More than doubling its distribution channels in the U.S. in just six months, Organic Initiative (Oi), producers of 100% certified organic cotton feminine hygiene products, announced its expansion to more than 11,000 stores from coast to coast.   In March 2019 Oi announced its arrival on the shelves of 3500 Walmart stores, followed quickly by H-E-B in Texas in April, adding CVS Pharmacy, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Weis Markets, Giant Martins and others as of July. This national coverage gives everyday Americans easy access to a healthier choice of tampons and pads, the company says.   Expansion in the organic feminine hygiene market is impressive, with an 8% average monthly growth in natural and organic products sold in stores. Additionally, with Oi, national retailers are providing their customers with a true certified organic cotton feminine hygiene option.   Oi is made from ethically sourced organic cotton certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and BioGro (New Zealand’s leading organic certification). Oi tampons, pads and panty liners are free from synthetics, chemical sprays, perfumes and dyes. Every component of Oi products – including the packaging – is designed to help reduce the lifetime impact of synthetics, plastics and chemicals on women’s and girl’s bodies, and on the environment.   “We are creating more than 128 thousand tons of feminine hygiene waste in the U.S. alone each year,” says Helen Robinson, CEO of Oi.   “Shockingly, there’s as much plastic in most boxes of sanitary pads as there are in four plastic grocery bags. We simply must start making changes for our health and for the earth. We are delighted that the U.S. market is joining the Oi revolution driving change and demanding certified organic products.”

  The adult incontinence market continues to offer huge potential for product manufacturers. The rapidly aging population across the globe, coupled with rising rates of health conditions that can come with increased risks of urinary incontinence, are fueling growth in this market.   “Age is not the only contributing factor; obesity, PTSD, prostate surgeries, child birth and other factors increase the incidences of incontinence and usually require a different approach and a variety of product formats to manage the conditions,” says Svetlana Uduslivaia, head of Home & Tech Americas at Euromonitor International.   This wide range of incontinence sufferers has opened up opportunities for manufacturers to innovate in this space, and they are continuing to improve absorbency levels, odor control, skin friendliness and breathability in new products. These new developments in pads, disposable underwear, adult diapers and other products have allowed manufacturers to grow and reach new customers. Factors such as increasing awareness and understanding of various incontinence conditions, normalization and better access to products are contributing to this growth.   “Overall trends are somewhat similar to what has been happening in the past few years – product innovation with focus on discretion, comfort, and aesthetics; innovation and marketing aimed at a wider audience, as opposed to only focusing on elderly; younger women and men are in focus too,” Uduslivaia explains.

  Pampers has developed the world's first all-in-one connected care system, Lumi by Pampers, in partnership with Verily and Logitech. According to the brand's website, Lumi by Pampers will help parents monitor and track their baby 24/7. By combining a video monitor with an activity sensor, Lumi helps parents blend real-time data with their intuition seamlessly and offers insights tailored to their unique baby using the Lumi by Pampers app, according to the company.   A high-definition video monitor and an activity sensor that attaches to the diaper automatically track wet diapers and sleep, and baby’s feeding and other key milestones can be added through the app. With the all-in-one system, parents can monitor their baby’s unique patterns and see emerging routines.   Lumi by Pampers will reportedly offer diapers up to size four, and the first package will contain a 1080p wide angle HD video monitor, two activity sensors and two packs of specialized diapers with velcro-like patches on the front to attach the sensors. Lumi by Pampers is expected to launch in the fall.

  A walk through the feminine hygiene and baby diaper aisles is proof enough that natural products are enjoying gains in the nonwovens space. In the past few months, two major feminine hygiene brands—o.b. and Tampax were the latest companies to launch cotton products. o.b. organic, featuring 100% certified organic cotton tampons, offers a new choice for women who don’t want to sacrifice protection for sustainability. All o.b. organic tampons are free from chlorine, dyes, pesticides, fragrances and BPA.   “For decades, o.b. has strived to introduce sustainable, effective solutions for periods,” says Devon Driscoll, brand manager at Edgewell Personal Care. “With the launch of o.b. organic, we are excited to now offer women 100% certified organic cotton tampons along with an innovative plant-based applicator option. We at o.b. were committed to making an applicator that is in line with our commitment to sustainability.”   Meanwhile, Procter & Gamble’s Tampax and Always brands have launched a new organic tampon and Pure pads, which are both free of dyes, fragrances and chlorine bleaching. The tampons have a 100% cotton core and the Always Pure pads are made with a cotton top layer from sustainably sourced cotton.   Tampax Pure is the brand’s first 100% organic cotton core tampon.   “I have always been a Tampax user, and period protection is the focus of my Research & Development career. I’ve tried lots of tampons, researched them, talked about them, designed them – I’ve done it all. In speaking with thousands of tampon users in the last several years, it was clear that there was still a big unmet need in the natural menstrual category – an option that worked well,” says Amy Krajewski, section head Global Tampax Research & Development.   “Many people using current options are settling, and don’t even realize it because they go on autopilot with so many other decisions to make every day. When we set out to create Tampax Pure, we took our time to develop a tampon that is not only made with a 100% organic cotton core, but that also provides Tampax protection. Users can feel good about the ingredients, and trust that our product works.”

  Wipes And Beyond   As one of the largest markets for nonwovens in general, the wipes market continues to represent the largest segment for spunlace nonwovens where the technology is valued for its excellent lotion handling, softness, textile-like feel and absorbency. As the wipes segment continues to develop new markets and new uses for their products, demand will continue to drive spunlace growth.   “There are wipes for almost every discernible use in everyday life, from baby care to cosmetics, from car interior care to furniture polish to the cleaning of computer screens,” Weber says. “They are readily available at any time, even on the go. In our fast-paced society, this is a major convenience factor and a driver for further demand growth.”   However, the supply chain can be challenged in wipes. For many applications, supply already matches demand and new suppliers are regularly entering the market. Growth and further development are only achievable through differentiation. Visual differentiation is possible in print or embossed motifs. Enhanced functionality, innovative product structures or combinations of different properties can also set a product apart from the competition.   Therefore, spunlace manufacturers like Suominen continue to look outside of the wipes market for spunlace growth. Markets where spunlace is being valued include from technical applications where they nonwovens are applied as processing aids or cover nonwovens. The automotive industry is just one sector benefitting from the functionality of these materials.   “Our wide-spread portfolio and know-how of different manufacturing technologies made it easier to consider the spunlace technology for applications other than wipes,” says Lynda Kelly, senior vice president, Care. “As we are active in a variety of markets, we are also aware of requirements, trends and customer demands in these other segments. This enables us to ascertain whether spunlaced materials would make an adequate – or in the best case even superior – alternative for a specific application. Having different technologies at our disposal also enables us to combine material properties in order to further enhance functionality. To this end, we are also collaborating with our customers and partners, advancing their products as well as our own.”   As the largest maker of spunlace nonwovens globally, Suominen has spent the last few years investing in new technologies both to help this expansion in new markets but also to benefit its wipes business. Recent line upgrades, which promote its focus on value added prod.

  An innovative diaper design created by graduates and academics from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) potentially rids new parents of the inconvenience of not knowing when to change a baby's diaper, making a diaper change a simpler decision.   Compared to existing diapers, this new design does not only visually signal babies’ urine but also stool, even in darkness. This diaper design features a seamless pattern of fireflies with stars, and this is where the technology lies. The body of the firefly is made of a small transparent window, where parents can notice easily if the diaper is soiled.   Star elements are coated with ink and chlorophyll fluorescent paint. In darkness, the star glows when the diaper is wet, as the ink gets washed away, revealing the chlorophyll fluorescent paint underneath. Parents can then take a closer look at the transparent windows to see if their newborns have had a bowel movement, without turning the lights on.   Extracted from seaweed, the chlorophyll fluorescent paint is safe and gentle on an infant's sensitive skin, says the design team.   Named Easy Diaper, the innovative design beat thousands of competitors to win gold at the 2018 International Design Awards. It was co-developed by UNNC graduates Qiushi Wang and Jinzhao Li (both students of Product Design and Manufacturing) and their supervisor, Dr. Xu Sun.   The team said their inspiration came from Dr. Sun's own maternity experience.   “The majority of current diaper designs only signal a baby’s urine, while the Easy Diaper can tell more than that,” Dr. Sun says. “Day or night, it indicates the urgency of a diaper change as straightforwardly as a traffic light. It should ease panic for many new parents like me.”   While working towards a patent, the team is also applying for a grant to support prototyping. There are hopes that the new diaper design will one day be a real market product.