our roundtable in Brussels showed that bio-based materials are not a future vision—they are a practical, scalable reality today. As an integrated cellulosic fiber producer with deep European roots, Lenzing helps strengthen industrial resilience while accelerating the shift away from fossil-based synthetic fibers,” says Georg Kasperkovitz, member of the Management Board of Lenzing Group.

“Maintaining and expanding European production capacity is essential for supply chain resilience and strategic autonomy,” says Sargeant. “Lenzing operates major integrated pulp and fiber sites in Austria, Czechia and the U.K., with Europe-based R&D supporting jobs, innovation and technological know-how within the region. Cellulosic fibers play a critical role in single-use hygiene products, underscoring the need to redesign products around biodegradable material solutions that address SUPD concerns and microplastic pollution.”

One innovation that directly addresses the material needs discussed during the roundtable is Lenzing’s DualWipe. The material integrates two functional surfaces within a single structure: an abrasive side for removing dirt and residues and a soft, highly absorbent side for wiping and finishing. Because DualWipe contains no synthetic fibers, binders or finishing chemicals, it eliminates the risk of plastic and microplastic shedding commonly associated with conventional wipes. Compatibility with standard converting processes supports use across industrial, professional and household cleaning applications. DualWipe exemplifies Lenzing’s efforts to connect policy objectives with market-ready material solutions.

“The Brussels roundtable highlighted the relevance of cellulosic fibers in reducing reliance on fossil-based materials. With innovations like Lenzing DualWipe, we translate this into practice by offering a high-performance, plastic-free wipe material designed to meet regulatory and consumer expectations,” adds Sargeant.

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Birla Purocel

Birla Purocel plays a pivotal role in the global nonwovens industry as one of the world’s largest producers of viscose fibers, offering one of the broadest portfolios of cellulosic fibers compatible with a wide range of nonwoven technologies and end-use applications. Recognized globally for its leadership in sustainability, Birla consistently ranks among the industry’s top performers in responsible fiber production. Its strong research and development capabilities drive continuous innovation, enabling the company to stay ahead of evolving market demands. In addition, Birla has cultivated long-standing, trusted relationships with leading nonwoven substrate manufacturers worldwide, positioning itself as a reliable partner of choice.

To meet the evolving requirements of nonwoven manufacturing processes, Birla has significantly enhanced its fiber offerings. One notable achievement is enabling viscose fibers to run at production speeds exceeding 300 meters per minute in 100% viscose spunlace applications. This milestone reflects years of continuous quality improvements and process optimization.

Birla is also uniquely positioned as one of the only global suppliers capable of offering short-cut fibers in both viscose and lyocell formats for flushable wipes. These fibers are precisely engineered to provide the optimal balance of dispersibility for wetlaid processes, strength during use and flushability after disposal, addressing both performance and environmental considerations. In addition, the company has developed a broad range of functional cellulosic fibers, including flame-retardant, antimicrobial and hydrophobic variants, designed to meet the needs of diverse and demanding applications.

Purocel Ecodry represents a significant technological advancement within Birla’s nonwoven fiber portfolio. Available in multiple variants, the product is tailored to meet the specific requirements of various feminine care hygiene brands. Extensive testing across different product configurations has demonstrated strong performance. However, while the technology is well-positioned for the market, the broader transition to plastic-free absorbent hygiene products has progressed gradually. Much of that pace depends on regulatory momentum, which has yet to fully materialize in many regions. Nevertheless, Purocel Ecodry remains a future-ready solution, positioned to help brands achieve sustainability goals as regulatory frameworks continue to evolve.

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Eucalyptus as a Fiber Source

During the past decade, Suzano has played a leading role in promoting the use of Eucalypts fiber in nonwoven products through Eucafluff, the world’s first eucalyptus-based fluff pulp, developed in Brazil and commercially introduced in 2015. Thanks to innovation and continuous advances in application engineering, the question is no longer whether eucalyptus is viable, but how best to leverage its unique properties to enhance product performance, improve consumer comfort and strengthen sustainability credentials, according to the company.

“When we first began developing Eucafluff, there was skepticism about whether the industry would ever transition from long-fiber pulp to a new short-fiber solution,” says Guilherme Melhado, global director of Fluff and Fiber Solutions at Suzano. “Today, demand from manufacturers has grown so significantly that we have recently quadrupled Eucafluff production capacity at our Limeira mill.”

Eucalyptus offers a number of distinct advantages for both consumers and manufacturers.

For consumers, Eucafluff delivers superior rewet performance and water retention capabilities, helping maintain dryness in products such as baby diapers. Its softer, thinner and more flexible characteristics compared with pine fluff create additional benefits in products such as adult incontinence products and sanitary pads, where comfort and discretion are critical. Due to the unique characteristics of Suzano’s eucalyptus fiber, Eucafluff also provides a patented odor-control effect.

From a sustainability perspective, eucalyptus offers several advantages as well. Suzano’s fast-growing, plantation-grown eucalyptus requires significantly less land than pine sourced from North America while providing strong supply availability. At the same time, pine supply is expected to face increasing constraints in the future.

Because eucalyptus-based absorbent cores offer greater compression capabilities than pine fluff cores, manufacturers can reduce packaging material requirements, lower plastic consumption and improve storage and transportation efficiency. Eucafluff also holds important international certifications, including FSC and PEFC Cerflor certifications, and is approved for use in products carrying both the EU Ecolabel and Nordic Swan certifications.

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Wool’s Way 

A New Zealand-based company is bringing the natural benefits of wool—including odor control, moisture management and comfort—to the hygiene products market. Woolchemy has developed neweFlex, a proprietary acquisition and distribution layer (ADL) material designed for applications including diapers, feminine hygiene products and incontinence products.

The company developed and evaluated the wool-based ADL with support from an independent research institute specializing in nonwovens innovation. Testing found that neweFlex delivered notable performance improvements across key hygiene applications.

In a study conducted by a Michigan textile research laboratory, diapers made with neweFlex demonstrated a warmer and more stable microclimate while reducing humidity by 10% compared with a polypropylene-based alternative. The material also outperformed other bio-based alternatives, keeping surfaces three to 14 times drier. In addition, it reduced odors, including ammonia, by 57%, enhancing both comfort and freshness.

Last month, Woolchemy announced a partnership with BCNonwovens, a Spain-based spunlace nonwovens manufacturer, to scale production of the entire neweFlex platform, which also includes materials designed for wipes applications. The collaboration follows a successful initial manufacturing trial at BCNonwovens, as well as subsequent testing and validation work.

neweFlex combines Woolchemy’s proprietary neweFibre wool-based materials with plant-based fibers to deliver strong moisture management, comfort and skin compatibility while providing a renewable and biodegradable alternative to the petroleum-derived materials traditionally used in hygiene nonwovens.

“Working with BCNonwovens marks an important step in our journey from innovation to industrialization,” says Derelee Potroz-Smith, CEO and co-founder of Woolchemy. “BCNonwovens brings deep expertise in spunlace nonwovens and a highly capable manufacturing platform. Together, we are focused on delivering wool-based materials such as neweFlex at scale while meeting the performance, quality and regulatory expectations of the global hygiene industry.”

“Woolchemy’s technology represents a compelling new direction for nonwoven materials in hygiene applications,” says Marko Rajamaa, CEO of BCNonwovens. “Wool is particularly interesting because it can be incorporated into spunlace nonwovens using established manufacturing processes while delivering functional benefits that create clear differentiation opportunities for customers in a highly competitive market.”

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US Fibers Focuses On Recycled Materials

 US Fibers supplies a broad range of recycled polyester staple fibers tailored for nonwovens applications, including automotive, filtration, flooring, construction and industrial end uses. its fibers are engineered for consistency, performance, and cost benefits with a strong focus on U.S.-based manufacturing and closed-loop recycling.

 “We continue to invest in process improvements and product development to deliver fibers with enhanced performance and customization,” says Teddy Oh, president and CEO. “Customers are asking for higher quality solutions and we are aligning our offerings to meet those expectations.

 As demand for sustainable fibers continues to grow, brand owners and converters are under increasing pressure to reduce environmental impact, which has accelerated interest in recycled synthetics, he continues. “Rather than replacing synthetic fibers, sustainability is reshaping them, with recycled polyester becoming a preferred solution due to its balance of performance, cost, and environmental benefits.”

He adds that challenge include variability in recycled feedstock, processing consistency, and final cost. “Fiber producers are addressing these issues in all different ways.”