#Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2020-08-27

INDA’s Hygienix™ event goes “virtual” to address impacts of the Pandemic on Absorbent Hygiene and Personal Care Markets

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced the sixth edition of the annual Hygienix™ event will be held in an engaging new virtual format Nov. 17-19. Its focus will be the impact of the global health pandemic on the absorbent hygiene and personal care markets.

Engaging Interactive Format Provides Expert Insights & Senior-Level Connections

The fully virtual format offers the convenience of participating from any location while providing vital program content on market and technical developments, scheduled networking, virtual exhibits, and product innovation awards, all of which have made Hygienix the premier industry event since it started in 2015.

Virtual Hygienix will provide dynamic speaker presentations on the relevant theme of Navigating the New Normal in Hygiene withlive audience polling, real-time question & answer sessions with industry experts, networking with decision-makers, virtual tabletop exhibitions in Zoom break-out rooms, trivia and coffee breaks, cocktail hours and more over three days.

Originally scheduled as in-person conference in New Orleans, INDA moved it to virtual to ensure the safety of participants during the pandemic and be in-step with policy decisions to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

The All-Virtual Hygienix™ Event Schedule Includes:

Virtual Hygienix Conference Presentations – Nov. 17-19
2020 Hygienix Innovation Award™ Virtual Presentations – Nov. 18
Virtual Hygienix Tabletop Displays – Nov. 17-18
Virtual 2020 Hygienix Innovation Award Announcement – Nov. 19

For information, visit: www.hygienix.org

INDA President Dave Rousse will welcome participants to Virtual Hygienix on Nov. 17 and moderate a session on the Industry Outlook during COVID-19.

Industry experts will present supply-side and demand-side developments in both the North American nonwovens markets and the absorbent hygiene markets, market intelligence, economic insights, challenges and disruptions brought on by the coronavirus.

A sample of featured speakers include:

Global Market for Absorbent Hygiene: Disruption, Innovation, Path to Future Growth: Svetlana Uduslivaia, Head of Research, Euromonitor International

Challenges for 2021 and Beyond: Post-Covid-19 Supply Chain Resiliency and Sustainability for Absorbent Hygiene Products: Colin Hanna, Director of Research, and Pricie Hanna, Managing Partner, Price Hanna Consultants LLC

The Future of Sustainable Plastic Alternatives and the Impact of the Single Use Plastics Directive: Bryan Haynes, Ph.D., Senior Technical Director, Global Nonwovens, Kimberly-Clark Corporation

U.S. Economic Outlook: Lindsey Piegza, Ph.D., Chief Economist, Stifel Financial Corporation

Diaper Wetness Detection Using Low-cost Hydrogel-Based RFID Tags: Rahul Bhattacharyya, Ph.D., Research Scientist, MIT

Advancements & Challenges in the Development of Incontinence Products for the Elderly: Steve Gregg, Ph.D., Executive Director, National Association for Continence

Other compelling themes include packaging and labeling challenges, the future of absorbent hygiene, innovation and intellectual properties, smart diapers and testing. Among the intriguing presentations are:

Innovative Stretch Engine Improves Heat Transfer & Dissipation by Michael Sandlin, Product Manager, SWM International

Analyzing Amazon Reviews and other Market Research Tools by Natalia Richer, COO, Richer Investment/Diaper Testing International

Hygiene 2035, Product of the Year (A Thought Experiment) by Nick Carter, Director of Market Business Intelligence and Deeann Nelson, Ph.D., North American R&D Manager, Avgol Nonwovens

Technologies for Smart Sensors in Absorbent Hygiene Products, Olaf Isele, Principal, Metaxi SimBioSys, LLC

Registration is now open for Virtual Hygienix. Registrants will receive a personal URL to access the event. All speaker presentations will be recorded and available near real-time and on-demand for 12 months. #hygienix20

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.

180 years of TESTEX: From Zurich silk testing to global certification

For 180 years, TESTEX has developed alongside the textile industry while maintaining the same underlying purpose: creating trust through independent and reliable measurement. Founded in Zurich in 1846 as the Zurich Silk Conditioning Institute, TESTEX has grown from a local institution serving the silk trade into an international Swiss testing and certification institute for textiles and leather.

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

German textile industry and retailers form alliance to shape textile EPR system

Germany’s textile and fashion industry and retail sector have joined forces to establish the “Alliance for Textile Circularity” (Allianz für textile Kreisläufe). Initiated by the German Textile and Fashion Industry Association (Gesamtverband textil+mode) and the German Retail Federation (HDE), the alliance aims to contribute industry expertise to the development of Germany’s future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for textiles and footwear.

Cascale launches member-led process to shape 2030 strategy

Cascale has launched a member-led process to define the industry alliance’s strategic direction for the next decade. At the Cascale Annual Meeting 2026 in Athens, CEO Ying McGuire announced that members will contribute to an industry system map that will inform Cascale’s 10-year vision, its 2030 strategy and priorities for 2027. The new strategy is scheduled to be finalized in December.