EDANA, representing European manufacturers of absorbent hygiene products, has announced its intention to create a Stewardship Programme for Absorbent Hygiene Products to limit the presence of chemical impurities found in diapers, incontinence care and female sanitary items, such as tampons and sanitary towels. Industry will devise the program in consultation with regulators, academia, consumer groups and suppliers.

EDANA will commit to a new level of transparency with consumers and define limit values for impurities and ensure these cannot be found above those values, using consumer relevant test methods that will be reviewed and supported by independent experts. The program will create an industry-wide list of chemicals, including substances such as PAHs, PCBs, dioxins, furans, phthalates and formaldehyde. EDANA, further to intensive research and dialogue across the industry in the past two years, has decided to voluntarily go beyond current EU and national legislation in the field to limit the presence of impurities.

The program will be finalized in consultation with stakeholders from the scientific community, European regulators and consumer groups. Any company will have the opportunity to voluntarily participate in the program, implementation of which will start as from mid-2020 and include consumer facing information and a reporting mechanism.

“Absorbent hygiene products help millions of Europeans live active, healthy and happy lives, from early childhood to old age and have a long history of extensive safe use. Consumers should know that they are safe and we want to provide transparency and reassurance with our commitment. This program will further build on the longstanding record of responsible safeguarding of these products. Our commitment is grounded in consumer needs and science, and at the same time goes beyond existing legislation,” says Pierre Wiertz, general manager of EDANA.

The new Stewardship Programme aligns with the European Commission’s advocacy of product safety codes of good practice in the General Product Safety Directive and will deliver on the EDANA Sustainability Vision for the nonwovens industry.