Not a day without nonwovens – why are sustainable nonwovens the next big thing?

Your first contact with nonwovens starts in the morning. To make your morning coffee or tea, you need a filter paper or a tea bag. You might go for a short morning run in your tracksuit bottoms and running shoes. Maybe you have a toddler who needs nappies, or an elderly parent who needs incontinence pads? You drive to work, breathe some fresh air through air filters in the office and perhaps vacuum after work. In the evening you lie down in your soft bed. 

Nonwoven fabrics are used in thousands of products, and huge quantities are manufactured every year. The innovative nonwovens industry is big business but products face sustainability challenges. Nonwovens are used in applications such as hygiene products, diapers, vacuum cleaner bags, cleaning wipes, protective clothing, wound care materials, air filters, shoe liners, artificial leather, bedding, insulation materials, masks and disposable wipes. 

Nonwovens are fabrics that you don't always see, but they are there where you need them, and they work in ways that others can't.

Visiting professor Behnam Pourdeyhimi, The Nonwovens Institute

Sustainable and fit-for-purpose nonwovens are changing the direction of industry  

The production of traditional oil-based nonwoven materials consumes large amounts of natural resources and generates waste. Only a fraction of textiles is recycled into new textile fibres.

Sustainable nonwovens are an innovative solution for consumers, industry and the environment. Made from recycled or bio-based materials, they can significantly reduce their environmental impact. They can also be designed to last longer in use, reducing the need for constant new product manufacturing. 

Sustainable nonwoven fabrics also have technical advantages such as high wear resistance, breathability and moisture retention.

Photo: Erica Dahlström-Dezonne

Nonwovens are an important area for sustainability research and innovation and offer a lot of opportunities for new technologies, more sustainable new products and business models.

Pia Hautamäki, researcher, Principal Lecturer, Tampere University of Applied Sciences

Hautamäki led the Sustainable fit-for-purpose nonwovens (SUSTAFIT) project. 

How can we make the nonwovens industry more sustainable? 

The €2.6 million project, which ended in September, was implemented by Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and Aalto University with 17 corporate partners. 

New research and up-to-date circular economy and sustainability knowledge are crucial drivers for change. Finnish research institutes, universities and companies are working to turn innovation into new business. New research knowledge will help companies to make informed decisions for their future sustainable business as well as consumers to make informed and sustainable choices. 

The research project, funded by Business Finland and the participating organisations, promoted the development of sustainable fibres and the development of responsibly produced fibre innovations and applications, competitiveness and export potential for companies in the sector. During over a two-year period, the project explored the sustainability of nonwovens from different perspectives to improve raw materials, processing methods, recyclability and business models.

The research project produced several concrete results

The objectives were achieved through close cooperation between research organisations and companies, bringing significant benefits locally and internationally. In addition to new research knowledge and practical demos, i.e. testing and piloting, active product and material development work was carried out in the participating companies with the support of the research organisations. The work will continue. The companies were also inspired to develop their business models. 

The project coordinator TAMK led the research on sustainable business models and value chains for fibres. TAMK also investigated raw materials and end-use options for sustainable nonwovens. VTT focused on research into segment-specific sustainability strategies and demonstrated the production of different types of nonwovens. VTT also developed new concepts to improve performance. 

Aalto University's specific expertise in the research project was the production of cellulose fibres from different raw materials and the enhancement of functional properties of fibres and nonwovens, such as hydrophobicity and antimicrobial performance. These properties are seen as major barriers to the wider use of sustainable fibres in nonwoven applications. 

The SUSTAFIT workbook, open to all, familiarises companies with how to harness new business opportunities from research.

The project involved a wide range of stakeholders from across the value chain

Numerous corporate partners helped researchers to move in the right and concrete direction. Hautamäki stresses that working with the whole supply chain, securing buy-in from business leaders and sharing knowledge creates the conditions for wider, industry-wide change. 

As the use of sustainable nowovens increases, it will also affect the work of textile industry professionals and their understanding of new materials. Universities have an important role to play here. Indirect effects can create jobs. 

For consumers, sustainable nonwovens will be reflected in improved product durability and quality, safer products and environmental friendliness. 

Today's consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact, and they demand sustainable and ethical products. By developing more sustainable fibres, industry can meet these demands and strengthen consumer confidence. This can also increase the value and competitiveness of brands in the market.

Pia Hautamäki

Sustainable nonwovens are the future of the textile industry

Hautamäki points out that sustainable and versatile nonwovens are an important part of a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future for the textile industry.

“Now is the time to move to innovative and responsible solutions that put sustainable nonwovens at the centre. It is great that in the Finnish SUSTAFIT research project, we have paved the way internationally. Finnish research and the future sustainable textile industry can be at the forefront of building a more sustainable future worldwide, where environmental responsibility and technological advances go hand in hand.

The next time you sip your morning coffee or tea, take a moment to think about all nonwovens that you will use during the day.

More information at project website Sustainable fit-for-purpose nonwovens | Tampere Universities (tuni.fi)

SUSTAFIT workbook at Theseus Sustainable Nonwovens of the Future – From Research Into Business Opportunities - Theseus