Karen McIntyre, Editor04.12.21
The drive toward more sustainable product offerings has been a major focus defining the nonwovens industry in recent years. While increased concerns over health and efficacy pushed sustainabililty into the background during the early days of the Coronavirus pandemic, most manufacturers report that sustainability remains a top priority in all aspects of their businesses.
From the materials that go into the products at the start of life to where these products, many of which are single use by nature, end up after they are used, manufacturers throughout the nonwovens industry supply chain continue to focus on eco-friendliness.
“There certainly is more focus on sustainability than we have seen previously,” says Mette Due Søgaard, QA & Sustainability director, Fibertex Personal Care. “From our observations, the drive towards sustainability comes from an awareness and desire to do better. Besides the demand from end-consumers for more sustainable products, we see that converters as well as raw material suppliers in general aspire to be more sustainable. The Coronavirus pandemic has to a certain extent forced companies to focus on the immediate supply situation but the underlying interest in sustainability has not reduced. “
Life After Use
Creating more sustainable end of life solutions has been a key focus of the diaper industry since the beginning, and in recent years, many companies have created some viable solutions to landfilling or incinerating used diapers.
This month, through a partnership with Woosh, Ontex will begin a diaper recycling program that will begin in Mechelen, Belgium, and eventually spread to other Belgian cities and eventually throughout Europe.
“It is our mission to enable diaper recycling on a large scale,” says Jeff Stubbe, co-founder of Woosh. “We are launching a delivery and collection service for Ontex’s Little Big Change diapers for nurseries. We are now starting in Mechelen, Bruges, Ghent, then deploying our services to other Belgian cities, notably Brussels in the coming months. By 2024, we aim to reach 1000 nurseries in Belgium alone, and expand our service to other European countries.”
Waste and incineration of diapers can be avoided by recycling used disposable diapers. This requires cooperation between different partners: from suppliers of materials for diapers and to manufacturers like Ontex, to waste collection and to recycling partners using the suitable technology.
“In Belgium today, the separate collection of diaper waste remains limited, which hinders the progress of diaper recycling. Waste companies are not motivated to invest in the recycling because there is not enough separated diaper waste. Due to the lack of recycling facilities, there’s also little incentive to separate diaper waste,” Stubbe continues.
“As a major player in essential personal hygiene, we at Ontex recognize the need to find alternatives to landfill and incineration. We work with recycling companies to make our diapers easier to recycle, in line with our sustainability strategy to move toward a circular economy business model. We support Woosh’s mission to make large-scale diaper recycling a reality in Belgium and other countries,” says Annick De Poorter, executive vice president for Innovation, Sustainability and Quality, Ontex.
Elsewhere in Europe, diaper manufacturer Procter & Gamble has—with a number of partners—rolled out diaper recycling initiatives in The Netherlands and Italy. In Amsterdam, P&G has partnered with AEB, TerraCycle and FaterSMART to use innovative diaper recycling bins for the collection of used diapers. The pilot program, first of its kind worldwide, is facilitated by the Municipality of Amsterdam to help the partners learn from families what works for them in separating diaper waste. Recent research among Dutch parents shows that almost 70% of families would participate in a diaper recycling project and that 82% of Dutch parents would not mind separating their diaper waste from other waste. In addition, half of the Dutch parents say they feel that establishing a viable diaper recycling program is primarily the responsibility of diaper producers. The pilot program will involve about 200 and 10 diaper recycling bins in two neighborhoods in Amsterdam—Amsterdam Zuidoost and Amsterdam Oost. Parents can deposit diaper waste from all brands in the bins at locations they often visit, such as nurseries and drug stores.
The bins, designed by TerraCycle, can be opened by parents with a special Pampers Recycling app. The app also shows the location of the nearest bin.
The advanced diaper recycling technique that will be introduced in the Netherlands in the future was developed and patented by FaterSMART, a business unit of Fater, a joint venture of Procter & Gamble and Angelini Group (the manufacturer of Pampers in Italy). This machine uses high temperature and steam under pressure to separate human waste from the diaper materials. It sterilizes the products and neutralizes the odor. A specific mechanical system separates plastic, cellulose and super absorbent material from each other, and these raw materials are used to produce new materials. For example, cellulose is used for the production of fabric bags, the superabsorbent material is used in various moisture-absorbing products and plastic produces diaper pails or bottle caps. The technology is currently already being used on an industrial scale in Italy and will be introduced in Amsterdam as the first city in the Netherlands and in the first place outside Italy, in collaboration with AEB.
Fater has a similar program involving diaper collection and recycling in Italy. This program is able to recycle 10,000 tons of diaper waste per year.
In 2017, P&G included expanding the recycling of absorbent products as a key point of its Ambition 2030 plan, a set of goals to reduce the company’s impact on the environment. The company has a clear goal to establish as least 10 diaper facilities globally by 2030 and it is likely a program in India is scheduled for the near future.
Meanwhile, in Japan, Unicharm has launched a pilot program for diaper collection in the Tokyo area in partnership with nursing homes and children’s daycare centers. This program will form a recycling model that will eventually be rolled out elsewhere in Japan and internationally. The company said it plans to introduce more than 10 diaper recycling facilities between now and 2030 to reduce diaper waste.
Unicharm has been working on recycling methods since 2016 and its process has been simplified and made more efficient in recent years.
According to the company, some of this used material will eventually be used to make new diapers, which will be available on the market in 2022. Pulp from used diapers will be extracted and repurposed in new diapers.
“More people will be using diapers in an aging society and the proportion of disposable diapers in waste increases,” says Kenji Ueda, general manager of Unicharm’s environmental, social and corporate governance division. “We want to aim for recycling that enables [diaper waste] to be remade multiple times [into new diapers], not just once.”
Eco-friendly diaper brand Dyper is taking a different approach to offering an end of life solution for its diapers. In early 2020, the company partnered with TerraCycle to implement the Redyper composting program in the U.S., allowing existing and new subscribers to return their soiled-diapers for composting.
Though composting Dyper diapers at home has always been possible, the TerraCycle partnership helps Dyper customers ensure that their used diapers don’t add to the more than 20 billion diapers filling landfills in the U.S. yearly. Dyper provides an environmentally-sound, cost-effective and convenient way to receive diapers through a monthly subscription. All products are made from responsibly sourced materials that are free of harmful chemicals, prints and scents.
“We’re committed to making diapering effortless for parents, gentle for babies and kind to the planet,” says Dyper CEO Sergio Radovcic. “It wasn’t easy to develop the most fully compostable diaper ever created. But, we are thrilled that our partnership with TerraCycle will make it easy for families to keep their used diapers out of landfills.”
Dyper subscribers that opt-in to the Redyper program are provided with bags and a specially designed box engineered to the strictest United Nations Haz Mat shipping standards. When the box is full, subscribers can download a prepaid shipping label from the Dyper Composting Program page found on the TerraCycle website for easy return of their soiled diapers for composting. The waste composted through this program will be used in specialized applications, such as for vegetation in highway medians.
“As the first of its kind initiative, the Redyper Program offers consumers a unique opportunity to responsibly dispose of their soiled diapers, as well as minimize their environmental impact by composting them through TerraCycle,” says Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle. “We are pleased to partner with Dyper to drive awareness of this ground-breaking program.”
The TerraCycle supported Dyper Composting Program is part of Dyper’s ongoing initiative to make eco-friendliness in the baby segment more effective and convenient. Along with being compostable under the right conditions, Dyper’s product is made from responsibly-sourced bamboo and free of chlorine, latex, alcohol, perfumes, lotions, PVC, TBT, or Phthalates. Through the brand’s smartphone app, Dyper subscribers can also schedule routine deliveries, request expedited shipments in as little as two hours, or ship-back unused diapers. The entire diaper journey is counterbalanced through carbon offsets purchased by Dyper on behalf of subscribers.
What’s Inside Matters
Nonwovens producers have largely focused on using few and more sustainable raw materials to improve the ecofriendliness of their final product.
“On top of the never-ending journey of developing materials with lower basis weight, we have looked intensively into other options of creating sustainable nonwovens for several years,” says Søgaard of Fibertex Personal Care. “As sustainable nonwovens come in many forms, we have considered biodegradable polymers, fillers, biopolymers, etc., with each of these options having advantages and disadvantages.”
Fibertex Personal Care, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of spunbond nonwovens for the hygiene industry, has collaborated with Sabic, a global leader in the chemicals industry, to create a range of nonwovens using high-purity recycled plastics from Sabic’s Trucircle portfolio and services. This will be the world’s first nonwovens range based on recycled plastics in the hygiene industry. The initiative is seen by the two partners as an exciting step towards a more sustainable supply chain and greater recyclability for nonwovens.
“After a while we came to the conclusion that the new options of using drop-in polymers was the right thing for us to focus on as we realized that many of our existing suppliers were in fact introducing the same product—ISCC Plus certified polypropylene,” Søgaard says. “In addition to that, we had for some time searched for solutions that would enable us to include more recycled content in our products, without compromising product performance or requirements for purity and consumer safety, which is vital for the hygiene industry applications. ISCC Plus certified raw materials had the potential to be a solution for this as it can either be based on mixed plastic waste or on bio based feedstock.”
The new nonwovens are made from Sabic’s circular polypropylene, using feedstock derived from previously used plastics, certified under the ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) system. The material is part of the Sabic Purecares portfolio of polypropylene for personal hygiene applications that was introduced at the beginning of this year. The certified circular polypropylene material produced by Sabic is created from post-consumer mixed plastics that have been broken down into their molecular building blocks and then re-polymerized to create virgin plastics. The new material can be used as a drop-in solution while meeting the brand owner’s requirements for purity and consumer safety for the hygiene industry applications.
Sabic applies the “mass balance” approach to polymers offered as part of its Trucircle portfolio and services which spans design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified circular products from feedstock recycling of used plastics, and certified renewable products from bio-based feedstock.
The widely recognized ISCC PLUS certification verifies that mass balance accounting follows predefined and transparent rules. In addition, it provides traceability along the supply chain, from the feedstock to the final product. Fibertex Personal Care’s recent attainment of the ISCC PLUS certification is a result of an extensive experience and focus on sustainability.
Fibertex Personal Care will provide certified circular nonwovens to its customers with its Comfort, Elite, Dual and Loft product range. These certified nonwovens can be adopted in downstream processes, without compromising convertibility, product properties or performance of the final product.
Meanwhile, Fitesa offers 100% BioBase PLA Soft nonwovens made from 100% renewable, compostable resin, with soft touch - superior to standard PP spunbond materials and other BioBase spunbond products.
PLA is a renewable source resin produced from the lactic acid extracted from plants’ glucose. Fitesa applies state-of-the art technology to process this material into a spunbond fabric. Its monopolymer composition makes recycling easier (compared to bicomponent structures), and a proprietary soft bond pattern makes Fitesa 100% BioBase PLA Soft the best sustainable solution in the market.
Avgol’s natureFIT suite of fabric solutions has been developed to reduce material impact for product designers, with a range of additional qualities that can be integrated into the material, including reducing resin use, the source and application of resin alternatives and natural additive technologies.
“With the Covid-19 pandemic still dominating headlines around the world, and Avgol’s beneFIT Control and beneFIT Defense being designed to respond to the antimicrobial needs, the global environmental effort has been relegated from the top of the agenda for many,” says Nick Carter, director of market business intelligence and intellectual property at Avgol. “But as the whole world adjusts to this new paradigm, we are continuing to develop products that meet the growing, market-led demand for sustainable fabrics in hygiene applications, while driving even greater value through the supply chain.”
Carter says that one new product from the natureFIT range, natureFIT Gentle, reduces the use of resin in production by as much as 40%.
“Our advanced technology affords product designers a significant reduction in polymer consumption by harnessing naturally occurring minerals, while simultaneously enhancing softness and conformability,” says Carter. “Importantly for our brand customers, despite significantly reducing the amount of resin we can now use in this type of product, we have maintained all the performance characteristics of our traditional fabrics.”
natureFIT Gentle enables more effective value-driven product development across the hygiene sector, while reducing the environmental impact in terms of resources and waste in line with the company’s sustainable product strategy.
“At Avgol, we thrive on developing creative nonwoven solutions that meet the evolving needs of the market,” he says. “Over the last few months, we have seen people’s attitudes shift and their attention focus on more immediate concerns, but the environment and sustainability issues have simply not gone away.
“Now, as we begin to slowly move towards re-establishing a sense of normalcy, it is important that we do not revert to old ways where concerns over environmental issues are set aside to be addressed in the future,” Carter continues. “Instead, we need to act now, and that’s why we are committed to reducing the amount of resin we use in our products and therefore the amount of plastic that ultimately finds its way into the waste stream.”
Brands’ sustainability credentials will be increasingly important in the coming weeks and months, as consumers begin to focus on making choices influenced by their own values as opposed to purely by necessity.
“Globally, consumers are going to re-engage with eco-friendly products and processes, and the hygiene market is no exception,” he says. “Our new suite of solutions adds another string to the bow of brands and product developers, turning what was previously a ‘nice-to-have’ into an effective and marketable competitive advantage.
“Enhancing the eco-friendly credentials of contemporary nonwoven product design should be top of the priority list for every brand in the market, and the natureFIT platform puts natural qualities front and center, which consumers truly value,” he says.
In launching its comprehensive global expansion plan, Project Boost, Jacob Holm specifically pointed to its commitment to sustainability as a motivator for this investment. In addition to adding 500 million square meters to its global footprint, the investment will target a clear upgrade of the capabilities for utilizing renewable raw materials. Additionally, the upgraded production methodology will further reduce waste and improve production efficiency, thus lowering the carbon footprint of the entire Jacob Holm and Sontara product portfolios.
“Project Boost is our response to the needs of our partners across the globe for increasing capacity, providing more sustainable substrate choices and continuing to uphold our position as an innovation leader in nonwovens,” says CEO Martin Mikkelsen.
Suominen’s latest multi-year strategy focuses on creating innovative and more sustainable nonwovens for its customers with a vision at being the frontrunner for nonwovens innovation and sustainability. Recent investments in South Carolina and Italy will help Suominen increase its use of sustainable raw materials.
“There are two targets that we aim to achieve with this strategy: growth and improved profitability. We believe that we can grow together with our customers in the changing market by offering sustainable products which the end users are increasingly demanding,” says Petri Helsky, president and CEO, Suominen. “Profitability will be improved also by investing in upgrading our assets, new product development, and our operational excellence initiatives.
On the new product front, Suominen has recently introduced Biolace Pure for wipes. The product is made of biodegradable, compostable and renewable plant-based fibers and wood pulp from certified forests. The product does not contain any chemical binders or plastics. As the newest product in Suominen’s sustainable Biolace product family, Biolace Pure is designed to meet the growing wipes market’s increasing demand for sustainable, plastic-free materials.
“Biolace Pure offers our customers a unique, sustainable option that does not compromise on the most important features needed for a perfect wet wipe. Its three-layer solution guarantees optimal liquid management and the soft outer layers ensure that the wipe cleans effectively, yet softly,” says Marika Mäkilä, manager, marketing and category management, Europe.
The development of this innovative material with excellent liquid management and cleaning properties is based on Suominen’s long history and know-how in producing pulp-based products. Compared to 100% viscose product for wipes, Biolace Pure brings superior cleaning power with a lighter carbon footprint and a lower environmental impact.
“Global environmental concerns, such as climate change and marine plastic pollution, are creating new market expectations and demand for sustainable nonwoven products. These global challenges drive also us to continuously develop innovative solutions with smaller environmental impacts and our novel Biolace Pure is a great example of our efforts,” concludes Mäkilä.
Drylock Launches Paper Bag Packaging
Drylock Technologies, a manufacturer of personal hygiene products, has introduced the first paper packaging for baby diapers. This world-class innovation, soon-to-be launched at several European retailers, aims to meet the needs of both customers and consumers for more environmentally friendly packaging.
Paper where possible, plastic where needed: this simple but challenging vision was the starting point of an R&D project that has now turned into reality. Knowing that young families, new parents, and the majority of Gen Z consumers have high expectations for more environmentally friendly packaging, Drylock and its packaging partners have devoted a year of intensive research and development into the Diaper Paper Bag project. A new type of packaging in the hygiene industry which is truly recyclable and biodegradable and at the same time is robust and protects the integrity of the Drylock baby care products inside. A clear win-win situation for customers, consumers, and the planet.
Drylock CEO Bart Van Malderen frequently says, “Every day is a battle, speed is important, which translates into the company’s aim and vision—to lead innovation in the market and to be the best and the fastest. Drylock’s innovation projects continually result in a better performance, comfort and well-being with minimal environmental impact. There is no better example of this than the new paper packaging which maintains the integrity of the product using fully sustainable material. Through this and other innovative developments, while helping to overcome daily needs in consumers’ lives, Drylock, together with its customers, is working towards a better tomorrow.
Freudenberg Debuts Eco-Check
Freudenberg Performance Materials has now begun using the Eco-Check label to identify particularly sustainable products within its portfolio. The label helps customers to quickly and clearly identify sustainable products. Freudenberg products bearing the Eco-Check label meet demanding criteria in at least one of four categories: Saving resources, eco-efficiency for customers, reduced environmental impact at the end of the product’s life, or extended durability.
“The Eco-Check label quickly and accurately indicates to our customers at a glance that the relevant product offers a significant advantage in terms of environmental protection compared to our standard products or those of our competitors,” explains John McNabb, CTO, Freudenberg Performance Materials.
A Freudenberg product bearing the Eco-Check label fulfills at least one of four demanding environmental aspects: 1) Its manufacture saves resources; 2) It improves the manufacturing footprint of its customers; 3) It is recyclable, biodegradable or can be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner after use. 4) Certain features contribute to a long service life of the product.
Many of Freudenberg’s products bearing the Eco-Check label contain a high proportion of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), derived, for example, from plastic bottles. In this case, the most important environmental advantage is the reduction in CO2 emissions. Typical examples of products offering this benefit are carpet backings and components for shoes and clothing, including comfortemp materials.
Increased durability, raw material savings and improved eco-efficiency for customers are the main features of numerous Evolon fabrics, which are used by consumers in the form of bed linen, bath towels and reusable cleaning cloths, for example.
The Eco-Check label also demonstrates the significant sustainability advantage of a small number of manufacturing and processing steps for a particular healthcare product: a hydrophilic PU foam with a direct coating of silicone adhesives, which is used in modern wound care.
From the materials that go into the products at the start of life to where these products, many of which are single use by nature, end up after they are used, manufacturers throughout the nonwovens industry supply chain continue to focus on eco-friendliness.
“There certainly is more focus on sustainability than we have seen previously,” says Mette Due Søgaard, QA & Sustainability director, Fibertex Personal Care. “From our observations, the drive towards sustainability comes from an awareness and desire to do better. Besides the demand from end-consumers for more sustainable products, we see that converters as well as raw material suppliers in general aspire to be more sustainable. The Coronavirus pandemic has to a certain extent forced companies to focus on the immediate supply situation but the underlying interest in sustainability has not reduced. “
Life After Use
Creating more sustainable end of life solutions has been a key focus of the diaper industry since the beginning, and in recent years, many companies have created some viable solutions to landfilling or incinerating used diapers.
This month, through a partnership with Woosh, Ontex will begin a diaper recycling program that will begin in Mechelen, Belgium, and eventually spread to other Belgian cities and eventually throughout Europe.
“It is our mission to enable diaper recycling on a large scale,” says Jeff Stubbe, co-founder of Woosh. “We are launching a delivery and collection service for Ontex’s Little Big Change diapers for nurseries. We are now starting in Mechelen, Bruges, Ghent, then deploying our services to other Belgian cities, notably Brussels in the coming months. By 2024, we aim to reach 1000 nurseries in Belgium alone, and expand our service to other European countries.”
Waste and incineration of diapers can be avoided by recycling used disposable diapers. This requires cooperation between different partners: from suppliers of materials for diapers and to manufacturers like Ontex, to waste collection and to recycling partners using the suitable technology.
“In Belgium today, the separate collection of diaper waste remains limited, which hinders the progress of diaper recycling. Waste companies are not motivated to invest in the recycling because there is not enough separated diaper waste. Due to the lack of recycling facilities, there’s also little incentive to separate diaper waste,” Stubbe continues.
“As a major player in essential personal hygiene, we at Ontex recognize the need to find alternatives to landfill and incineration. We work with recycling companies to make our diapers easier to recycle, in line with our sustainability strategy to move toward a circular economy business model. We support Woosh’s mission to make large-scale diaper recycling a reality in Belgium and other countries,” says Annick De Poorter, executive vice president for Innovation, Sustainability and Quality, Ontex.
Elsewhere in Europe, diaper manufacturer Procter & Gamble has—with a number of partners—rolled out diaper recycling initiatives in The Netherlands and Italy. In Amsterdam, P&G has partnered with AEB, TerraCycle and FaterSMART to use innovative diaper recycling bins for the collection of used diapers. The pilot program, first of its kind worldwide, is facilitated by the Municipality of Amsterdam to help the partners learn from families what works for them in separating diaper waste. Recent research among Dutch parents shows that almost 70% of families would participate in a diaper recycling project and that 82% of Dutch parents would not mind separating their diaper waste from other waste. In addition, half of the Dutch parents say they feel that establishing a viable diaper recycling program is primarily the responsibility of diaper producers. The pilot program will involve about 200 and 10 diaper recycling bins in two neighborhoods in Amsterdam—Amsterdam Zuidoost and Amsterdam Oost. Parents can deposit diaper waste from all brands in the bins at locations they often visit, such as nurseries and drug stores.
The bins, designed by TerraCycle, can be opened by parents with a special Pampers Recycling app. The app also shows the location of the nearest bin.
The advanced diaper recycling technique that will be introduced in the Netherlands in the future was developed and patented by FaterSMART, a business unit of Fater, a joint venture of Procter & Gamble and Angelini Group (the manufacturer of Pampers in Italy). This machine uses high temperature and steam under pressure to separate human waste from the diaper materials. It sterilizes the products and neutralizes the odor. A specific mechanical system separates plastic, cellulose and super absorbent material from each other, and these raw materials are used to produce new materials. For example, cellulose is used for the production of fabric bags, the superabsorbent material is used in various moisture-absorbing products and plastic produces diaper pails or bottle caps. The technology is currently already being used on an industrial scale in Italy and will be introduced in Amsterdam as the first city in the Netherlands and in the first place outside Italy, in collaboration with AEB.
Fater has a similar program involving diaper collection and recycling in Italy. This program is able to recycle 10,000 tons of diaper waste per year.
In 2017, P&G included expanding the recycling of absorbent products as a key point of its Ambition 2030 plan, a set of goals to reduce the company’s impact on the environment. The company has a clear goal to establish as least 10 diaper facilities globally by 2030 and it is likely a program in India is scheduled for the near future.
Meanwhile, in Japan, Unicharm has launched a pilot program for diaper collection in the Tokyo area in partnership with nursing homes and children’s daycare centers. This program will form a recycling model that will eventually be rolled out elsewhere in Japan and internationally. The company said it plans to introduce more than 10 diaper recycling facilities between now and 2030 to reduce diaper waste.
Unicharm has been working on recycling methods since 2016 and its process has been simplified and made more efficient in recent years.
According to the company, some of this used material will eventually be used to make new diapers, which will be available on the market in 2022. Pulp from used diapers will be extracted and repurposed in new diapers.
“More people will be using diapers in an aging society and the proportion of disposable diapers in waste increases,” says Kenji Ueda, general manager of Unicharm’s environmental, social and corporate governance division. “We want to aim for recycling that enables [diaper waste] to be remade multiple times [into new diapers], not just once.”
Eco-friendly diaper brand Dyper is taking a different approach to offering an end of life solution for its diapers. In early 2020, the company partnered with TerraCycle to implement the Redyper composting program in the U.S., allowing existing and new subscribers to return their soiled-diapers for composting.
Though composting Dyper diapers at home has always been possible, the TerraCycle partnership helps Dyper customers ensure that their used diapers don’t add to the more than 20 billion diapers filling landfills in the U.S. yearly. Dyper provides an environmentally-sound, cost-effective and convenient way to receive diapers through a monthly subscription. All products are made from responsibly sourced materials that are free of harmful chemicals, prints and scents.
“We’re committed to making diapering effortless for parents, gentle for babies and kind to the planet,” says Dyper CEO Sergio Radovcic. “It wasn’t easy to develop the most fully compostable diaper ever created. But, we are thrilled that our partnership with TerraCycle will make it easy for families to keep their used diapers out of landfills.”
Dyper subscribers that opt-in to the Redyper program are provided with bags and a specially designed box engineered to the strictest United Nations Haz Mat shipping standards. When the box is full, subscribers can download a prepaid shipping label from the Dyper Composting Program page found on the TerraCycle website for easy return of their soiled diapers for composting. The waste composted through this program will be used in specialized applications, such as for vegetation in highway medians.
“As the first of its kind initiative, the Redyper Program offers consumers a unique opportunity to responsibly dispose of their soiled diapers, as well as minimize their environmental impact by composting them through TerraCycle,” says Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle. “We are pleased to partner with Dyper to drive awareness of this ground-breaking program.”
The TerraCycle supported Dyper Composting Program is part of Dyper’s ongoing initiative to make eco-friendliness in the baby segment more effective and convenient. Along with being compostable under the right conditions, Dyper’s product is made from responsibly-sourced bamboo and free of chlorine, latex, alcohol, perfumes, lotions, PVC, TBT, or Phthalates. Through the brand’s smartphone app, Dyper subscribers can also schedule routine deliveries, request expedited shipments in as little as two hours, or ship-back unused diapers. The entire diaper journey is counterbalanced through carbon offsets purchased by Dyper on behalf of subscribers.
What’s Inside Matters
Nonwovens producers have largely focused on using few and more sustainable raw materials to improve the ecofriendliness of their final product.
“On top of the never-ending journey of developing materials with lower basis weight, we have looked intensively into other options of creating sustainable nonwovens for several years,” says Søgaard of Fibertex Personal Care. “As sustainable nonwovens come in many forms, we have considered biodegradable polymers, fillers, biopolymers, etc., with each of these options having advantages and disadvantages.”
Fibertex Personal Care, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of spunbond nonwovens for the hygiene industry, has collaborated with Sabic, a global leader in the chemicals industry, to create a range of nonwovens using high-purity recycled plastics from Sabic’s Trucircle portfolio and services. This will be the world’s first nonwovens range based on recycled plastics in the hygiene industry. The initiative is seen by the two partners as an exciting step towards a more sustainable supply chain and greater recyclability for nonwovens.
“After a while we came to the conclusion that the new options of using drop-in polymers was the right thing for us to focus on as we realized that many of our existing suppliers were in fact introducing the same product—ISCC Plus certified polypropylene,” Søgaard says. “In addition to that, we had for some time searched for solutions that would enable us to include more recycled content in our products, without compromising product performance or requirements for purity and consumer safety, which is vital for the hygiene industry applications. ISCC Plus certified raw materials had the potential to be a solution for this as it can either be based on mixed plastic waste or on bio based feedstock.”
The new nonwovens are made from Sabic’s circular polypropylene, using feedstock derived from previously used plastics, certified under the ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) system. The material is part of the Sabic Purecares portfolio of polypropylene for personal hygiene applications that was introduced at the beginning of this year. The certified circular polypropylene material produced by Sabic is created from post-consumer mixed plastics that have been broken down into their molecular building blocks and then re-polymerized to create virgin plastics. The new material can be used as a drop-in solution while meeting the brand owner’s requirements for purity and consumer safety for the hygiene industry applications.
Sabic applies the “mass balance” approach to polymers offered as part of its Trucircle portfolio and services which spans design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified circular products from feedstock recycling of used plastics, and certified renewable products from bio-based feedstock.
The widely recognized ISCC PLUS certification verifies that mass balance accounting follows predefined and transparent rules. In addition, it provides traceability along the supply chain, from the feedstock to the final product. Fibertex Personal Care’s recent attainment of the ISCC PLUS certification is a result of an extensive experience and focus on sustainability.
Fibertex Personal Care will provide certified circular nonwovens to its customers with its Comfort, Elite, Dual and Loft product range. These certified nonwovens can be adopted in downstream processes, without compromising convertibility, product properties or performance of the final product.
Meanwhile, Fitesa offers 100% BioBase PLA Soft nonwovens made from 100% renewable, compostable resin, with soft touch - superior to standard PP spunbond materials and other BioBase spunbond products.
PLA is a renewable source resin produced from the lactic acid extracted from plants’ glucose. Fitesa applies state-of-the art technology to process this material into a spunbond fabric. Its monopolymer composition makes recycling easier (compared to bicomponent structures), and a proprietary soft bond pattern makes Fitesa 100% BioBase PLA Soft the best sustainable solution in the market.
Avgol’s natureFIT suite of fabric solutions has been developed to reduce material impact for product designers, with a range of additional qualities that can be integrated into the material, including reducing resin use, the source and application of resin alternatives and natural additive technologies.
“With the Covid-19 pandemic still dominating headlines around the world, and Avgol’s beneFIT Control and beneFIT Defense being designed to respond to the antimicrobial needs, the global environmental effort has been relegated from the top of the agenda for many,” says Nick Carter, director of market business intelligence and intellectual property at Avgol. “But as the whole world adjusts to this new paradigm, we are continuing to develop products that meet the growing, market-led demand for sustainable fabrics in hygiene applications, while driving even greater value through the supply chain.”
Carter says that one new product from the natureFIT range, natureFIT Gentle, reduces the use of resin in production by as much as 40%.
“Our advanced technology affords product designers a significant reduction in polymer consumption by harnessing naturally occurring minerals, while simultaneously enhancing softness and conformability,” says Carter. “Importantly for our brand customers, despite significantly reducing the amount of resin we can now use in this type of product, we have maintained all the performance characteristics of our traditional fabrics.”
natureFIT Gentle enables more effective value-driven product development across the hygiene sector, while reducing the environmental impact in terms of resources and waste in line with the company’s sustainable product strategy.
“At Avgol, we thrive on developing creative nonwoven solutions that meet the evolving needs of the market,” he says. “Over the last few months, we have seen people’s attitudes shift and their attention focus on more immediate concerns, but the environment and sustainability issues have simply not gone away.
“Now, as we begin to slowly move towards re-establishing a sense of normalcy, it is important that we do not revert to old ways where concerns over environmental issues are set aside to be addressed in the future,” Carter continues. “Instead, we need to act now, and that’s why we are committed to reducing the amount of resin we use in our products and therefore the amount of plastic that ultimately finds its way into the waste stream.”
Brands’ sustainability credentials will be increasingly important in the coming weeks and months, as consumers begin to focus on making choices influenced by their own values as opposed to purely by necessity.
“Globally, consumers are going to re-engage with eco-friendly products and processes, and the hygiene market is no exception,” he says. “Our new suite of solutions adds another string to the bow of brands and product developers, turning what was previously a ‘nice-to-have’ into an effective and marketable competitive advantage.
“Enhancing the eco-friendly credentials of contemporary nonwoven product design should be top of the priority list for every brand in the market, and the natureFIT platform puts natural qualities front and center, which consumers truly value,” he says.
In launching its comprehensive global expansion plan, Project Boost, Jacob Holm specifically pointed to its commitment to sustainability as a motivator for this investment. In addition to adding 500 million square meters to its global footprint, the investment will target a clear upgrade of the capabilities for utilizing renewable raw materials. Additionally, the upgraded production methodology will further reduce waste and improve production efficiency, thus lowering the carbon footprint of the entire Jacob Holm and Sontara product portfolios.
“Project Boost is our response to the needs of our partners across the globe for increasing capacity, providing more sustainable substrate choices and continuing to uphold our position as an innovation leader in nonwovens,” says CEO Martin Mikkelsen.
Suominen’s latest multi-year strategy focuses on creating innovative and more sustainable nonwovens for its customers with a vision at being the frontrunner for nonwovens innovation and sustainability. Recent investments in South Carolina and Italy will help Suominen increase its use of sustainable raw materials.
“There are two targets that we aim to achieve with this strategy: growth and improved profitability. We believe that we can grow together with our customers in the changing market by offering sustainable products which the end users are increasingly demanding,” says Petri Helsky, president and CEO, Suominen. “Profitability will be improved also by investing in upgrading our assets, new product development, and our operational excellence initiatives.
On the new product front, Suominen has recently introduced Biolace Pure for wipes. The product is made of biodegradable, compostable and renewable plant-based fibers and wood pulp from certified forests. The product does not contain any chemical binders or plastics. As the newest product in Suominen’s sustainable Biolace product family, Biolace Pure is designed to meet the growing wipes market’s increasing demand for sustainable, plastic-free materials.
“Biolace Pure offers our customers a unique, sustainable option that does not compromise on the most important features needed for a perfect wet wipe. Its three-layer solution guarantees optimal liquid management and the soft outer layers ensure that the wipe cleans effectively, yet softly,” says Marika Mäkilä, manager, marketing and category management, Europe.
The development of this innovative material with excellent liquid management and cleaning properties is based on Suominen’s long history and know-how in producing pulp-based products. Compared to 100% viscose product for wipes, Biolace Pure brings superior cleaning power with a lighter carbon footprint and a lower environmental impact.
“Global environmental concerns, such as climate change and marine plastic pollution, are creating new market expectations and demand for sustainable nonwoven products. These global challenges drive also us to continuously develop innovative solutions with smaller environmental impacts and our novel Biolace Pure is a great example of our efforts,” concludes Mäkilä.
Drylock Launches Paper Bag Packaging
Drylock Technologies, a manufacturer of personal hygiene products, has introduced the first paper packaging for baby diapers. This world-class innovation, soon-to-be launched at several European retailers, aims to meet the needs of both customers and consumers for more environmentally friendly packaging.
Paper where possible, plastic where needed: this simple but challenging vision was the starting point of an R&D project that has now turned into reality. Knowing that young families, new parents, and the majority of Gen Z consumers have high expectations for more environmentally friendly packaging, Drylock and its packaging partners have devoted a year of intensive research and development into the Diaper Paper Bag project. A new type of packaging in the hygiene industry which is truly recyclable and biodegradable and at the same time is robust and protects the integrity of the Drylock baby care products inside. A clear win-win situation for customers, consumers, and the planet.
Drylock CEO Bart Van Malderen frequently says, “Every day is a battle, speed is important, which translates into the company’s aim and vision—to lead innovation in the market and to be the best and the fastest. Drylock’s innovation projects continually result in a better performance, comfort and well-being with minimal environmental impact. There is no better example of this than the new paper packaging which maintains the integrity of the product using fully sustainable material. Through this and other innovative developments, while helping to overcome daily needs in consumers’ lives, Drylock, together with its customers, is working towards a better tomorrow.
Freudenberg Debuts Eco-Check
Freudenberg Performance Materials has now begun using the Eco-Check label to identify particularly sustainable products within its portfolio. The label helps customers to quickly and clearly identify sustainable products. Freudenberg products bearing the Eco-Check label meet demanding criteria in at least one of four categories: Saving resources, eco-efficiency for customers, reduced environmental impact at the end of the product’s life, or extended durability.
“The Eco-Check label quickly and accurately indicates to our customers at a glance that the relevant product offers a significant advantage in terms of environmental protection compared to our standard products or those of our competitors,” explains John McNabb, CTO, Freudenberg Performance Materials.
A Freudenberg product bearing the Eco-Check label fulfills at least one of four demanding environmental aspects: 1) Its manufacture saves resources; 2) It improves the manufacturing footprint of its customers; 3) It is recyclable, biodegradable or can be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner after use. 4) Certain features contribute to a long service life of the product.
Many of Freudenberg’s products bearing the Eco-Check label contain a high proportion of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), derived, for example, from plastic bottles. In this case, the most important environmental advantage is the reduction in CO2 emissions. Typical examples of products offering this benefit are carpet backings and components for shoes and clothing, including comfortemp materials.
Increased durability, raw material savings and improved eco-efficiency for customers are the main features of numerous Evolon fabrics, which are used by consumers in the form of bed linen, bath towels and reusable cleaning cloths, for example.
The Eco-Check label also demonstrates the significant sustainability advantage of a small number of manufacturing and processing steps for a particular healthcare product: a hydrophilic PU foam with a direct coating of silicone adhesives, which is used in modern wound care.
