Global leader in the manufacture of high performance nonwoven fabric solutions for the hygiene market, Avgol, has underlined its commitment to sustainability as the world emerges into a ‘new normal.’
The new natureFIT™ suite of fabric solutions has been developed to reduce material impact for product designers, with a range of additional qualities that can be integrated into the material, including reducing resin use, the source and application of resin alternatives and natural additive technologies.
“With the COVID-19 pandemic still dominating headlines around the world, and Avgol’s beneFIT™ Control and beneFIT™ Defense being designed to respond to the antimicrobial needs, the global environmental effort has been relegated from the top of the agenda for many,” said Nick Carter, Director of Market Business Intelligence and Intellectual Property at Avgol. “But as the whole world adjusts to this new paradigm, we are continuing to develop products that meet the growing, market-led demand for sustainable fabrics in hygiene applications, while driving even greater value through the supply chain.”
Nick said that one new product from the natureFIT™ range, natureFIT™ Gentle, reduces the use of resin in production by as much as 40 per cent.
“Our advanced technology affords product designers a significant reduction in polymer consumption by harnessing naturally occurring minerals, while simultaneously enhancing softness and conformability,” said Nick. “Importantly for our brand customers, despite significantly reducing the amount of resin we can now use in this type of product, we have maintained all the performance characteristics of our traditional fabrics.”
Nick explained that natureFIT™ Gentle enables more effective value-driven product development across the hygiene sector, while reducing the environmental impact in terms of resources and waste in line with the company’s sustainable product strategy.
“At Avgol, we thrive on developing creative nonwoven solutions that meet the evolving needs of the market,” he said. “Over the last few months, we have seen people’s attitudes shift and their attention focus on more immediate concerns, but the environment and sustainability issues have simply not gone away.
“Now, as we begin to slowly move towards re-establishing a sense of normalcy, it is important that we do not revert to old ways where concerns over environmental issues are set aside to be addressed in the future,” said Nick. “Instead, we need to act now, and that’s why we are committed to reducing the amount of resin we use in our products and therefore the amount of plastic that ultimately finds its way into the waste stream.”
Nick said that brands’ sustainability credentials will be increasingly important in the coming weeks and months, as consumers begin to focus on making choices influenced by their own values as opposed to purely by necessity.
“Globally, consumers are going to re-engage with eco-friendly products and processes, and the hygiene market is no exception,” he said. “Our new suite of solutions adds another string to the bow of brands and product developers, turning what was previously a ‘nice-to-have’ into an effective and marketable competitive advantage.
“Enhancing the eco-friendly credentials of contemporary nonwoven product design should be top of the priority list for every brand in the market, and the natureFIT™ platform puts natural qualities front and center, which consumers truly value.”
natureFIT™ is the latest part of the Avgol Forward Innovative Thinking (‘FIT’) strategy, designed to imbue Avgol nonwoven fabrics with additional qualities and benefits that anticipate the shifting demands of the consumer-led retail space.
