edana sustainability report_2014 2015
TRANSCRIPT
SUSTAINABILITYREPORT
4th EDITION, 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
3. ABOUT EDANA
4. FOREWORD FROM THE CHAIR
5. A BIG CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLDA. NONWOVEN FABRICSB. SUPERABSORBENT POLYMERSC. PULPD. ADHESIVESE. FILMSF. KEY SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS
• Fibres,filaments,polymersandadditives• Converters• Machinerybuilders• Researchinstitutes,testlabsandconsultants
G. KEY APPLICATIONS• Comfortandconvenience:Hygiene• Kindtoseedsandshoots:Agriculture• Safedriving:Automotive• Keepinginshape:Interlinings• Forthebricksandmortar:Construction• Homecomforts:Household• Ingoodhealth:Medical• Cleanerairandwater:Filtration• Forbusylifestyles:Wipes• Structuralstability:Geotextiles
6. PROMOTINGSUSTAINABILITY: ACTIVE ON ALL FRONTS
A. LIFEWITHNONWOVENS: GETTING THE BENEFITS ACROSSB. SUSTAINABILITY ENGAGEMENT SURVEY C. INDEX™ 14 EXPANDEDD. SYMPOSIUM:CONSIDERINGRENEWABLE RAW MATERIALSE. GUIDANCE:EFFECTIVEENVIRONMENTALCLAIMSF. EXPERTPANEL:CONSIDERINGFUTURE WASTE MANAGEMENTG. ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS
H. SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATION OF ABACA FIBRES
3
4
6
8
1012
13
14 15
16 22 25 26
27 28
29
7. LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS
8. TAKING A LONG-TERM APPROACHA. EMPLOYMENTANDREVENUES: ADDING VALUE FOR EUROPEB. FUTUREGROWTH:TAKINGFULLRESPONSIBILITYC. SUPPORTING FREE AND FAIR TRADED. HEALTHCAREBENEFITS:FIGHTINGINFECTIONE. GUARANTEEING SAFE PRODUCTSF. TAKING A PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP APPROACHG. ALEVELPLAYINGFIELD: HARMONISING TEST METHODS WORLDWIDEH. COMFORTANDCONVENIENCE: QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALLI. PREVENTING WASTE
9. DIRECTENGAGEMENT: BEING PROACTIVE
10. FUTURE INDUSTRY WIDE EFFORTS AND ACTIVITIES
11. MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER
30
36 37
38 39 40 41
42
44
46
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 3.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS1.
Authors and contributors
EDANA would like to warmly thank the following member companies for their contribution to this report:
Project coordination, text review and editing:
• Pierre Conrath (EDANA)• Adrian Wilson, Nonwovens and Technical Textiles Specialist
Production and design coordination:
• Abby Bailey (EDANA) • Giovanna Merola (EDANA)
Design:
Alligence Communications
Published by EDANA
International association serving the nonwovens and related industries
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT4.
Sinceourlastreportin2011,EDANAhasbeenextremelyproactiveinaddressingeveryaspectforthenonwovensandrelatedindustriesinrespectofthesocial,environmentalandeconomicaspects ofsustainability.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2.
reductionhasagainbeenachievedforbabydiapersoverthepastdecade.
This,our4thSustainabilityReport,alsodetailsthemanyseminars,symposia,surveys,workinggroupsandspecialistcommitteemeetingswhichhavetakenplaceinsupportofpromotingthesustainabilityofourindustry–inadditiontogovernmentalengagementandcontinuousdialoguewithrelevantthirdpartyorganisations–overthepastthreeyears.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT4.
Therecentcompletionofourmajornewstudy,“LifewithNonwovens”,forexample,drawsattentiontoeightcategoriesofdurableproduct,andtheessentialcontributioneachmakestoour 21stCenturylife.
Thefull-spectrumsustainabilitystudywascarriedoutwiththesupportofEDANAmembercompanies,andtheinternationally-respectedconsultancyDenkstatt.Itinvolvedthecollectionofimportantdataforthetotallifecycleoftheproductsconcerned,
developmentofacomprehensivecarbonfootprintmodel,witheconomicdata alsocompiledtoallowcostcalculations andcomparisons.
Thestudyalsofeaturesstrikinginfographicswhichwillbedeployedtoshowthebenefitsofthesematerialsacrosstoawider,non-specialistglobalaudience.
Meanwhile,EDANA’scomprehensiveLifeCycleAnalysisprojectshavecontinued,withthelatestprovingthatasignificantweight
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 5.SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 5.
3 YEARS OF EFFORTS TO DRIVE AND FOSTER SUSTAINABILITY IN OUR INDUSTRY
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT6.
EDANAistheinternationalassociationservingthenonwovensandrelatedindustries.Ourdiversemembershipofmorethan240companiesrepresentsover90%oftheindustryacrossthenonwovensvaluechain.Thisvertically-integratedstructureencompassesupstreamsuppliers,convertersandproducers.Asatradeassociationthismakesusunique,sinceourmembershipreflectsourentirevaluechain.
Overtime,manufacturersofnonwovensandrelatedproductshavepursuedsustainabilitythroughproductionefficiencies,significantlyreducingenergydemandandproductionwastebyoptimisingproductionprocesses.
EDANAanditsmembershaveavestedinterestinmakingthemostefficientuseofenergyandrawmaterials.Someoftherawmaterialsemployedinourproductsincludepulp,rayon(viscose),cotton,recycledpolymersandpolymersfromrenewableandnon-renewableresources.Companieshavealreadybeendriventochangethequantityandtypeofrawmaterialsandenergysourcesforeconomicreasonsandareregularlychallengingtheenergysourcesandrawmaterialstheyuseandseekingtointroducenewrawmaterialstoreducecostsanddeliverhigherperformanceproducts.Inourvaluechainmostoftheenvironmentalimpactislocatedupstreami.e.intheproductionofpolymersorforestry-basedfeedstock.Theproductionofnonwovensandtheirconversionintofinishedgoodshavehistoricallybeenenergyefficient.
ABOUT EDANA3.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 7.7.
Our vision and mission
Ourroleistoprovideourmemberswithacomprehensiverangeofservicesandtheinformationanddatanecessarytoenhancetheirindustrygoalsandperformance.EDANAprovidesthenonwovensandrelatedindustrieswithvitalissuesmanagement,lobbying,advisory,educational,networkingandinformation-sharingservices.Weaimtocreateanenvironmentthatisbeneficialforinnovationandsustainableandprofitablegrowthfortheindustry.Asthevoiceofnonwovens,werepresent,protectandactivelypromotethecommoninterestsofnonwovensandtheirrelatedindustriesthroughouttheworld,withaparticularfocusonEurope,theMiddleEastandAfrica.
Our definition of sustainability
Weunderstandsustainabilityastheefforttointegrateandbalancethepotentiallycompetingexpectationsofthepresentgenerationandthoseoffuturegenerations.Itisnotasingle,unchangingstate,butadynamicprocesswhichrequirescontinuousimprovementtostrikeabalancebetweentheneedsoftheeconomy,societyandtheenvironment.
Scope of this report
BuildingonthepublicationofthethirdSustainabilityReportin2011–whichexpandedbeyondhygieneproductstoencompassallapplicationareasandtheentirevaluechainfornonwovensandrelatedproducts–wehavesoughttofurtherhighlightthesocial,environmentalandeconomicbenefitsofourindustry.
How we work
EDANAisorganisedtoaddresssustainabilitythroughanumberofgroupsdedicatedtoaddressingspecificaspectsofourindustry’ssustainabilityagenda.
WithsupportfromtheSustainabilityCommitteetomanageallprojectsrelatedtosustainability,anannualForumtosharebestpracticeandkeydevelopmentsbetweenEDANAmembers,andsupportfromtheBoardlevelwithagroupthattranslatesstrategicprioritiesintoconcreteactions,EDANAmembershavebothexcellentrepresentation,andmultiplechancestoparticipateinsettingthesustainabilityagendafortheindustry.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT8.
Ineverydaylife,peopleareverylikelytocomeintocontactwithnonwovens,eitherdirectly–throughusingproductssuchaspersonalcarewipesorbabydiapers–orindirectly,sincethesematerialsfindtheirwayintothecabinairfiltersofcars,stabilisationlayersunderroadsandtheinsulationenvelopesofbuildings,tonamejustthreeapplications.Withalmostlimitlesspotential,nonwovensreallyarethefabricsofthefuture!
FOREWORD FROM THE CHAIR
4.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT8.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
Sustainabilityisacontinuousprocess–thereisnosuchathingasa‘sustainablenonwoven’,orindeedanyotherproduct–butourindustryhasdeliveredmanysolutionstomakeourproductsandprocessesmoreefficientthroughouttheirlifecycle.Inthewakeofthehygienesector,nonwovensinawidevarietyofapplicationshavecontributedtocleanerairandwatertoo.
Nonwovenscanbeusedasmoreefficientalternativestoothermaterialsinfieldssuchaspackaging,butalso,forexample,invehicles–aslighter,moreefficientandrecyclablesubstitutestometalorcompositeparts.Compostablenonwovensusedinagriculturalapplicationsareanotherexample.Suchmaterialsaresolidenoughtofulfiltheirrolesandyetdisappearwhenthejobisdone.Theversatilityofnonwovensliesinthewidechoiceofrawmaterialstheycanbemadefrom,theirprecisely-engineeredstructuresandthecustomisedfeaturestheycanbegiventomakethemseriouscompetitorsforplastics,paper,textiles,glass,metalsandmaterials.Thisisaguaranteethatexistingapplicationareaswillcontinuetogrowandnewmarketswillemerge thankstothecreativityofthecompaniesin ourindustry.
Ibelievethatsustainabilityisadrivingforceforinnovation,especiallywhenthethreepillarsofsocial,environmentalandeconomicimpactsarefullyconsidered.Innovationmaybedrivenbyadesireforrenewableresources,toreducewasteandensurebetterlives,forahealthyplanetandadynamiceconomyforcurrentandfuturegenerations.Nonwovensplayamajorpartinsomanydailylives,beitbyproviding
Patricia FeatherstoneChairoftheEDANABoardofGovernors
THE EFFICIENCY, VERSATILITY AND INNOVATION OF THE NONWOVENS AND RELATED INDUSTRIES ARE THE BEST GUARANTEES OF CONTINUED GROWTH.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 9.
advancedconvenienceandcomfortinhygiene,protectingpatientsandhealthcareprofessionalsduringsurgery,orensuringthataroadconstructedtodaylastsformanyyears,soitisonlynaturalthatourchallengecontinuestobefindingnewandinnovativewaystoaddresstheneedsofsociety–todayandtomorrow.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT10.
A BIG CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD5.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 11.
Whileincertainapplicationareas,nonwovensareemployedasend-productsbythemselves,theyareoftenusedincombinationwithothermaterials.Thisisparticularlythecaseforabsorbenthygieneproducts,whicharecomplexconstructionsofnonwovens,superabsorbentpolymers,pulp,adhesivesandfilms.Thisisjustonereason whyEDANA’smembershipisso positivelydiverse.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT12.
A. NONWOVEN FABRICS
Nonwovensarehigh-tech,engineeredfabricsmadefrombothnaturalandoil-based,man-madefibres.Theyareemployedinawiderangeofconsumerandindustrialproductsinapplicationsforboththehomeandtheworkplace,andhavebecome aversatileandindispensablepartof modernlife.
Nonwovensandrelatedproductscanbecategorisedasdurableorsingle-use.Bothcategoriesaddressvastlydifferentchallengesintermsofproductperformanceandsustainability.Forexample,adurablenonwovenusedasageotextilesupportingaroadorbuilding,forwhichthekeyobjectiveistoenablelongerlastinginfrastructure,isdesignedtolastandperformoveraverylongtime,afterwhichitcanstillberecovered.Asingle-useproductsuchasababydiaperhoweverhasacompletelydifferentprofile,asitisdesignedtoperformonce,forarelativelyshorttimeandtodeliveritsperformancewithaminimalimpactintermsofrawmaterialuseandwastegenerated.
Thespecificfunctionsofnonwovensinclude:absorbency,liquidrepellence,resilience,stretch,softness,strength,flameretardancy,washability,cushioning,filtering,bacterialbarrierandsterilisation.Thesepropertiesareoftencombinedtocreatefabricssuitedforspecificfunctions.Theycanrivaltheappearance,textureorstrengthofawovenfabricandbeasbulkyasthethickestpadding.Theversatilityofnonwovensmeanstheycanoftenprovideinnovative,cost-effectiveandsometimesunexpectedanswerstomanyfunctionalchallenges.
B. SUPERABSORBENT POLYMERS
Superabsorbents(alsoknownassuperabsorbentpolymersorSAP)absorbmanytimestheirownweightinaqueousfluids;upto300timestheirweightinwaterwithoutreleasingit.Theyarethereforean
idealmaterialforuseinproductsdesignedtoabsorbandretainfluidssuchasbabydiapers,incontinenceproducts,andfemininehygienepadsandliners.
Theyplayanimportantroleinthecontinuousdevelopmentoflighter andbetterperformingproducts. Innovationallowsforanongoingreductionoftheamountofrawmaterialsusedandtheamountofwastegeneratedbytheend-user.
C. PULP
Woodpulpisarenewablematerialandanimportantpartofbothabsorbenthygieneproductsandnonwovens.Itisusedinthecoreofabsorbenthygieneproductsforthedistributionofliquid.Fluffpulpisoftenthemainingredientinairlaidnonwovens,foundinwipesorfoodpackagingforexample.Airlaidnonwovensprovideforbetterbulk,porosity,dryandwetstrength,softnessandwaterabsorptionpropertiescomparedwithnormaltissuepaper.Fluffpulpusedinnonwovensandrelatedproductsismainlysourcedfromsustainablymanagedforests.IntheU.S.,FinlandandSweden,themainsuppliersofwoodforfluffpulp,therearemoretreestodaythan100yearsago,becauseforestownerstypicallyplantmoretreesthantheyharvest.
D. ADHESIVES
Incombinationwithnonwovens,speciallydesignedadhesives,bindersandclosuresystemshaveplayedanimportantroleintheproductionoflighterandbetterperformingproducts.Thishasallowedforareductionintheamountofrawmaterialsusedandtheamountofwastegeneratedbytheend-user.
Nonwovenfabrics
Superabsorbentpolyacrylate(SAP)
Fluffpulp
Adhesives
Photoco
urtesy
ofE
vonik
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 13.
E. FILMS
Filmsaretypicallymadeofpolyethyleneandusedinbabydiapers,femininecareproductsorincontinenceproducts.Filmsaremostlyusedasanimperviousbarrieronthebackoftheproducttopreventleakage.Amajorinnovationinthisfieldwastheintroductionofbreathablefilms,whichhavetheadvantageofbeingimpervioustoliquidswhileallowingairandvapourthrough. Thishasgreatlycontributedtothepreventionofskinconditionsandincreasedthecomfortofabsorbenthygieneproductsthankstoreducedskinwetness.
F. KEY SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERS
Fibres, filaments, polymers and additives
Fibreproducersandchemicalsuppliershaveworkedtooptimisetheirroleinthesupplychain,minimisingtheenvironmentalimpactoftheiractivity.Theimprovedsustainabilityoftheentiresupplychainowesmuchtotheeffortsmadeupstreamtolimittheenergyneededtoproduceandprocessthematerialsandtoenhancetheperformanceofthemainingredients.
Forsomeapplications,thishasbeenachievedthroughtheintroductionoffibresthatmeltatlowtemperaturesandcanbebondedtogetherthermallywithmuchlessenergy.Naturalfibres,recycledPET,andbiomaterialsareincreasinglybeingemployedwheretheirselectionmakessustainablesense.Majorinnovationsinrawmaterialshavenotonlyimprovedtheperformanceofexistingproducts,theyhavealsoenabledthecreationofentirelynewproductsthatcouldnothaveexistedotherwise.
Converters
Theconversionofnonwovensandothercomponentsintofinishedgoodsisacriticalpartofthesupplychain.Byessencethisisan
energyefficientprocess.Convertersfacethechallengeofbeingattheendofthesupplychain,attheinterfacebetweenindustryandawiderangeofotherstakeholders,includingconsumersandretailers.
Machinery builders
Theequipmentusedtoproducenonwovens,filmsandothercomponentsandtoconvertthemintofinishedgoodsandpackagethemfordeliverytothefinaluserplaysakeyroleinthesupplychain,andhasbeeninstrumentalinenablinginnovation.Machineryproducershaveconsistentlyworkedwiththeusersoftheirequipmenttomakethemmoreenergyefficientandtoenabletheproductionofmaterialsthatareaslightaspossible,withmaximumperformance.Thediversityandversatilityoftheentiresupplychainforthenonwovensandrelatedindustriesareasimportantasthepropertiesofthenonwovensthemselvesandtheproductsthataremadeofthem.
Research institutes, test labs and consultants
Thecreationofinnovativesolutionsandefforttodomorewithlessrequiresinnovationfromindustry.Researchinstitutesplayakeyroleinprovidingtheenergyandknowledgetodothisandhavecontributedtomakingthenonwovensandrelatedindustriesoneofthemostinnovativeandhigh-techsectors.EDANAhassupportedthenonwovensandrelatedindustriesthroughthedevelopmentoftestmethodstoevaluatetheperformanceofproducts.Testlaboratoriesplayaninstrumentalroleintheassessmentandoptimisationofproductperformance,therebyprovidingadditionalproductbenefitsandreducingtheresourcesneededtoachievedesiredresults.
Diapers
Polyethyleneterephthalate
Machinerybuilders
Researchinstitutes
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT14.
G. KEY APPLICATIONS
Comfort and convenience: Hygiene
Modernabsorbenthygieneproducts(AHPs)havemadeanimportantcontribution tothequalityoflifeandskinhealth ofmillionsofpeople.UsersofAHPs (i.e.babydiapers,femininehygieneproductsandadultincontinenceproducts)benefitfromthesoftness,smoothness,leakageprevention,strengthandprotection providedbynonwovensincombination withothermaterialssuchaspulpand superabsorbentpolymers.
TheabsorbenthygieneproductsindustryinEuropeiscommittedtotheconceptofsustainabilityandworkshardtomakeapositivecontributiontoallaspectsofsustainability,betheysocial,environmentaloreconomic.Sincewebeganreportingontheindustry’ssustainabilityperformance in2005,measurableimprovementshavebeenshown.
Kind to seeds and shoots: Agriculture
Nonwovensareusedeffectivelyforoptimisingtheproductivityofcrops,gardensandgreenhouses.Theirprotectivenaturereducestheneedforpesticidesandkeepsmanuallabourtoaminimum.Theuseofnonwovencropcoversonthelandincreasesyieldsandimprovesthequalityofthecrops.Light,flexiblesheetslaidoverseedbedscreateamicroclimatewhereheatandhumidityarecontrolled.Plantgrowthisaccelerated,andtheyareprotectedfromadverseweatherconditionsandvermin.Incapillarymatapplications,nonwovenspromotethehealthygrowthofflowersandvegetablesingreenhouses.
Safer motoring: Automotive
Theuseofnonwovensinautomotiveapplicationshasincreasedsubstantiallyinrecentyears.Todaymorethan40automotivepartsaremadewithnonwovenfabrics,fromtrunklinersandcarpetstoairandfuel
filters.Byincorporatingessentialpropertieswhicharenecessaryforgoodperformanceandsafety,nonwovenshelpreducetheweightofthecar,enhancethecomfortandaestheticsandprovideadvancedinsulation,fireretardancyandresistancetowater,fuels,extremesoftemperatureandabrasion.Nonwovensareeasytohandleduringassembly.Theyaretailor-madefortheirfunctionandcanbeheatformed,embossed,lined,coatedandprinted.Inshort,theycontributetomakingcarssafer,moreattractive,longer-lasting,morecost-effectiveandmoresustainable.Theyarealsowidelyusedinthedesignandconstructionofothervehiclesincludingplanes,trains,boats,spacecraft,andsatellites.
Keeping in shape: Interlinings
Usedformanydecadesinhidden,supportfunctions,suchasinterliningsandcomponentsofshoesandbags,today’sdesignersusenonwovensasacreativeandversatilenewmaterial.
Theirsuccessliesintheirversatilityandalsotheabilitytoengineermanydifferentpropertiesintothem,suchasshaperetention,adaptationtothecharacteristics oftheouterfabricandlightnessinweight.
For the bricks and mortar: Construction
Inthecontextofvolatileoilpricesandregulationfortheenergyefficiencyofbuildings,recyclabilityofconstructionmaterials,andfireresistance,nonwovensprovidecost-effectivesolutionstobuildingandconstructionchallenges.Inthistypeofapplication,durability,strengthandinsulationpropertiesmakenonwovensamaterialofchoice,atthesametimeincreasingperformanceandextendingthelifespanofbuildings.Forexample,non-perforated,nonwovenpolymerichousewrapmaterialdecreasesairinfiltration,resultinginincreasedenergyefficiencyandmaximummoisturecontrol,providingsavingsforboththebuilderduringinstallation,andthehomeownerafterwards.
Nonwovensarealsoemployedinboth theflatandpitchedroofingmarkets. Increasinglydemandingbuildingstandards,energy-savingschemesandchangingweatherpatternsaredrivingtheneedforbreathableandimperviousunderlaysfor
Floorunderlay
Hygieneproducts
Cropcovers
Carseats
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 15.
pitchedroofsandanimprovedbaseforbituminousmembranes,bothofwhichcanbestbeservedwithversatilenonwovens.Thegrowthpotentialfornonwovensintheconstructionindustryincludestheiruseasfacingsforplasterboardforincreasedthermalandsoundinsulation,forpanelsincavitywalls,andforfloorandwallcoverings.Theywillhaveasignificantparttoplayintheweather-proofingandinsulationofexistingbuildingstock.
Home comforts: Household
Nonwovensareusedinamultitudeofhouseholdapplicationsrangingfromcleaningandfiltering,toaddinganaesthetictouchtothehome.Usedinbedrooms,kitchens,diningroomsandlivingrooms,highperformancenonwovenscreatecomfortable,practical,hygienicandbeautifulsolutionsformodernliving.
Nonwovensinthehomefurnishingindustryareevolvingfromuseintraditionalapplicationssuchasupholstery,floorcoverings,underlayandblanketstoinnovative,smartsolutionswhichimproveandprotectinteriors.
In good health: Medical
Nonwovensareextensivelyusedinthemedicalfieldandinprotectionagainstbiologicalagentsinothersectors. Theycanbedesignedtodelivercriticalsafetyproperties,suchasprotectionagainstinfectionsanddiseases,forthebenefit ofboththehealthcareprofessionaland thepatient.
Withtoday’smulti-drugresistantstrainsofbacteriaandviruses,nonwovensareessentialinthefightagainstcross-contamination,andthespreadofinfectioninamedicalorsurgicalenvironment.Becausetheyareusedonlyonceandincineratedafteruse,theneedforhandlingisavoidedandthespreadofcontaminantsisminimised.Nonwovensarealsoincreasinglyamajorcomponentinthedesignof‘smart’woundcareproductsandimplantabledevices.
Cleaner air and water: Filtration
Efficient,highperformancefiltershelpprotecttheenvironmentandimproveliving
conditionsbydeliveringcleanerwaterandairtoourcommunities,regardlessofwheretheylive.Asfiltrationmedia,nonwovensareincreasinglyreplacingtraditionalcelluloseorfibreglass-basedfilters.
Asoneofthefastestgrowingsegmentsinthenonwovensindustry,filtrationischaracterisedbydozensofend-useareasandapplications.Nonwovenscanbeengineeredtomeetexactspecificationsandstringentregulatoryrequirementsforthefiltrationofair,liquidandgasandinmanycasesarethemediumofchoice.
For busy lifestyles: Wipes
Nonwovenwipesprovidestrengthandsoftness,hygieneandconvenience.Overthepastdecadeanincreasinglydiverserangeofpersonalhygienewetwipeshasbecomeavailable.Theappealofsingle-usewetwipesinboththeconsumerandhealthcaremarketsisprimarilydowntoconvenienceandeaseofuse,andsupportedbytheirabilitytocleantheskinorenvironment,andthenbedisposedof–controllingbacteria,andprovidingacleanerskinorhomeenvironment.Bymodifyingthebasematerialandliquidtypes,manufacturersareabletotailorthephysicalpropertiesoffinishedproductstospecificuserneeds.Wipesarealsousedforavarietyofapplicationsinindustryincludingfoodserviceandindustrialandspecialisedcleaningoperations.
Structural stability: Geotextiles
Tensilepropertiesandlongevityareoftheutmostimportanceforgeotextileproductsandtheiruseinconstructionprojects.Throughutilisationofnewproductiontechnologydevelopmentsforimproving thepropertiesingeotextilesithas,in recentyears,beenpossibletoreducethe weightofgeotextileproductsbyupto 10%whilemaintainingtherequired performanceproperties.
Geotextiles
Cleaningwipes
Infectionprevention
Airfilters
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT16.
EDANAispromotingsustainabilitythroughtheintegrationofenvironmental,socialandeconomicconsiderationsintoallaspectsofourpoliciesandactivities.Inordertocontributetoamoresustainableindustryweacknowledgeandconsidertheimpactofourdecisionsandactionsbeyondthegatesofcompaniesandthebordersofoursupplychain,andrecognisethatcontinuousimprovementisessential.
PROMOTINGSUSTAINABILITY:ACTIVE ON ALL FRONTS
6.
A. LIFE WITH NONWOVENS: COMMUNICATING THE BENEFIT
In2013EDANAlaunchedafull-spectrumsustainabilitystudywiththesupportofitsmembercompaniesandDenkstatt,aninternationally-respectedconsultancyinthefieldofsustainabilityheadquarteredinVienna,Austria.
The‘LifewithNonwovens’studyconsidersallthreedimensionsofsustainabilityviaaseriesofcasestudiesindifferentapplicationsectorsofnonwovens.Fortheselectedcasestudies,importantprimarydataforthetotallifecycle,includingproduction,use,andend-of-lifephaseswerecollected,representativeofEuropeanconditions.
Theuseofnonwovenshasincreasedsubstantiallyinrecentyearsandtheirbenefitsarepresentinalmosteveryaspectofmodernlife.Nonwovensprovideamultitudeofbenefitstosocietyasawhole.
Diapers,incontinenceandfemininehygieneproductsmakeahugecontributiontothecomfortandconvenienceofgoodhygieneformillionsofpeopleonadailybasis.Nonwovensurgicalgownsanddrapeshelppreventinfectionintheoperatingtheatre,whilestate-of-the-artshort-useprotectivesuitsandmasksprotectagainsthazardousdustsandchemicals.Nonwovenfiltermediacanimproveboththepurityofwaterand airquality,whileabsorbentnonwovens helpcleanupoilspillsandgeotextiles makeourroadslastlonger,andbuildings performbetter.
Acarbonfootprintmodelwasdevelopedbasedonthecasestudies,andthecalculationsmadecoverthetotallife-cycleofproduction(includingtheproductionanddeliveryofrawmaterialsandfuels),aswellaseffectsinuseandwastemanagement.Emissiondatawerecalculatedforproduction,use,andwastemanagement perkgorm²ofproductmadeforeach selectedapplication.
Economicdatawasalsocollectedandcostcalculationsmade,andthesocialaspectsofusingnonwovensaredescribedqualitatively.
Basedonthisstudy,EDANAhasgeneratedaseriesofinfographicshighlightingthebenefitsofnonwovenstosocietyasawholeineachoftheapplicationareascoveredintheDenkstattReport:
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 17.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT18.
Geotextiles: Road construction
Nonwovensusedinroadconstructionmeanastrongerroad,whichcanbemanufacturedwithfewermaterials.
Bylettingwaterpassthroughthenonwovenlayer,thiskeepsothermaterialsfromslippingaway.
Bybeinglighter,thinnerandmoreresource-efficientthangravel,nonwovengeotextilesofferbothanenvironmentalbenefit,andcostsavings.
AROUND 750 KM2
OF GEOTEXTILE NONWOVENS (THE EQUIVALENT OF MORE THAN 185,000 FOOTBALL FIELDS) ARE MANUFACTURED AND SOLD EVERY YEAR. 60% OF THIS IS USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS.
NONWOVENS
GRAVEL
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 19.
Crop covers
Nonwovensprotectcrops,whichmeansmoreefficientagriculturalproduction.
Byincreasingtheproductionandlimitingdamagetocrops,nonwovensensurethatwhatisgrowninthefieldcounts.
Twotypesofcropcoversareused,toeitherprotectthefruitorvegetablewhileit’sgrowingonthefield,ortoprotecttheproduceonceit’sbeenharvested.
Nonwovencropcoverscanalsobeusedagainandagain,makingtheiruseeven morevaluable.
Limitingexposuretofrost,wind,rain,hail,andanimals(bothbigandsmall),nonwovensofferprotectionfortheproduceand farmeralike.
AROUND
1,840 MILLION M2OF NONWOVENS FOR CROP COVERS (THE EQUIVALENT OF 40,000 TONNES) ARE MANUFACTURED AND SOLD EVERY YEAR.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT20.
NONWOVENS ARE
USED IN 37 DIFFERENT VEHICLE COMPONENTS,A NUMBER SET TO FURTHER INCREASE
Automotive: Lightweight fabrics for vehicles
Nonwovensareusedinmanypartsofacar,includingtemperatureandsoundinsulation,seating,linersfortheroofandwheel arches,andliningsandcarpetsthroughout thevehicle.
Nonwovensreplaceheaviermaterials,meaninglightercarswhichuselessfuel,generatinglessgreenhousegasemissions.Thisleadstoimprovedairquality,savingresourcesandbetterhealthforpeople.
Moreefficientproductionisalsoachievedwiththeuseofrecycledpolyesterinseating,flooring,liningsandinsulation,meaningafurtherreductionoftheenvironmentalimpactofnonwovensandthecarstheyareusedin.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 21.
Automotive filtration
Nonwovenfilterscanbefoundinmanyapplicationsinyourcar,includingcleaningcabinair,fuel,motoroilandtheengine airintake.
Theyaremadeofcellulosicpulp,polyester,glassfibresoracombinationofall.
Nonwovenfiltersaremoreefficienttoproduce,smaller,lighteranddon’tneedtobechangedasoftenasotherfilters.Mostofall,theymakeeverykilometreyoudrive moreefficient.
Withouthighperformancenonwovens,manyrecentinnovationstomakecarscleanerandmoreefficientwouldnothavebeenpossible.Thankstononwovens,today’sefficientmotortechnologymeansfuelsavingsandlesspollution,contributingtocleanerairandbetterhealthforallpeople.
NONWOVEN FILTERS CONTRIBUTE TO
MAKING VEHICLES MORE EFFICIENT
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT22.
ThesocialpillarofsustainabilityhasbecomemoreimportantinEDANAmembers’approachtosustainability.Thiscanbeexplainedbyseveralfactors,includingaconsciousdecisionbycompaniestoemphasisesocialaspectsinordertobeclosertoconsumersbydemonstratingtheiraddedvaluetosociety.Overall,abetterbalancebetweenthevariouscomponentsofsustainabilityeffortscouldindicatethatcompaniesaretakingsustainabilitytothenextlevel,withastrongerintegrationinday-to-dayoperationsandmorecommunication,includingthroughsocialmedia.
EDANA AND ITS MEMBER COMPANIES SEE
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AS AN AREA OF INCREASED FOCUS AND IMPORTANCE
B. EDANA SUSTAINABILITY SURVEY
Followingthetwoprevioussustainabilityengagementsurveysconductedin2009and2012,EDANArepeatedthisexercisein2014toreportontrendsamongitsmembercompaniesandbetterunderstandanddeliveronneedsandexpectationsinthefieldofsustainability.61companiesrespondedtothissurvey,amarkedincreasefromthepreviouseditions.RespondentswerespreadacrossapplicationsfornonwovensandrelatedproductsandoverallveryrepresentativeofEDANA’stotalmembership,withcompaniesfromallpartsofthe valuechain.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 23.
Sustainabilityisnowincreasinglyintegratedinthefullcycleofoperations,fromproductdevelopmenttomarketing.Thisconfirmsthatcompaniesfocusonefficiencyinallaspectsofaproductandalsoindicatesthatfromtheearlystagesofproductdevelopmentthebenefitsoftheproductareevaluatedsotheycanbeleveragedinmarketingandcommunicationactivities. Alesseremphasisonrawmaterialssourcingfromasustainabilityperspectiveismostlikelyduetothefactthatcompanieshavealreadymadesignificanteffortstoevaluaterawmaterialsasthisisalogicalplacetostartwhenlookingtomakeoperationsmoreefficient,andcompaniesgraduallymoveontootherfunctionssuchasproduction.
Intermsofkeydriversforsustainability,amajorshiftcanbeobservedfromconsumerstocustomers.Thisispartlyduetoa higherlevelofparticipationofcompanies operatinghigherupinthevaluechain,on astrictlybusiness-to-businessplatform. Howeverthisalsoconfirmsthatwherecompanieswererespondingtoatypicallyvaguenotionofpopulardemandforsustainabilityafewyearsago,theyhavenow
setuproutinecommunicationswiththeircustomersandfocusonconcrete,operationaspectsofsustainability.Sustainabilityisincreasinglypartofcorporatepolicy. Theimportanceofstakeholdergroupse.g.non-governmentalorganisations(NGOs)isgrowingastheyareincreasinglysuccessfulatusingsocialmediaandtraditionalcommunicationtoolstomobiliseconsumers.Localgovernmentisincreasinglyawareofsustainabilityaspects,theimplementationofenvironmentallegislationatlocallevelismorerigorousandsustainabilityaspectsareincreasinglyintegratedinpublicprocurementpolicy.
SUSTAINABILITY IS PART OF
ALL AREAS OF OPERATIONS IN MOST COMPANIES
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT24.
Certificationbodies,althoughstillthemostfrequentlyquotedaskeysustainabilitystakeholders,seemtobelessatthecentre ofthefocusofcompanies,whichisalso normalasoncecertificationissecured, managementofnewproductsandrenewalofcertificatesrequirelessfrequentinteraction.Non-governmentalorganisations(NGOs)andcompaniesareincreasingengagingindiscussionsonsustainability-relatedtopics.Asdiscussedearlierondriversforsustainability,NGOsareincreasinglypowerful.Inmanycasestheyhavealsobecomemoreprofessionalandpragmatic,shiftingtheirapproachawayfromextremeandemotional,whichhasmadeitpossibleforcompaniestoengageinconstructivedialogueandinanincreasingnumberofcasesestablishpartnerships.
Challenges
EDANAmembersfaceanumberofsustainability-relatedchallenges,rangingfromglobalfactorsimpactingallindustriestoissueswithinthevaluechainandspecifictononwovensandrelatedproducts.Oneofthemainchallengesisthelackofconsistencyofneedsandexpectationsfromoneregiontothenext,butalsothelackofharmonisationintermsofdefinitions,standardsandregulationsinthefieldofsustainability.Overallrespondentsfeltthattherearesignificantandgrowingconstraintsbothexternalandfromwithinthevaluechain,leadingtochallengingcircumstancesforcompanies.
Opportunities
EDANAmembersseesustainabilityasanimperativetomaintainthelicenseforindustrytooperatewithinsociety.Theyalsoseesustainabilityasadriverofbenefitsforcompaniesinitself(efficiencies)butalsothroughpositivesynergiesandindirectbenefitssuchasnewmarketopportunities,increasedinnovation,betterperceptionofthecompanyandmoreengagementwithpartnersinthevaluechain.
Thevastmajorityofexamplesgivenforsocialsustainabilityactionsconsistof‘traditional’activitiesrelatedtothecontributionofcompaniestolocalcommunities,orinternalmeasuresfocusedonemployees.Afewexamplesillustratearecenttrendforcompaniestoinnovatebyusingnewproductstoaddresspressingissuesandgeneratedirectbenefitsforsociety,e.g.theprovisionofwaterfilterswheredrinkingwaterisnotsafe.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 25.
C. INDEX™ 14 AWARDS EXPANDED
TheINDEX™InnovationAwardsarestagedeverythreeyearsaspartofEDANA’sindustry-leadingglobalexhibitionheldinGeneva,Switzerland.
INDEX™washeldfromApril8-112014andtheInnovationAwardshavebeenexpandedtoincludetwocategorieswhichspecificallyrecognisethesustainableachievementsofourmembers–themostSustainableProduct,aswellasthemostSustainableProcessorManagementPractice.
Thewinnersofthe2014editionwere: — TJ Beall Company withTrueCotton™,anon-scoured,non-bleached100%naturalgreigecottonnonwovenforwoundhealingandhygienicproductapplications.
— AhlstromwiththeFlow2Save™,afiltermediacreatedtosaveenergyandtakeindoorairqualitytothenextlevel.
D. SYMPOSIUM: CONSIDERING RENEWABLE RAW MATERIALS
EDANA’srecentone-daysymposiumontheuseofrenewablerawmaterialsinnonwovensandrelatedproducts,wasattendedby27participantsrepresenting 18EDANAmembercompaniesfrom 13countries.
SpeakersincludedadelegatefromtheEuropeanCommissionwhooutlinedthesignificanceoftheEU’sHorizon2020andBioeconomyStrategy.
Thedevelopmentoftherenewablerawmaterialsindustryinsuccessivewaveswasoutlinedandfurthersourcingfromnon-foodbiomassisanticipated,inadditiontothewideradoptionoflignin-basedchemistry.
Thechemicalandpolymerindustry’soverallgoalistoincreaseresourceefficiencywhilereducingresourceintensity,whichsuggeststheuseofsustainably-sourcedrenewableresourcesandlowenergybiotechprocesseswhereverpossible,butitwillbelargelyuptoindustrytomovethingsforward.
Pulpisanexampleofarenewablematerialwherecertificationsystemshavebeendevelopedinordertoassurethatthemanagementandsourcingoftherawmaterialisperformedinasustainableway.
Whilestillinitsinfancy,thebioplasticsindustryfacesfarmorechallengestogrowththantheconventionalplasticsindustryhaseverexperienced,andoilandgasareunlikelytobeasscarceorexpensiveaspreviouslyassumedinthecomingyears,asaresultofinitiativessuchasfracking,deepseaoildrilling,tarsands,shalegasetc.
Awiderangeofinitiativeshighlightingfurtheropportunitiesforbio-basednonwovensandpromotedbyEDANAmembercompanieswerepresentedat thesymposium.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT26.
EDANArecognisestheimportanceofresponsibleadvertisingandmarketingonproductsasanessentialwayofinformingcustomersandconsumersaboutthecharacteristicsandqualitiesoftheirproducts.Assuch,ourmember companiescommittoensuringthat environmentalclaims:
• Complywithallrelevantregulatory frameworks;
• Aresincere,truthfulandnotvague ormisleading;
• Allowcustomersandconsumerstomake informedchoices;
• Promotefaircompetition;and
• Aimtopreventclaimsthatmaybeunfair ormisleading.
E. GUIDANCE: EFFECTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CLAIMS
InJune2014EDANApublisheditsfirstEnvironmentalClaimsGuidelines,specificallydesignedforthenonwovensandrelatedindustriesbyadedicatedgroupofexpertsfrommembercompanies.
Thesedemonstrateacommitmenttoapplyingthehigheststandardsofresponsibility,representinggoodbusinesspracticetobefollowedonavoluntarybasis.
Theguidelinesareaimedatprovidingusefulinformationforthosemakingself-declaredclaimsinenvironmentalstatements,graphicsorimagery(i.e.madewithoutindependentthird-partycertification),butalsoprovidegoodpracticeforanytypeofclaimincludingthirdpartycertificationandlabels.
Theguidelinesaredesignedasalivingdocumentandwillbereviewedevery twoyears.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 27.
F. EXPERTPANEL: CONSIDERING FUTURE WASTE MANAGEMENT
Thekeyaimsoftherecenttwo-dayRightforHygieneExpertPanelonWastewereto:
• Fullyunderstandthefuturedevelopment ofwastemanagementmethodsand possiblewaysforabsorbenthygiene products(AHPs)andwipestoaccompany thisdevelopmenttoreinforceefficiencies;
• Identifyopportunitiesforindustryto takefurtheractiontoensuresustainable managementofwaste;
• Gaininsightintowhicharethekeyplayers ourindustryshouldpartnerwith;and
• Gaininsightonthecurrentandfuture compatibilityofAHPsandwipeswith majorwastemanagementtechnologies andidentifyareasforfurtherimprovement.
AnoverviewofthevariousAHPsandtheirpropertiesrevealedthatoverthepast25years,theweightofanaveragebabydiaperhasbeenreducedbymorethan44%. Butatthesametime,AHPsarebecomingmorevisibleinthewastestreamduetoincreasedsortingandcollectionofothermaterialsandAHPscanalsoweighuptofivetimestheirdryweightatdisposal.
PerspectivesonvariouswastedisposalmethodsandtheiradvantagesanddisadvantagesfrombothcountrieswithinEuropeandfromacrosstheglobewerepresentedbyspecialistsinthisfield.
TheEuropeanUnion’sLandfillDirectivewasissuedtomemberstatesin1999,withtheaimofpreventingorreducing,asfar
aspossible,thenegativeeffectsontheenvironmentfromthelandfillingofwaste.
ThislegislationhashadimportantimplicationsforwastehandlinganddisposalandincinerationforenergyrecoveryisemergingastheforerunnerinavailableoptionswithinEuropealthoughtherearesignificantdifferencesbetweencountries.
Therearealsomanygoodpracticesindevelopingcountries,wherewastefromAHPsandwipesneedstobetreatedwithlowertechnologycomparedtoEurope.Answerscouldbefoundbasedonsimplesolutionsandexistingstructures.
Thepanelconcludedthatthereisaneedtoreviewthedefinitionofsustainabilityfor theAHPandwipesindustriesandthat infuture,itcouldplayaroleinthedevelopmentofadetailedoverviewofwastemanagementoptions.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 27.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT28.
G. ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATIONS
SeveralmembersofEDANAactivelyuseEnvironmentalProductDeclarations(EPD®)oftheInternationalEPD®Systemtodetermineandcommunicatetheenvironmentalimpactoftheirproducts. Aprerequisitefordoingthisistheexistence
ofProductCategoryRules(PCR),whichdefinethecriteriaandmethodologyemployedtoevaluatetheenvironmentalimpactofaproduct.
Theserulesaredevelopedthroughanopenconsensus-basedstakeholderconsultation,andarethenreviewedbyanexpertTechnicalCommittee.ThePCRareusedtomanageenvironmentalproductdeclarations.
DEFINING BOUNDARIES AND DESIGNING
TOOLS TO EFFECTIVELY EVALUATE AND CERTIFY SUSTAINABILITY
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 29.
EDANAhascoordinatedthedraftingofPCRforabsorbenthygieneproducts,ensuringthattheapproachusedtodeterminetheirenvironmentalimpactintheframeworkofanenvironmentalproductdeclarationisrealisticandscience-based.Inpractice,
theseruleshavealsobeenusedingreenpublicprocurementorecolabellingwhenestablishingwhatareimportantpartsofthelifecycleforthesetypesofproducts.
H. SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATION OF ABACA FIBRES
Asaresultofdiscussionsinitiatedand co-ordinatedbyEDANA,membercompaniesarenowactiveinacooperationwiththeRainforestAllianceinthePhilippinesforthesustainableproductionofabacafibre.
AbacaisakeyrawmaterialintheproductionofwetlaidnonwovensforteabagsandwidelygrowninthePhilippines.Pulpderivedfromtheabacaplantprovidesarapidlyrenewablesourceoffibreforhigh-qualitypaper. Afterharvesting,itrenewsitselfuptoeighttimesmorequicklythanmosttreesthatareusedforwoodpulpandreducestheneed forfertilizers.
TheRainforestAllianceiswellrecognisedinthefieldofsustainableagricultureandasustainableabacacertificationschemehasnowbeenestablished,followingaseriesoftrainingsessionswithlocalfarmers,cooperatives,exportersandtraderstogenerateinterest.
Thecreationofthecertificationschemewillgreatlycontributetothegrowthofabacaasaresourceformoresustainablematerialsandwillalsoconsiderablystabilisetheabacafibremarket.TherapiddevelopmentofthisnewcertificationschemeisvitaltoensurethefutureofabacafibreasarawmaterialandapremiumperkiloofcertifiedproductsisnowbeinggrantedbyEDANAmembers.
OneabacaproductionfacilityinthePhilippinesnowsupportstheworkof100,000farmersandtheirfamilies. Inadditiontoprovidingemploymentandfaircompensation,itisalsohelpingsupporttheconstructionandrenewalofcommunityprojectssuchasschoolsandclinics.
©Joh
nWas
hing
ton/Wikim
edia
Common
s/CC-
BY-S
A-4.0
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT30.
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS7.
ThefirstEDANALCAprojectstartedinJune1993,with66membercompaniesparticipating.Thesingle-usediaperwaschosenasreferencefortheprojectsinceitinvolvedthemostEDANAmembersatthevariousstagesofthevaluechain.
Thisinitialprojectestablished:
• AcommonapproachtoLCAmethodology;
• Theadoptionofasoftwaresystem forcalculations;
• Theestablishmentofadatabaserelevant toeachcompany;and
• Abaselineforeachcompanytomeasure futureproductandprocessimprovements.
ThecompaniesinvolvedconfirmedthatwhatwascrucialtothesuccessoftheLCAmethodwastheabilitytocollectreliabledata.
Thisrequiredamajorcontributionfromthesuppliersinrespectofalloftherawmaterialsinvolved,whichhassubsequentlybeenratifiedandemployedinthedevelopmentoftheadvancedSupplierStandardswhichhavebeenestablishedbythemajorconsumercompaniesinbabydiapersandotherproducts.
Theresultisthattodaythereisahighdegreeoftransparencywithinthesesupplychainsandthereisadeepandthoroughknowledgewithinindustryabouttheimportantenvironmentalimpactsofabsorbent hygieneproducts.
MembersofEDANAwereactiveveryearlyinLifeCycleAssessment(LCA)studies–thefirstEDANALCAworkshopheldin1992attractedover100delegatesfrommorethan60EDANAmembercompanies.
EDANA AND ITS MEMBERS HAVE BEEN
PIONEERS IN LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENTS SINCE 1992
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 31.
ThelatestEDANALCAstudyonbabydiaperproductsshowsthattheweightofanaveragebabydiaperhasbeenreducedbynearly50%,from65gramsin1987tojust33gramsin2013.Thishasbeen
OthersubsequentLCAscarriedoutbyEDANAhaveincluded:
• Anecoprofileofpolyesternonwovensfor roofingmembranes;
• Lifecycledataforincontinenceproducts;
• Wastemanagementalternatives fordiapers;
• Atrendanalysisoftheenvironmental performanceofbabydiapersand incontinenceproducts;
• ALifeCycleAssessmentof superabsorbentpolymer(SAP);and
• FurtherLCAsonbothbabyand industrialwipes.
EDANAhasmostrecentlyconductedLCAsforbothbabydiapersandincontinenceproducts,updatingaprevious2005LCATrendAnalysis.Bothproductcategoriesshowdifferentdevelopmentsintermsofproductdesignwithareducedenvironmentalimpact.
Forbabydiapers,alargerweightdecreasewasobserved.Thetypeofincontinenceproductschoseninthissecondfollow-up (all-in-oneincontinenceproducts)areinfluencedbytestmethodsinpublicprocurementpoliciesandnationalreimbursementschemes,whichmakeweightreductionabiggerchallenge.However,forthefullassortmentofincontinenceproductsonthemarket,
awidevarietyofproducttypes,suchaslightincontinenceproducts,beltedproductsandpantproductsensuresthattheindustrycanprovideproductsbestsuitedfortheintendedpurpose,resultinginanefficientuse ofresources.
achievedthroughmanychangesinproductdesignandthereduceduseofpulpandPE(polyethylene)films.ConsistentwithpreviousdiaperLCAstudies,theproductionofrawmaterialsisthekeydriverbehindall
environmentalindicators,makingproductweightreductionthemethodofchoice toimprovetheenvironmentalprofile ofproducts.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 31.
BABY DIAPERS
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT32. SUSTAINABILITY REPORT32.
LCA RESULTS FOR BABY DIAPERS
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 33.SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 33.
BETWEEN 1987 AND 2013 PRODUCERS OF BABY DIAPERS IN EUROPE ACHIEVED A
REDUCTION IN WEIGHT OF NEARLY 50%
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT34. SUSTAINABILITY REPORT34.
LCA RESULTS FOR INCONTINENCE PRODUCTS
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 35.
Theproductweightreductionisachievedbythereduceduseofpulp,PEfilmandotherpolymericmaterialssuchasadhesives andfasteningsystems.Tosomeextent, itiscounterbalancedwithanincreasein useofnonwovensandsuperabsorbents. Thesuperabsorbentsaddedareneededtokeeporevenimprovetheabsorptioncapacitywhenpulpistakenaway.
Takingintoaccountthecombinedeffectsofthevariousparameters,theimprovedenvironmentalperformancefortheall-in-oneproductbetween1995and2013rangedbetween10and72%.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 35.
ALL-IN-ONE INCONTINENCE PRODUCTS SHOW A WEIGHT REDUCTION OF
12% BETWEEN 1995 AND 2013
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT36.
TAKING A LONG-TERM APPROACH8.
A. EMPLOYMENT AND REVENUE GENERATION: ADDING VALUE FOR EUROPE
IngreaterEurope(theEU27plusTurkeyandRussia),thenonwovensindustrygeneratedmorethan€6.3billioninrevenuesin2013andprovideddirectemploymentto24,000people.Thecompletevaluechainsurroundingnonwovensaccountsforsignificantlymorerevenuegenerationandhighlyqualifiedjobs.
Thenonwovensandrelatedindustriesisalsoagrowingsector.In2013theproductionofnonwovensingreaterEuropeincreasedby
2.0%involume,reaching2,044,215tonnes–over76,00040-tonnetrucksofproduct.TheproductionintheCommonwealthofIndependentStates(mainlyRussia,BelarusandUkraine)andTurkeycontinuedtogrow,respectivelyby+4.8%and+12.9%.
In2013severalmarketsegmentsrecordedtheirbestoutputever,despitesometimeslimitedgrowth;includinghygiene,wipesforpersonalcare,automotiveandfloorcoveringsin2013.Theperformanceofthesesectorsmorethancompensatedforaweakconstructionsector,negativelyimpactingsalesofnonwovensinroofing,building,andcivilengineering/undergroundapplications.
Theamountofnonwovenssoldtothepersonalcarewipesmarketshowedoneofthemostimportantgrowthratesin2013(+12.4%intonnesand+10.9%insurfacearea).Otherpositiveevolutions,inpercentage,wereobservedmainlyinmedical(+13.6%),air&gasfiltration(+7.7%),
garments(+6.4%)andautomotive(+4.1%).Negativedevelopmentswererecordedin2013inshoe/leathergoods(-14%)andinterlinings(-10.6%).Asofthe2013statistics,anewcategoryforthenonwovenusedinFood&Beverageapplicationshasbeenintroducedinourmarketsegmentation andhasbeenestimatedatmorethan 63,000tonnes.
Nonwovensarebecominglighterandlighter:theproductioninsurfacearea,whichhadincreasedalreadyby5.0%in2011and3.1%in2012,continuedtogrowfasterthantheoutputinweight;anincreaseof2.9%toreachalevelof59,833millionin2013. In2013,theaveragegrammage(weight persurfacearea)showedagainaslight decrease,fromaround34.44g/m²in2012 to34.17g/m².33.7%ofthepolyesterused innonwovensisrecycledPET,amounting to145,200tonnesfromatotalof 431,400tonnes.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 37.
B. FUTUREGROWTH: TAKING FULL RESPONSIBILITY
Futuretrendssuchaspopulationgrowth,theincreasingspendingpowerofthemiddleclassinemergingeconomiesandageingpopulationsindevelopedeconomies,suggestthatthenonwovensindustryispoised forsignificantgrowthinthefuture. Embeddingprinciplesofresponsiblegrowthinourindustrywillbeessentialtomaintainingourlicensetooperate.
Ourindustryhasplacedsignificantfocusondevelopingsustainableandmoreenvironmentallysoundproductsasit lookstogrowthinmarketsinAsiaand SouthAmerica.
C. SUPPORTING FREE AND FAIR TRADE
EDANAsupportsfreeandfairtrade. Asanindustryweareinfavourofremovingobstaclestotrade,whethertheybetariffornon-tariffbarrierssuchastechnicalspecifications,standardsoradministrativeproceduresmakingitmoredifficulttoimportnonwovensorrelatedproducts.
Thisdoesn’tmeanwesupporttheunilateraleliminationoftariffs.Webelievethatfreetradeshouldresultfromalignmentonthelowesttarifflevelsbetweentwoblocks,eitherspontaneously(whichisuncommon),orthroughtransparentnegotiationsbetweentradingpartners,asillustratedbythemanytradenegotiationsbetweentheEuropeanUnionandnumerouscountries,includingtheUS,Japan,andIndiatonamejustthree.
WeareverypleasedtohavereachedconsensuswithourpartnersfromJapan.WiththeEU-USandEU-CanadaFTAsalsoliberalisingtradeinnonwovensandEU-Indianegotiationshopefullysoonunderway,ournextbigprioritiesareChinaandtheMercosurcountries(Argentina,Brazil,Paraguay,Uruguay,andVenezuela)whosetariffsonnonwovensarestillatunjustifiablyhighlevels.
Inadditiontosupportingsuchnegotiations,EDANAalsoworksinthefieldofproducttestingandstandardsandcoordinateswithitsmembercompaniesinmanymarketstoharmonisethewayinwhichproductsareassessedandfacilitateaccesstomarkets.
BETWEEN 2005 AND 2013 THE PRODUCTION OF NONWOVENS FOR GREATER EUROPE HAS
GROWN 3.8% IN WEIGHT AND 5.7% IN SURFACE AREA
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT38.
D. HEALTHCARE BENEFITS: PREVENTING INFECTION
WitheverytenthpatientintheEUsaidtobeimpactedbyhealthcareassociatedinfections(HAIs),patientsafetyisatoppriorityforeveryhospital.
HAIscauseasignificantnegativeimpactonthelivesofpeople,oftencausingpatientstostayhospitalisedforprolongedperiodsandsufferadditionalpainanddiscomfort.Beyondthehumansufferingcaused,HAIshaveafinancialcosttothepatient,tothehealthcareinstituteandtonationalbudgets.
AccordingtotheEuropeanCentreforDiseasePreventionandControl,thedirectcostoftheseinfectionsisnow€7billioneachyear,ofwhich€1.2billionisattributabletosurgicalsiteinfections.Inorthopedicsurgery,suchaninfectioncanprolongthehospitalstaybytwoweeks,increasinghealthcarecostsbymorethan300%.
Single-usenonwoven-basedgownsanddrapesareextremelyeffectivetoolsinfightingHAIs.
During2013EDANAwelcomedanewreportpreparedbytheEuropeanCentreforDiseasePreventionandControlmakinganumberofrecommendationsfordealingwithHAIs.
Experiencehasshownthatinsurgerysingle-usesurgicalbarriermaterials–gloves,gowns,drapesandmasks–areakeyfactorinpreventingthetransferofmicro-organisms.AlthoughinEuropethemarketpenetrationofsingle-usegownsanddrapeshasreachedaround60-65%–taking
intoaccountgeographicaldifferences–thisisstillsignificantlylowerthanintheUSA.MorehastobedonetohelpincreasingthatpenetrationandthuscontributetoeffortsofbetterinfectioncontroltoreduceHAIs.
ThemissionofEDANA’sMEDECO(medicaldevices)Committeeisthereforetopromotethebenefitsofsingle-usenonwovenproductstodecisionmakers,influencersandend-usersinsurgery,woundmanagementandinfectioncontrol,andtopromotehighlevelsofproductsafetyandqualityinaccordancewithestablishedqualitystandards.
Thesignificanceofdisinfectingwipesandothernonwoven-basedcleaningmaterialsinfightingHAI’sshouldalsonotbeoverlooked.
E. GUARANTEEING SAFE PRODUCTS
Theprinciplethatourproductsmustbesafeforconsumers,employeesandtheenvironmentisparamount.Itguidesourselectionofrawmaterials,productdesign,manufacturingcommunicationsandconsiderationsrelevanttoproductdisposal.Inordertoensurethesafetyofproducts:
• Rawmaterialsarerigorouslyevaluated withthehelpofspecialisedlaboratories fortoxicologicalevaluation,skin compatibility,stabilityandageingtests;
• Duringdesign,productintegritytestsare undertakentosimulatein-useconditions;
• Finishedproductsundergoinspection forabsenceofcontaminationand microbiologicalsafetyisensuredbyquality assurancesystems;and
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 39.
• Manufacturerscarryoutin-usetestingto ensuredermatologicalcompatibility.
Inadditiontoourindustry’svoluntarycommitmenttoproductsafety,wemustcomplywithallappropriatelegislation,technicalstandards,regulatoryprescriptionsandsafetyguidelines.Butourindustrydoesmorethanthis.Inadditiontosafetyevaluationprogrammes,companiescontinuouslymonitortheirproductsinuseandanyconcernsconsumersmayhaveinusingthem.Expertsareoftenconsultedtoensurethatallaspectsofsafetyareconsideredwhenmajorproductchangesarebeingundertakenoronthelaunchofnewproducts.Whereappropriate,clinicaltestsmaybeperformed.
F. TAKING A PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP APPROACH
OneofthekeyaspectsofEDANA’smissioninover40yearsofexistencehasbeentoprovideharmonisedtestmethods.Theseconstituteacommontechnicallanguageforallpartiestorefertowhendealingwithproductfeatures.Knowledgeoftheregulatoryrequirementsinvariouspartsoftheworldandmoreimportantly,supportingthedialoguebetweensuppliersandtheircustomersinthesupplychain,arevital.
Weencourageaproductstewardshipapproachamongourmembers. Nonwovensandnonwoven-basedproductsareusedandalmostuniversallyacceptedinawideportfolioofapplications.Highqualityandsafetyexpectationsfromconsumersandregulatorsandtheemergenceofnewand
complexregulationsacrosstheglobehaveaffectedthemarket.
Businesseswiththebestprospectsforsuccesswillbethosethatcanadaptquicklyandefficientlytothesenewrequirements.Itisnowmoreessentialthaneverforthenonwovensandrelatedindustriestoensureacontinuoussupplyofhigh-techandinnovativeproductsthatmeetthehighestqualityandsafetystandards.
EDANAsupportsthefurtherreductionoftheenvironmentalimpactofmanufacturing,distributionandadministrativeactivities.WeemployLifeCycleAssessment(LCA)techniquessothatactionscanbetaken toimproveenvironmentalperformance atallstagesoftheproductionprocess. InadditiontoourownLCAactivities,weworkwithregulatoryauthoritiestoensurethatenvironmentalstandardsarerigorousandmeaningful;wemeasureourperformanceagainstexternalstandardsandwe workwithotherstohelpfindnewand innovativesolutionstoreducingwastein thecommunity.
Inordertoimprovetheconsistencyandtheaccuracyofconsumerinformationonbabydiapers,EDANAdraftedconsumertestingguidelines.Theoverallobjectiveistoachieverelevantandfairtestsandreportsthroughbettercommunicationbetweenconsumertestingorganisationsandmanufacturers.Theguidelinesweredevelopedbyataskforceofmanufacturersofbabydiapersandtestlaboratories.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT40.
G. A LEVEL PLAYINGFIELD: HARMONISING TEST METHODS WORLDWIDE
EDANAactivelypromotestheharmonisationofproducttestmethodsatgloballevel. ThemostrecentillustrationofthiseffortistheacceptancebyISOtotaketheabsorptionbeforeleakagemethod(WSP354.0.R2)asaworkingitemforthecreationofaglobalstandardtotestadultincontinenceproducts.
Thisisanimportantdevelopmentforseveralreasons.Firstly,inconsistenciesbetweentestmethodsappliedinvariouscountriescreatebarrierstotrade,preventingourindustryfromgeneratingvaluefortheeconomy.Secondly,theuseofanISOtestbasedontheoreticalabsorbencyoftheproducts(RothwellMethodISO11948-1)inordertoqualifyforreimbursementinnationalsocialsecuritysystemshasledproducerstomakeproductsthatareheavierandlesseffective.Theintroductionofamethodwithamannequinthatismuchclosertotheactualuseoftheproductwillenablepatientstobenefitfromthinner,lighterandmoreeffectiveproductsthatarealsomuchmoreefficientandthereforegeneratealowerenvironmentalburdenasthousandsofincontinencesuffererswillbeabletousefewerandlighterproducts.Thiswillalsogeneratesocialbenefitsasincontinencesuffererswillenjoymorediscreetandeffectiveproductsallowingthemtoworkandbesociallyactive.Healthcarepersonnelwillalsobenefitfromtheincreasedconvenienceandfewerchangeswillenablethemtospendtimeonotheractivitiesratherthanchangingpatients.
H. COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE: QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL
Theroleplayedbynonwovensandrelatedproductsinimprovingthequalityoflifecannotbestressedenough.Theyareallaroundusandtheirbenefitsareoftentakenforgranted.
Single-usebabydiapershaveimprovedthequalityoflifeformillions.Astheproductofchoiceforover95%ofallfamiliesinEurope,theycontributetosocialprogressintermsofcomfort,convenience,areductioninhouseholdchoresandskinhealthbenefits.
Therecanbelittledoubtthattheconvenienceofsingle-usediapersisahugebenefittobusyparentsinaworldwheretimeisanincreasinglypreciousasset. Inlesseningtheburdenofdomesticchores,theyfreeparentstospendmoretimeonothervaluablefamilyandsocialactivities.
Theuseofsanitarynapkinsgreatlyimprovestheabilityoffemaleworkerstocontinuetoworkandpreventsinfections.Theprovisionofsanitarynapkinshasbeenassociatedwithimprovedmenstrualhygieneandareductioninreproductivetractinfections,inadditiontoreducingabsenteeism.
Indevelopingcountries,inadditiontotheoverallimprovementofqualityoflifeandhealthandhygienebenefits,theabilityforgirlstostayoninschoolhasapositiveimpactonthegrowthanddevelopmentoflocalcommunities,andtheireconomicdevelopmentandproductivity.
Inacontextofageingpopulations,incontinenceproductsareanimportanttoolinenablingthosewithincontinenceproblemstoworkandbeactive.
Nonwovensandrelatedproductsarepresentinmanyotherareassuchasfiltration,wheretheyhelpprovidecleanairandsafedrinkingwater,medicalapplicationswheretheyguaranteepatientsafetyandpreventinfectionandcontaminationoragricultureandpackaging,wherenonwovenshelppreventfoodfromgoingtowaste.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 41.
I. PREVENTING WASTE
EDANAprovidesaplatformforitsmemberstocommunicatetheireffortsinthefieldofsustainabilityandtosharebestpractices.Byreducingtheweightoftheproductsandatthetimeincreasingtheirperformance,nonwovensandrelatedproductsenablesignificantimprovementsinwastemanagement.Thankstolighterproducts,wasteisprevented,andmanynonwovenscanberecycledand/oraremadeof recycledmaterials.
Throughoutthevaluechain,companieshavemadesignificanteffortstoreducetheamountofwastegeneratedduringproductionandtolimittheweightofproductswhichinturnbecomewaste. Theexampleofabsorbenthygieneproductsshowsadrasticreductionoftheaverageweightofproducts.Today’sproductsaredesignedtoensuretheprudentandefficientuseofnaturalresources.
Wasteisachallengeatgloballevel. Withinthenonwovensandrelatedindustries,continuouseffortsaremadetoreduceproductionwasteandpost-consumerwastethroughthereductionoftheweightoftheproductswhilemaintainingorincreasingtheirperformance.
Giventhefactthatforeveryproductthereisalimittohowfarweightcanbereduced,otherpossibilitiesarebeingexplored,suchastheuseofalternativerawmaterials,compostablematerialsandrecycling.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT42. SUSTAINABILITY REPORT42.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 43.
EDANAwasactivelyinvolvedinthedevelopmentoftheEUEcolabelcriteriaforabsorbenthygieneproducts.EDANAanditsmembercompaniesthroughoutthehygienevaluechainwereabletoensurethatthecriteriaretainedfortheecolabelarescience-basedandrealistic.
EDANAcooperateswithTheSustainabilityConsortium(TSC),amulti-stakeholderplatformunitingretailers,producersandotherorganisationsthroughoutthesupplychaininordertomapthesustainabilityprofileofmostconsumerproducts.
EDANAcooperatedwithGroup’Hygiène,theFrenchassociationrepresentingabsorbenthygieneproductsandtissuepaper,toaddresstherequirementsmadebytheGrenelleframeworklegislationtoestablishreferencedocumentsforthecalculationofenvironmentalindicatorsforalargenumberofproducts.
Asaresultofthiswork,areferencedocumentwasadoptedforsingle-usebabydiapers,settingrulesforthecalculationofenvironmentalinformationonproducts.Ifbindingrequirementsareimplemented,requiringcompaniestopublishinformationontheenvironmentalimpactoftheproductinthefuture,theindustryhasensuredthatthecriteriausedforbabydiapersarerealisticandscientificallysound.
OnepositivebenefithasbeenthattheFrenchEnvironmentalAgencyhasproducedafactsheetwhichdrawssimilarconclusionstothosemadeinareportcompiledbyWRAP(theUKcharityorganisationWasteandResourcesActionProgramme)followingitsLCAin2008.BothFranceandtheUKnowsupportthepositionthatthereisabsolutelynoenvironmentalbenefittobegainedfromusingreusablehygienicproductsinplaceofsingle-useproducts.
DIRECTENGAGEMENT:BEING PROACTIVE
9.
Parallelindustries,NGOs,mediaandpolicybodiesareallintegraltousdeliveringvalue,andourroleasatradeassociation.EDANAanditsmembersworkwithotherindustriesandorganisationsinanopen,proactiveandtransparentmanner. Thiscontinuestoenablepotentialchallengestobeproactivelyaddressed,responsibilitytobetakenwherenecessary,andanactiveroleinsolvingsocial,economicorenvironmentalissuestobeplayed.WeplantocontinuedirectengagementwithretailersandkeyNGOstofurtherthesustainabilityagendafor ourindustry.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT44. SUSTAINABILITY REPORT44.
Thenonwovensandrelatedvaluechainscontinuetoworkonmakingourindustryevenmoresustainable.ThisworkisconductedbyindividualcompaniesworkingontheirproductsandprocessesandatindustrylevelintheframeworkofEDANA.Itbuildsonalong-standingtraditionofpioneeringeffortsinthefieldofLifeCycleAssessments(LCA)andmaterialsefficiency.
Inthisspirit,EDANAanditsmembercompaniescollectsustainabilitymetricsandhaveconductedaseriesofLCAstomeasureandwherepossiblereducetheenvironmentalimpactofspecificproductcategories.WecontinuetosupportLCAs fornonwovensandrelatedproducts,andreportonkeysustainabilityindicators suchasresourceefficiency.
Wearecommittedtopromotingadecision-makingculturethatincludesinnovativepracticestoachievesocial,economicandenvironmentalobjectives.
FUTURE INDUSTRY- WIDE EFFORTS AND ACTIVITIES
10.
OUR INDUSTRY IS WORKING TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF
GOOD SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 45.
EDANAiscurrentlyconductingor planninganumberofactivitiesinthefield ofsustainability:
• EDANAisintheprocessofreviewingand updatingtheProductCategoryRulesfor absorbenthygieneproducts;
• In2015producersofSuperabsorbent PolyacrylateswillcompleteaLifeCycle InventoryforSAP;
• In2016EDANAwillpublishupdated guidelinesonenvironmentalclaims;
• In2017EDANAwillagainreward innovationinthefieldofsustainability throughtheINDEXAwardsceremony;and
• Basedontopicaldevelopments,EDANA willholdworkshopsandwhenrequired launchnewinitiativesonwaste managementandrenewable rawmaterials.
EDANAaimstoleveragesustainabilitywithinthevaluechainandincreaseengagementwithstakeholders.Withtheactivesupportandinvolvementofitsmembers,EDANAwillleadthefollowingefforts:
• Establishandpromoteaframework tohelpmembercompaniesinclude sustainabilityconsiderationsincorporate decision-makingatallappropriatelevels;
• Provideappropriateinformation and,ifnecessary,training,on sustainabledevelopment;
• Reportonthesustainabledevelopmentof ourindustry;
• Continuetoidentifyandsharebest practicesthroughoutthevaluechain allowingallmembersofEDANAto implementchangesandbecomemore sustainable;and
• Activelyengageinpolicydiscussionson sustainability-relatedlegislationtobean activepartofsolvingchallengesrelated tosustainability.
Ourindustrywillcontinuetomanageitsimpactonsociety,theeconomyandtheenvironmentinaproactiveandforward-lookingway,seekingtocontinuetoincreaseitspositivecontributionwhilereducinganynegativeimpacts.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 45.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT46.
Nonwovenshavesometimesbeendescribedas‘technicalfabrics’or‘engineeredfabrics’,thankstotheirabilitytobeabletobedesignedtoholdordeliveranyspecificpropertiesneeded.Forexampleanonwovenmaterialcanofferstrengthandsoftness,haveanouterlayerthatcaneasilybeheatsealedwhilehavingacorethatresistshighertemperatures,orbeeasilytreated,sothatitcanabsorbwaterononeside,whilerepellingonanother.Additionally,nonwovenscanbemadefromawealthofrawmaterials,meaningthatthepotentialfortheirdevelopmentisalmostlimitless.Thehybridisationofnonwovenweb-makingorweb-bondingprocesses—thealmostinfinitecombinationofdifferentlayersandfabricstructuringtechniques—haveopenednewavenuestononwovens,includingend-useswherepropertiesofwovenfabricsseemtobeunmatchable.
MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER
11.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 47.
Thekeytomeetingexpectationsinthefieldofsustainabilityistocontinuetosupportinnovationandgoodpracticesandcommunicatethebenefitsofnonwovensandrelatedproducts.Thisissomethingthathasbeendonequitewellforabsorbenthygieneproductsandoverthelastfewyearswehavestartedexpandingthistoallcategoriesofnonwovens.Therearemanygoodstoriestotellaboutthecontributionofnonwovenstoimprovinglivesbyenablingpeopletohavehomesthatarebetterinsulated,moreefficientvehicles,cleanerairandwaterandconvenientandefficienthealthcareregimes.Ourfocusinthecomingmonthsandyearswillbetogenerateevidenceofthosebenefitswithhardfigures,andeffectivelycommunicatethesemessagestocustomersofourindustryandwithhelpfromourmembercompanies.
EDANAmembershavetakenproactivestepstointegratesustainabilityintheirstandardoperatingprotocolandintheircompanyculture,andtheyplantomaketheireffortspayoffdirectlybyimpactingtheirbottomlineandprofitability,andindirectlybyenhancingtheirimageandeventuallycreatingopportunitiestotapinto newmarkets.
EDANAisinapositiontoprovideaddedvalueandfurthersupportitsmembercompaniesintheireffortsbyfacilitatingalignmentonprinciples,definitions,positionsandpoliciesrelatedtosustainability.OnthebasisofwhatisagreedbyEDANAmembercompanies,EDANAcanmakeadifferencebyrepresentingtheentireindustrytowardskeystakeholders(policymakers,NGOs,retailersetc.)andbyfurtherdevelopingtheawarenessofallEDANAmembersofsustainabilitytrends,dataandtoolsespeciallythroughthesupplychains.
SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 47.
Pierre WiertzGeneralManager,EDANA
For more information visit:
www.sustainability.edana.org
About the publisher:
EDANA is a leading association and voice of the nonwovens and related industries. It is Europe-based, has a global outlook and aspires to provide leadership. It aims to create an environment beneficial to innovation and sustainable and profitable growth of industry participants through dialogue with stakeholders and the active promotion of sustainable development, consumer interests and transparency.
EDANA represents, protects and actively promotes the common interests of the nonwovens and related industries and their suppliers and provides the umbrella under which industry-wide initiatives of a non-competitive nature can be undertaken.
Copyright and publication details – published in 2015
46, Avenue Herrmann-DebrouxB-1160 Brussels, BelgiumTel: +32 2 734 93 10Fax: +32 2 733 35 18e-mail: [email protected]