RKW is one of the three nominees for the Sustainable Product Award at the EDANA Innovation Lab at this year’s INDEX event in Geneva, Switzerland. Throughout the four-day nonwovens exhibition the RKW HyJet Crop Cover will be displayed at the Innovation Lab. The new INDEX feature showcases how invention and sustainability drive the industry forward.

Improving crop yields is essential to supporting a growing population and to reducing resources in the growing cycle. RKW Crop Cover is designed to do just that.

RKW HyJet nonwoven brings benefits that stem from its loop structure of endless filaments. It provides excellent tear resistance and outstanding strength compared to traditional nonwoven crop cover alternatives. In addition, its elasticity allows an easier application and better coverage of the crop, thus saving time and labor and allowing the farmer to use one size for multifunctional applications.

Recently tested at both the textile research institute STFI in Chemnitz, Germany, and the DLR RLP institute in Schifferstadt, Germany, RKW HyJet showed excellent results compared to other nonwoven crop covers. In practice, field application has shown that the HyJet crop cover is reusable multiple times.

Michael Fischer, sales manager at RKW’s Agri business is excited to have this new product in his portfolio when meeting with customers. “This new HyJet based crop cover is going to be very interesting for the industry which has its sights firmly set on making the right choices to support sustainable agriculture. It will not only protect harvests at the highest level from weather, wind and wild animals, but also save money and contribute significantly to sustainable farming and resource saving.” 

The product design was born from RKW’s business mission, “With sustainable film and nonwoven solutions, we enable our customers to improve the daily lives of consumers all over the world,” says Dennis Timmlau, sales manager at RKW’s nonwoven facility in Gronau, Germany. “We took all the advantages of using our hydroentangled spunbond polypropylene nonwoven for the crop cover. Endless fibers, high bulk, excellent light transmission and air permeability, great water distribution – and the list goes on. Coupled with all of this, our nonwoven based solution comes without any reinforcement. So a real win for our farmers.” He added, “Being nominated for this prestigious award at the INDEX show is very exciting for the whole team at RKW. It just goes to show that RKW lives its business mission every day and that nonwoven is an essential element in providing winning solutions for a sustainable world.”