Birla Purocel, a division of the pulp and fibre division of the Aditya Birla Group, which is well-known for its extensive line of fibres for nonwoven applications, has partnered with Sparkle, a forward-thinking start-up, to create plastic-free sanitary pads and diapers.
In an exclusive interview, H. K. Agarwal, Managing Director of Grasim Industries Limited, stated: “We started research to identify sustainable alternatives due to growing concerns about the usage of single-use plastics in sanitary pads and diaper goods. As a result, we were successful in developing a viscose top sheet that satisfies consumer demands for absorbency, softness, and general user comfort.
“While looking for possible partners, we found Sparkle, a cutting-edge start-up, which shares our dedication to sustainability and creating environmentally friendly products. Consequently, we determined that working with Both businesses naturally chose Sparkle. Agarwal elaborated on the sanitary pad that will be developed, how unique it will be from those already on the market, and how it has the potential to be a game-changer, saying: “Currently, there are few plastic-free period care and diaper products available in the market, but they come at a significantly higher price and may not meet users’ performance expectations.”Each alternative was carefully examined at Ginni Nonwovens’ production line for spun lace and evaluated in our specialised lab with repeatable results. This will hasten the transition to plastic-free products, he continued. Reusable items are increasingly being preferred over recyclable or biodegradable ones. Agarwal highlighted the company’s response to this trend by saying, “We are In order to allow a widespread transition to sustainable options, attention is now being paid to developing solutions for reusable products using a similar strategy to strike the ideal balance between performance and affordability. At the right moment, we will provide more information.
As Agarwal noted, “As consumer expectations and regulatory constraints continue to shift swiftly, collaborative product innovation has become important in the current challenging economic and environmental scenario. We have chosen a collaborative strategy for our inventions in order to stay up with these changes, which enables us to hasten the development and scaling process. It’s crucial to be aware of the problems caused by global environmental deterioration and to consider how we might help. about a change in such a circumstance.
“It’s critical to create products that strike the ideal mix between sustainability, performance, and affordability in order to promote a move towards plastic-free solutions. Such items would make a big difference and might inspire other companies to change how they think about single-use, plastic-free period care and nappy products, he continued. In order to accommodate different product designs used by different brands, Birla Purocel has created a range of top sheet solutions, according to Agarwal, who described the potential impact this product innovation could have on the nonwoven hygiene industry.
overcoming obstacles
K. Agarwal discussed the market’s current difficulties and the measures the company had taken to address them. He said: “The EU’s single-use plastics directive of 2021, which includes wet wipes, and feminine hygiene products, has put pressure on the nonwoven industry to quickly develop substitutes. We have been working together with technology vendors and other value-chain participants to create, test, and implement innovative product solutions in order to address this need.
Unforced Commitment
H K Agarwal responded that voluntary commitment to sustainability and transparency within the supply chain are the two key pillars when asked about the measures to be taken to ensure that businesses become more transparent in their supply chains and sustainability initiatives, as well as the benefits of such initiatives for the nonwovens market. We have been collaborating closely with unbiased organisations like Canopy, ZDHC, and Higgs to share our status and commitments with the value chain and other stakeholders in a transparent manner, the author said. added.
Agarwal said, “We are showcasing our work on the sustainability front and will highlight innovations such as short cut fibres for flushable wipes, filters, and battery separators as well as specialised fibres for absorbent hygiene segment and sustainability enhanced fibres for wipes,” to conclude the interaction with the products the company will be showcasing at INDEX 2023. All of our goods have the highest possible sustainability rating from organisations like Canopy, and are biodegradable and compostable certified.
