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Innovation in natural products has been strong. Consumers' growing appetite for products with safer, more natural ingredients and less environmental impact has led the industry to launch a range of innovative products. This trend has been particularly evident in the disposable hygiene products market over the past decade.

 

Natural fibers such as cotton and wood pulp have been successfully used in some absorbent hygiene products for decades, and now Honest is credited with emphasizing ingredient transparency and environmental protection in its disposable baby diapers. Since the launch of the Honest brand in 2012, more and more new brands have emerged in the baby diapers and feminine and adult care markets. Most of these new brands got their start through their own website direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels, using the internet and social media to grab consumers' attention.

 

 

Pricie Hanna, managing partner of Price Hanna Consultants, continues to see more direct-to-consumer brands struggling to compete for consumers who value sustainable materials in all absorbent hygiene products categories, although the focus on sustainable materials is more of a new phenomenon in the adult incontinence category.

 

"Millennials and younger consumers are driving this trend, and the public is increasingly focused on sustainability," she explains. "In addition to direct-to-consumer brands, we are seeing major manufacturers and their brands follow this strategy in the baby and feminine care categories. Although the above phenomenon cannot be observed from the major consumer brands in the adult incontinence category at present, we expect this situation to change in the next year or two."

 

Even with the widespread innovation in the field of natural hygiene products, environmental concerns remain. Brands are advertising a variety of natural-sourced materials such as wood pulp, cotton, sugar cane and bamboo, while others are announcing that their diapers are free of chlorine, alcohol, dyes and spices. Companies such as Ontex, Procter & Gamble and Eunice are committed to providing waste solutions for their products through recycling or composting.

 

Some of the companies focus on bio-based polymers, such as polyethylene extracted from ethanol, while others focus on plant-based nonwovens, such as blends of viscose or cotton, said Richer, a consultant Natalia in absorbent hygiene products at Diaper Testing International. "From a chemical point of view, bio-based polymers are no different from conventional polymers, except that they come from renewable energy sources, not non-renewable fossil fuels," she explained, adding that most companies are using the term "plant-based polymers. "Consumers often associate the word 'vegetal' with safer use, less 'toxic' substances, more beneficial to the planet, etc."

 

Colin Hanna, director of Consultants market research at Price Hanna, said cotton and bamboo are considered safe natural materials by consumers. "Non-woven fabrics made from bamboo fibers for the top and bottom materials of baby diapers are increasingly common in the most sustainable niche products. In the feminine care category, the use of cotton fibers is the most common," he said, "Due to the media coverage of plastic pollution in the ocean, consumers are increasingly inclined to oppose the use of plastic ingredients, which will drive the further popularity of plant-based alternative ingredients."

Best for babies

When it comes to baby care, both large multinationals and small DTC startups are appealing to millennial parents to satisfy their desire to provide cleaner, safer diapers for their children. The increasing demand for transparency, as well as the focus on chemicals, has prompted baby diaper companies to remove unnecessary chemicals, such as fragrances, while replacing petroleum-based ingredients with plant-derived ingredients.

 

Procter & Gamble (P & G) entered the natural field in 2018 with the launch of the Pampers Pure series, which includes diapers and wipes made from high-quality cotton. Recently, the consumer goods giant expanded this product line with the launch of Pampers Pure Protection Hybrid Diapers. This is their first partially reusable disposable diaper system, which uses reliable production technology and provides superior leak protection., Reduce the use of disposable materials by 25%.

 

 

A recent survey by Pampers found that nearly half of parents have tried cloth diapers, but not many continue to use them, because diaper leakage is common, and changing more frequently means washing more often. Pampers created Pampers Pure Protection Hybrid diapers for parents who want to generate less waste but still seek the convenience and protection of disposable diapers.

 

The product uses a plant substrate to make a disposable plug-in absorbent layer, rich in shea butter and other carefully selected materials to effectively prevent leakage. The outer material is a soft, reusable fabric that is machine washable. Like the rest of the Pampers Pure Protection family, this new product is hypoallergenic and contains no flavors, elemental chlorine, latex (natural rubber) or parabens.

 

In addition to this new product launch, Pampers said that its overall business will continue to innovate towards more sustainable diaper solutions to reduce diaper materials by 30%. In the past 25 years, Pampers has reduced the weight of disposable diapers by 50% and the packaging by 70%, thereby reducing the resources used.

 

Kimberly-Clark launched Huggies Special Delivery natural baby diapers in 2019, which feature baby side linings and waistlines made from fibers from plant-derived materials such as sugar cane. After that, Huggies introduced a Pull-Ups New Leaf plant-based training pants, which is also made from ingredients such as sugar cane and fluff pulp.

 

As a new brand of baby diapers, Kudos aims to become the most skin-friendly and high-performance brand of plant-based diapers on the market. Amrita Saigal, founder of the brand, said: "I think we have now taken a step in the right direction. We have removed a lot of chemicals and spices added to traditional disposable products and used sustainable wood pulp ingredients in the core part. But the other parts are still made of plastic-derived ingredients."

 

As a result, Kudos is replacing the more traditional petroleum-derived ingredients in diapers with plant-derived materials, especially in areas that contact baby skin. "Our consumer research shows that whether it's food, clothing or baby products like diapers, today's parents are looking for safe and sustainable plant-based options. When designing the Kudos brand, we faced challenges such as how to use plant-based materials in baby diapers. Understanding the fibers and processes associated with non-woven fabrics is critical to our choice in order to design an effective, environmentally friendly and viable diaper." Saigal said.
The 100 percent cotton finish makes Kudos the first disposable diaper to receive Cotton Inc's natural cotton logo. Cotton Inc recently announced the results of a clinical study that cotton is considered hypoallergenic and very safe for sensitive skin. This further prompted Kudos to choose cotton as the main material for contacting the baby's skin.

 

In order to effectively remove moisture from the cotton surface, Kudos has developed a unique composite diversion layer (ADL) made of plant-based materials and a green PE base material.

 

Another new diaper brand, Healthynest partnered with the Environmental Working Group (EWG) to introduce the first diaper that meets EWG's strict standards for health and ingredient disclosures. EWG has also issued a new certification for diaper products, making Healthynest's diaper the first product to pass this certification.

 

In order to pass this certification, diaper manufacturers must restrict the use of plastics; ensure that a range of chemicals and materials (including parabens and formaldehyde) are not intentionally added to the diaper; and disclose all dyes, chemicals, fibers, and other ingredients on the diaper outer packaging and its official website.
Ontex, a Belgian manufacturer of sanitary products, is taking a different approach to sustainability. In the past few months, the company has announced a series of initiatives to address diaper waste, including seeking recyclable and composting solutions for its "Little Big Change" diapers.

 

In France, Ontex teamed up with circular economy company Les Alchimistes to test the composting of diapers on an industrial scale at Les Alchimistes's site in Pontan (near Paris, France). "Our goal is to collect and compost compostable diapers separately," said Maiwenn Mollet, director of the "Fertile Diapers" project at Les Alchimistes. "We are very happy that Ontex and its brand' Little Big Change' are cooperating with us. Ontex has the technology and resources to design compostable diapers. Our goal is to compost 0.5 billion diapers by 2030."

 

In addition, Ontex, in collaboration with gDiapers, a company that has 17 years of experience in compostable diapers, has developed a new structure of diapers, consisting of a reusable cotton cladding and a compostable disposable diaper inner pad. The company is now testing whether this new product can be composted on an industrial scale.

 

In Belgium, Ontex and start-up Woosh have formed a partnership to recycle used disposable diapers. The work will start in Belgium, with plans to expand across Europe and even globally.

 

Jeff Stubbe, co-founder of Woosh, said: "Our goal is to achieve large-scale diaper recycling. We are launching the delivery and recycling service of Ontex's 'Little Big Change' brand diapers for nurseries in Mechelen, Belgium, and then expanding the service to other cities in Belgium, especially Brussels, in the coming months. By 2024, we aim to serve 1000 nurseries in Belgium alone and expand our services to other European countries."

The Future of Women's Care

 

In recent years, the category has been constantly redefined by the launch of new menstrual care brands and products. While private label brands have been the mainstream for decades, new brands focused on natural materials (mainly organic cotton) are changing the feminine hygiene circuit.

 

Callaly is committed to transforming the feminine care market with a new feminine hygiene product Tampliner. Tampliner is the first major innovation in feminine hygiene since the first tampon was invented 90 years ago. The Tampliner is a 2-in -1 product that combines organic cotton tampons and organic cotton pads to provide extra protection, keep your hands clean from beginning to end, and don't leak when you take it out.

 

The product is expanding sales in Europe and has also been planned for the Chinese market in the second half of 2021. According to Euromonitor, tampons are the fastest growing category of feminine care products. Callaly has also invited hundreds of Chinese women to try its products in Shanghai and Beijing through well-known marketing agencies. The survey results show that if Tampliner is listed in China, 64% of trial users who have never used a tampon before will definitely or probably buy it.

 

Tampliner was selected by Time Magazine as one of the top 100 products to make the world a better, smarter, and more interesting place in 2020. Thang Vo-Ta, founder and CEO of the company, said: "Our team is honored to Tampliner recognized by Time Magazine as a groundbreaking invention. The feminine hygiene industry has been disappointing female consumers for decades. There is almost no research and development innovation in this field, and many female consumers have no choice but to tolerate dissatisfaction with female physiological products on the market and sacrifice their health, comfort and convenience. With a 2-in -1 invention, we set out to solve these problems from all angles and really improve the lives of women. Tampliner is a pioneer in further product innovation, which has completely improved the experience of women's physiological period around the world."

 

Callaly has also been stepping up product development and expects to launch a series of new products later this year. Its new Super + pads have a longer length, which will provide extra protection and safety for women with higher traffic, and still use the same soft 100 percent organic cotton. The new lightly absorbent tampons and Tampliners are suitable for women with low traffic, for whom the absorption of conventional products is too great.

 

The company says these lightly absorbent products will enable the brand to cater to women at different times with more relevant and tailored products.
Callaly's product development team is also redesigning the Tampliner's mini-pad section, aiming to make it easier to use to fit a variety of body types and sizes. Tampliner biodegradable according to the ASTM D5511 test method (landfill conditions), the brand will also work with academic institutions and industry partners to improve the biodegradability of Tampliner under more conditions.

 

At the same time, the UK's new sanitary pad brand Planera is taking sanitary pad handling to a whole new level. Planera sanitary napkins are the first certified flushable sanitary napkins on the market. Using the hydraulic effect of the toilet, the Planera will break without entering the landfill or incinerator, achieving the goal of rapid biodegradation, no waste, and no microplastics. Dr. Olivia Ahn, co-founder of the company, said: "When you use them, you can throw them in the toilet and they will decompose like ordinary toilet paper."

 

Dr. Olivia Ahn, CEO and co-founder of Planera, and Aaron Koshy, COO, said: "Traditional plastic sanitary napkins are 90% plastic. Some organic sanitary napkins still contain polyethylene, even though they contain organic non-woven fabrics. The plastic content in them means they are lightweight, cheap and durable, but they are not suitable for disposal."

 

She added that the current disposal route in the UK is incineration and landfill, of which 30% is washed away. "That's why we decided to develop flushable sanitary napkins."

 

Planera sanitary napkins are mainly made of cellulose, which can be degraded into starch and sugar. Ahn said there are two main reasons for choosing cellulose: it is biodegradable; and it comes from a very wide range of sources.

 

The difficulty is how to make a sanitary napkin that is absorbent and stable. To achieve this, they developed a combinatorial structure. The design of the Planera is as effective as traditional sanitary napkins, soft to the touch and highly absorbent. It consists of three layers, and the top layer is made of biodegradable plant fibers (cushions make the skin softer). The wood pulp core of the second layer removes the blood from the surface layer and converts it into a gel with a biodegradable powder.

Adult incontinence goes organic

Although incontinence products focus more on performance than whether they contain plant-based materials, an emerging market for green products is emerging in the mild incontinence category. Much of the innovation has come from feminine care brands that have expanded into light bladder leak products.

 

In 2019, in order to solve the problem of bladder leakage in women in their 30 s and 40 s, Cora brand launched a mild bladder leakage product made of organic cotton. Its inner lining uses the first fan-shaped shape and the superabsorbent pad located at the front, so that women have more protection in the actual leakage area.
Meanwhile, Organyc, a maker of organic cotton feminine hygiene products, launched a new line of organic cotton light incontinence last year. The new series of mild incontinence sanitary napkins and pads use certified organic cotton on the top layer, and the absorbent core is mixed with cotton and SAP to remove moisture and keep dry.
In addition to excellent absorption, the new series has also been proven to solve and prevent skin allergies. It has passed dermatological tests, does not contain wood pulp or fragrance, and has passed GOTS certification.

 

Recently, feminine care brand Nannocare launched NannoDry, a more close-fitting incontinence pad for men and women. The NannoDry is made of 100 per cent organic cotton and does not contain fragrances, dyes, chlorine bleach, including light, normal and super protection models to choose from to meet all needs. A thin absorbent core can lock in moisture, while a leak-proof backing can prevent leakage.

 

Nannocare product range consists of incontinence pads made of 100 percent certified organic cotton, biodegradable packaging and an extremely strong absorbent core, and Nannogenic technology is applied to help control odor and is fragrance-free. All of its incontinence pads are very breathable, wingless and unisex.

This article is from Nonwovens Industry Journal

 

Source: Jung-International Nonwovens Industry