The wipes market has grown at a steady pace over the last decade, and this trend is likely to continue over the next several years as consumers continue seek convenience. While baby wipes continue to comprise the largest piece of the market, nonwovens producers are refining their technologies for other areas such as moist toilet tissue, cosmetics, automotives and more.

 And, to stay competitive in the market, product differentiation is key among these suppliers. Offering specific and unique products and adding value with creativity and innovation are ways nonwovens producers all across the globe are making their substrates stand out. The nonwovens industry has seen a number of new substrates debut during the first half of 2015, so here’s a look at what’s new. 

Truly Flushable

 In January, nonwovens producer Suominen of Helsinki, Finland, introduced an upgraded version of its Hydraspun flushable substrate—Hydraspun Dispersible Plus. According to the company, the material breaks up more than three times faster than the standard Hydraspun Dispersible substrate and clearly passes the INDA/EDANA third edition flushability assessment test protocols. 

Alistair Brown, director of marketing and communications, Suominen, says, “New Hydraspun Dispersible Plus substrates are similar to other spunlace or traditional offerings for wipes in terms of their cleaning and softness attributes, but unlike them in that they are truly flushable in domestic toilet systems and engineered precisely for that purpose.” 

Hydraspun Dispersible Plus offers customers the same conversion runnability as the original Hydraspun, he explains, but because of its proven dispersion rate of breaking up three times faster than Hydraspun, the new product gives its customers and consumers “the added security of knowing that they can safely flush wipe products” made from it.

 “In addition, Suominen has designed a simple yet effective logo, tested with consumers, to indicate that the wipes in the purchased package are indeed proven to be flushable in global wastewater systems,” he continues.

 With all of the hurdles companies are facing in the flushable market, requests for better technology are increasing significantly. Brown suggests it’s important to respond to these calls. “Product diversification is vital in wipes to ensure the changing and ever more demanding requirements for wipes from consumers are met with more and more new and specific products,” he says.