#Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2024-08-15

Hygienix™ 2024 will highlight advancements in sustainability

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the conference program for Hygienix™ 2024, November 18-21, The Renaissance Nashville Hotel, Nashville, TN. This year’s theme, “Driving Absorbent Hygiene Product Innovation: Consumer Desires, Market Dynamics & Sustainability Solutions,” will provide insights into the latest industry advancements. The full program is now available on the Hygienix website.

Conference program is now live. Event highlights include:

Pre-conference webinars

+ “Non-PFAS Hydrophobic Technology for Polypropylene Nonwovens”

+ “Harnessing AI to Enhance Transparency and Trust in Brand Sustainability”

Workshops (Monday, November 18th)

+ “Fundamentals of Absorption Systems and Opportunities in Adult Incontinence”

+ “Innovations in Menstrual Care”

+ “Baby and Infant Care Market Dynamics”

Networking opportunities

+ Lunch Arounds with founders of successful hygiene start-ups

+ Lightning Talks – supercharged elevator pitches

+ Tabletop Exhibits of leading-edge absorbent hygiene suppliers

+ Receptions – three extended networking events

Presentation Preview

+ Absorbent Hygiene Insights, LLC, “Exploring the Performance of Polyaspartic Acid Superabsorbents in Hygiene Products”

+ China National Household Paper Industry Association (CNHPIA), “Latest Development of Disposable Hygiene Products Industry in China”

+ Glatfelter Industries (France) SAS, “Capitalizing on Capabilities to Support the Shifting Hygiene Industry”

+ Gottlieb Binder GmbH & Co. KG, “Synergy of Components – Upstream Advancements Offering Downstream Sustainability Opportunities”

+ Handas Consulting, “The Intersection of Nonwovens, Sustainability and the Environment: An African Perspective”

+ INDA, “UN Plastics Treaty Update”

+ INDA, “Business Not as Usual – The Impact of Reusables on the Absorbent Hygiene Market”

+ Curt G. Joa, Inc., “Efficient Material Utilization in Hygienic Incontinence Articles”

+ Joii Ltd., “Using Nonwoven Period Care Products and an AI-backed Mobile Application to Diagnose Heavy Menstrual Bleeding”

+ Kuraray Europe GmbH, “Connecting Consumer Insights with AHPs: Designing Elastics & Naturality”

+ The LYCRA Company, “From Farm to Fiber: Developing Elastane with 70% Renewable Content”

+ MyMicrobiome GmbH, “The Menopausal Skin Microbiome – What Do You Need to Know?”

+ Price Hanna Consultants LLC, “Shifting Sands in the Global Economy for Absorbent Hygiene Products”

+ Principle Business Enterprises, “The High Cost of Adult Incontinence”

+ RPK Consulting, “Shifting to Sustainability: Natural Fibers in Diapers and the Rise of Eco Brands”

+ Texol S.R.L., “Functional Substrates to Preserve Skin Microbiome”

+ SK Leaveo, “Comprehensive Sustainability in Hygiene Products: Exploring Biodegradable Alternatives and Circular Economy”

+ SPARK Solutions For Growth, “There’s an App for That! The New World of Incontinence Tech”

+ University of Pennsylvania, Division of Urology, “Latest Medical & Surgical Treatment for Incontinence”

+ ZymoChem, “The Final Frontier: A Bio-Based Source for Super Absorbents”

Hygienix Innovation Award

A highlight of the event, the Hygienix Innovation Award™ will feature presentations from three finalists on Tuesday, November 19th. The winner, to be announced on Thursday, November 21st, will be recognized for their innovative contributions to absorbent hygiene products. Nominations are open until September 16th, 2024. Last year’s winner, Sequel Spiral™ Tampon, received FDA clearance in August 2023 and is expected to be widely available in 2024.

For more details on the program, registration, sponsorships, and tabletop exhibits, visit the Hygienix website:

https://www.hygienix.org/

2026 World of Wipes Innovation Award® finalists revealed

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the three finalists for the 2026 World of WipesInnovation Award®. The finalists are The Clorox Company for their Clorox™ Refreshables™, Lenzing Fibers, Inc. for their Lenzing™ DualWipe, and Rockline Industries for their First Defense™ Fentanyl Detection Wipe.

INDA honors four industry leaders with 2026 Lifetime Service and Technical Achievement Awards

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has announced the four distinguished recipients of the 2026 INDA Lifetime Service Award and Lifetime Technical Achievement Award. Tom Daugherty, Pricie Hanna, Carey Hobbs, and CK Wong are being recognized for their exceptional leadership, innovation, and enduring contributions to advancing the nonwovens industry and strengthening the global community it serves.

ANDRITZ sets focus on textile recycling and durable nonwoven production technologies at ITMA Asia 2025

International technology Group ANDRITZ will be presenting its innovative nonwovens production and textile solutions at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025 in Singapore, from October 28 to 31, 2025 (Hall 2, D106). ANDRITZ will showcase its MMCF production plants, textile sorting and recycling, bast fiber processing, needlepunch, airlay, and life-cycle service technologies, with a focus on sustainable solutions. Discover how these innovations can grow your business opportunities and support a greener future.

OUTLOOK™ 2025: Charting a sustainable and innovative future for the Nonwovens Industry

EDANA concluded its flagship event, OUTLOOK™ 2025, last week, marking it as a major success and addressing the biggest questions facing the industry. The three-day conference highlighted the urgent need for a unified approach to sustainability, regulation, and innovation in the absorbent hygiene and wipes sectors.

Global Nonwovens Alliance unveils Inaugural Board, advancing collaboration and growth worldwide

The Global Nonwovens Alliance (GNA), a tax-exempt federation jointly founded by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and EDANA, the Voice of Nonwovens, announces the appointment of its founding Board of Directors. This group of leaders represents some of the most influential executives across the nonwovens value chain and reflects GNA’s mission to foster global collaboration, innovation, and growth in the industry.

ALADIN paves the way for circular and demand-driven textile production in Europe

Textile production can be organized sustainably by utilizing short supply chains and preventing overproduction. This can already be achieved today by intelligently connecting and efficiently utilizing existing infrastructure. At the same time, production becomes circular when innovative technologies and materials are used that enable high-quality recycling. The ALADIN research project, launched in May 2026 and co-funded with five million euros under the EU Horizon Europe program, is creating the conditions for this.

Katharina Obergruber appointed to the Management Board of Sandler AG

The Supervisory Board of Sandler AG has appointed Katharina Obergruber to the company’s Management Board. Effective September 1, 2026, the Board will consist of Philipp Ebbinghaus (CEO), Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck (currently CCO, future COO), and Katharina Obergruber (CCO). Katharina Obergruber, currently Chief Sales Officer Hygiene and member of the Management Team of Sandler AG, will assume responsibility for all sales activities as Chief Commercial Officer. She will assume this role from Dr. Ulrich Hornfeck, who will focus primarily on production and supply chain topics.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

DePoly Inaugurates its Showcase Plant in Monthey Switzerland

What if used plastic bottles, PET packaging material and polyester textiles could become raw materials just as high performing as virgin resources? That is the ambition of DePoly, a circular materials company based in Sion, Switzerland which inaugurated its Showcase Plant in Monthey on July 6th & 7th. The first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland, this industrial Showcase Plant represents a major milestone in the company's growth and its journey toward commercialization.