#Nonwovens / Technical Textiles

2022-05-12

INDA announces three finalists for the World of Wipes Innovation Award®

Sustainable products that solve problems are the themes for this year’s finalists for the World of Wipes Innovation Award® that will be presented at the 16th annual World of Wipes® International Conference, June 27-30, at the Marriott Marquis in Chicago, Illinois.

The three products vying for the prestigious award are an all-natural substitute for plastic fibers from Bast Fibre Technologies, a dual-textured 3D cleaning wipe from Fitesa and an environmentally safe flushable wipe from Nice-Pak.

INDA’s Technical Advisory Board selected the finalists from nearly 20 submissions based on their creativity, novelty, uniqueness, technical sophistication within the entire nonwovens wipes value chain and expansion of nonwovens use.

Participants at the 2022 World of Wipes (WOW) International Conference will have the opportunity to help select the winner following presentations by company representatives on June 28. The winner will be announced on June 30 at 11 a.m.

Kimberly-Clark Scott® 24-Hour Sanitizing Wipes was the recipient of the 2021 World of Wipes Innovation Award®.

This year’s in-person WOW International Conference is expected to draw 400-plus senior-level wipes professionals from all wipes segments, repeating last year’s strong live event that welcomed 475 wipes professionals from 14 countries to Atlanta, GA.

Finalists Announced

The three companies vying for the award (in alphabetical order) are:

• Bast Fibre Technologies – Sero® Hemp Fibers

Bast Fibre Technologies’ sero® hemp fibers offer the nonwoven industry an all-natural substitute for plastic fibers. From dedicated European Union (EU) and US-based production facilities, BFT transforms raw bast fibers into premium natural fibers that are ideal for applications ranging from single-use and durable wipes to industrial applications. Suitable for minority or majority blends, sero® hemp combines easily with standard nonwoven fibers to produce fabrics that meet the industry requirements for strength, uniformity, and processing efficiency.

• Fitesa – Dual Textured 3D Wipe

In response to the need for improved composite materials for cleaning surfaces, Fitesa introduced a newly developed 3D embossed, dual textured wiper. This novel nonwoven features exceptional cleaning capability, durability, dirt/debris capture, and fluid pick-up. Several configurations are offered, including MSM (Meltblown SpunBond, Meltblown), MSMSM (Meltblown, SMS, Meltblown), and more. All can be customized with scrubby surfaces and 3D embossed options as well as “Green” options such as polylactic acid. Features include exceptional abrasion resistance for wipe longevity, significantly improved debris capture capacity; and durability of wipe life compared to competitors. The wipe is produced with two different surface polymers to enhance roughness (scrubby-side) and softness (finish side).

• Nice ’N CLEAN® SecureFLUSHTM Technology Flushable Wipes by Nice-Pak

After six years of rigorous testing and development, Nice-Pak introduced SecureFLUSH™ technology flushable wipes, a 100 percent cellulose nonwoven that is strong and durable yet breaks apart five times faster than the leading brand of two-ply toilet paper. A specialty “lock and key” design of plant-based fibers and formula leverages patent-pending technology to make the product strong and durable while breaking apart rapidly when flushed to ensure responsible care of plumbing and wastewater.

WOW 2022 Conference Highlights

This year’s WOW conference sessions focus on: Circular & Sustainable Wipes, Supply Chain Challenges in Wipes, Nonwoven Substrates for More Sustainable Wipes, Trends in the Wipes Market and Among Consumers, Disinfection Concerns and New Technologies, Sustainable Wipe Packaging Trends, and Developments in Flushability Issues.

Registration for WOW 2022 remains open and tabletop display reservations also are available. For additional details, see the conference website.

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.

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.

Cotton made in Africa partners receive top marks in independent verifications

Cotton made in Africa® (CmiA) and CmiA Organic are two internationally recognised standards that aim to promote sustainable development in the African cotton sector south of the Sahara. To ensure the standards’ credibility among brands, retailers, and consumers, independent verifiers evaluate compliance on the ground. The verification results for 2025, now published in the Aggregated Verification & Implementation Report, were very strong: The verifiers awarded consistently very good remarks regarding management, people, prosperity, and the environment.

Bangladesh: Italian textile machinery mission stops in Dhaka and Chittagong

Technological upgrading and the transition toward higher value-added production are driving the new Italian industrial mission to Bangladesh. This year, the mission will split between the country’s two main manufacturing hubs, where Italian manufacturers will meet the leaders of the local textile supply chain in two strategic stages: July 7th in Dhaka and July 9th in Chittagong.