#Index 2014

2014-04-08

EDANA announces winners of the INDEX™ 14 Awards

EDANA today announced the winners of the EDANA’s INDEX™ 14 Awards are the highest accolade for excellence in nonwovens industry and highlight some of the innovations from businesses of all sizes, and from all parts of the nonwovens supply chain. INDEX™14, the largest global meeting place for the nonwovens supply chain and its customers, was launched today, with a ceremony to showcase excellence in the nonwovens and related industries.

EDANA’s INDEX™ 14 Awards are the highest accolade for excellence in our industry and highlight some of the innovations from businesses of all sizes, and from all parts of the nonwovens supply chain.

Winners for each section, together with summary comments from the judging panel were:

Nonwoven Roll Goods: Sandler’s Fibercomfort® tread- and waterproof roof insulation This product expands the market for nonwovens in the construction sector, effectively and efficiently replaces wood by enabling a single solution for roof insulation based only on nonwovens, and is a product which is lighter than alternatives and potentially recyclable

Finished products made from, or incorporating nonwovens: Imeco Nocemi® MED wipes A virucidal, bactericidal, alcohol free and disinfectant which offers a timely answer to help prevent Healthcare Associated Infections, and which will help reduce healthcare costs through more efficient cleaning of potentially contaminated areas.

Most original marketing campaign for a product made from, or incorporating nonwovens: Lenzing - TENCEL ®Skin promotion campaign

This is a highly aesthetic and artistic video which lends life to the fibre and connects it to people, and effectively conveys the main properties of the fibre. Innovation in a raw material of special relevance to the nonwovens industry: Eastman Cyphrex™ microfibers

A useful way to provide custom microfiber blends, which enables a new level of flexibility in wetlaid nonwovens.

Innovation in machinery of special relevance to the nonwovens industry: ITW Dynatec - VectorTM Surge Applicator

This simple and compact piece of hardware enables the customised application of adhesives, while minimising waste. Highly versatile, the device can be integrated into any line.

Sustainable Product: Ahlstrom Flow2Save™ filter media An innovative filter media which saves energy (compared to conventional microglass media), and offers a low pressure drop at all efficiency levels, providing significant cost savings over the life time of the filter

Sustainable process or management practice: TJ Beall - True Cotton Greige Cotton Nonwoven for Wound Healing and Hygienic Product Applications This is a paradigm change compared to cotton currently available for nonwovens, which efficiently exploits the natural properties of cotton fibre, and is an effective alternative to bleached cotton. A smart way to use ‘waste’ cotton

In congratulating the winners, and recognising the outstanding efforts of the nominees, Pierre Wiertz, general manager of EDANA said “If you’re looking for clues about how our industry will change and develop, look no further than the products and services of those winners and runners-up recognised here today. It is products such as these which are helping to drive our industry forward, and create a stronger industry, with solutions in so many different product categories and sectors.”

The winners were presented with their specially commissioned bronze sculpture and a diploma at the Awards Ceremony, which was attended by the media, exhibitors and visitors to the show.

The INDEX™ 14 Awards jury, which was comprised of an official from the European Commission, a former senior nonwovens company business development and marketing manager, a representative of the nonwovens industry trade press, and top academic nonwovens R&D experts, met in February in order to select the nominees, and to choose, from this group.

In order to be considered, companies could submit only one application per category, and products must have been commercially available by the 31^st January 2014. Additionally, products or campaigns must not have been commercially launched before April 2011.

Starting today, the exhibition will bring together all the players in the nonwovens industry from raw material producers to manufacturers, finishers to converters, to environmental protection, measuring and testing equipment manufacturers, to trade associations and journals. Over 13,000 visitors come to INDEX™ to catch a glimpse of the future of nonwovens, to see first-hand what the leading experts in the field have to offer.

For more information about scheduled activities and exhibiting companies, please visit the dedicated INDEX™ 14 website: www.index14.org.

Sustainability: European industry calls on EU to keep Single-Use Plastics Directive unchanged

A broad coalition of European industry associations, including EDANA, Euratex and Plastics Europe, has urged EU institutions to maintain the current legal framework of the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD). In a joint statement, the organisations argue that reopening the Directive at this stage would create legal uncertainty, increase regulatory complexity and undermine investment, while its implementation across the European Union is still incomplete.

EDANA announces five new board members following 2026 Annual General Meeting

The EDANA Board of Governors is elected or re-elected at the Annual General Meeting by the member companies. The Governors are senior executives (business leaders) from member companies, based in different countries and representing different sectors of the nonwovens industry. The Board has central responsibility for guiding EDANA's overall strategy and approving its policies and priorities. It meets three times a year.

EDANA launches landmark continence report to mark the start of the World Continence Week

Today marks the official commencement of the World Continence Week. To honour this global awareness initiative, EDANA has published a comprehensive report titled "The Central Role of Absorbent Hygiene Products in the Management of Adult Urinary Incontinence: Benefits, Costs and Environmental Impact." The World Continence Week (WCW) is an annual global initiative dedicated to raising public awareness about incontinence and bladder or bowel health issues. Traditionally held in June, this awareness week aims to shed light on a condition that affects millions of people worldwide but is frequently kept secret due to widespread social stigma, embarrassment, and taboo.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

With its upcoming October 13–14, 2026 edition, PERFORMANCE DAYS is placing the spotlight on one of the textile industry’s most important transformations: “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric”, a two-part Focus Topic exploring the future of bio-based innovation across the textile value chain. Part 1, presented in October 2026, will focus on fibers and next-generation material developments, while Part 2 at the March 2027 edition will shift the perspective toward dyeing, finishing, additives, and processing technologies.

Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

Febratex 2026 will be the largest edition in the history of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas. Dedicated to the textile and apparel manufacturing industries, the event will take place from August 18–21, 2026, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with a strong focus on technology, sustainability, and business generation.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.