Karen McIntyre, Editor06.02.23
It’s been more than a decade since The Honest Company introduced its line of natural-based baby diapers and wipes putting diaper sustainability and ingredient transparency on the map. Back in 2012, Honest didn’t have to be specific about its ingredients. In the launch announcement for the new brand, co-founder Jessica Alba and her team used words like “safe,” “sustainable,” “non-toxic,” and “natural” to describe the new diapers and wipes, which were also being billed as unlike anything on the market. This message, combined with beautiful designs and packaging concepts, was a slam dunk for Honest, which many credit for changing the way the diaper market does business, creating a pathway for new diaper brands to enter the market.
Fast forward to 2023 and new start-ups in diapers and other hygiene categories (there are many!) are getting more specific about their raw material concepts and often it comes down to fibers. From cotton to bamboo to linen to hemp to cellulose, a natural raw material story has become a key marketing strategy in bringing these brands to market.
Diaper start-up Freestyle, which contains a 100% tree-free core based on Bambootek fibers, says its brand focuses on the “creativity and youthfulness” that goes along with parenting. Furthermore, the use of bamboo—a drier fiber than wood pulp—improves performance and keeps babies driers, the founders say. Similar messages have been made using cotton, linen, flax, cellulose and more.
In this month’s look at the natural hygiene market (see page 32), Euromonitor’s Liying Qian reports that growth in the natural segment is being driven by a number of factors including business promotion and regulatory efforts but also the development of new opportunities as technology concepts and supply chains evolve. Certainly the fiber manufacturers are taking note.
According to Indian cellulose manufacturer Birla, the design of a sustainable product requires careful consideration of performance, cost and scalability and the most crucial factor is the selection of appropriate raw materials or fibers. In response, Birla and other fiber companies continue to create new functional fiber solutions tailored to specific applications and have focused on partnerships with both nonwovens producers and hygiene companies to develop products that are able to meet the demands of performance and pricing.
In this issue’s look at the fibers market, Fiber Makers Take Notice, on page 24, makers of various fiber types report partnerships in the hygiene industry aimed at the development of sustainable products that meet the demands of legislative actions, consumer demands and retailer mandates, all while assuring superior performance and attractive pricing. That’s a tall order to fill but it looks like they’re making it happen.
As always, we appreciate your comments.
Karen McIntyre
Editor
kmcintyre@rodmanmedia.com
Fast forward to 2023 and new start-ups in diapers and other hygiene categories (there are many!) are getting more specific about their raw material concepts and often it comes down to fibers. From cotton to bamboo to linen to hemp to cellulose, a natural raw material story has become a key marketing strategy in bringing these brands to market.
Diaper start-up Freestyle, which contains a 100% tree-free core based on Bambootek fibers, says its brand focuses on the “creativity and youthfulness” that goes along with parenting. Furthermore, the use of bamboo—a drier fiber than wood pulp—improves performance and keeps babies driers, the founders say. Similar messages have been made using cotton, linen, flax, cellulose and more.
In this month’s look at the natural hygiene market (see page 32), Euromonitor’s Liying Qian reports that growth in the natural segment is being driven by a number of factors including business promotion and regulatory efforts but also the development of new opportunities as technology concepts and supply chains evolve. Certainly the fiber manufacturers are taking note.
According to Indian cellulose manufacturer Birla, the design of a sustainable product requires careful consideration of performance, cost and scalability and the most crucial factor is the selection of appropriate raw materials or fibers. In response, Birla and other fiber companies continue to create new functional fiber solutions tailored to specific applications and have focused on partnerships with both nonwovens producers and hygiene companies to develop products that are able to meet the demands of performance and pricing.
In this issue’s look at the fibers market, Fiber Makers Take Notice, on page 24, makers of various fiber types report partnerships in the hygiene industry aimed at the development of sustainable products that meet the demands of legislative actions, consumer demands and retailer mandates, all while assuring superior performance and attractive pricing. That’s a tall order to fill but it looks like they’re making it happen.
As always, we appreciate your comments.
Karen McIntyre
Editor
kmcintyre@rodmanmedia.com