German viscose speciality fibre manufacturer Kelheim Fibres, nonwoven producer Sandler and hygiene product manufacturer pelzGROUP have jointly developed a new panty liner that is plastic-free according to the European Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD).

“The new panty liner meets the strict requirements of the SUPD while also matching the performance of conventional synthetic products,” said Dr Henning Röttger, head of business development at pelzGROUP. “At the same time, it has a completely European supply chain. This means short distances and therefore low CO2 emissions, and – especially in times of global disruption – reliability for our customers.”

“Our viscose speciality fibres are an environmentally friendly and high-performance alternative to synthetic materials,” added Dominik Mayer, project manager for fibre and application development at Kelheim Fibres. “They are at the very beginning of the product value chain and yet have an enormous impact on the functionality of the end product. Open innovation allows us to bring all partners in the value chain to the table, to find the best solution together in a very short time and bring it to commercialisation.”

“This open innovation partnership between the three companies has allowed for the exchange of creative ideas and resulted in the development of a truly innovative product,” said Jessica Zeitler, R&D specialist at Sandler. “It is a great example of how companies can work together to create solutions that benefit both the environment and consumers. We are proud to be part of this project and the opportunities it offers.”

The panty liner will soon be commercially available under the pelzGROUP’s Cosmea brand.

www.pelzgroup.de