Technologies and collaboration for a changing market

The global wipes market has shown steady growth over the past decade, driven by demand in personal care, household cleaning, medical, and industrial applications. At the same time, the sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation. Sustainability has moved from a secondary consideration to a central design and investment criterion. Regulators, brand owners, and consumers increasingly expect wipes to combine performance, safety, and convenience with a reduced environmental footprint.

This shift creates a complex set of challenges for manufacturers. Wipes must meet strict functional requirements such as strength, softness, absorbency, and, in some cases, dispersibility, while also responding to sustainability expectations. These expectations include the use of renewable raw materials, lower energy and water consumption in production, recyclability or biodegradability, and reduced impact at end of life. As a result, nonwoven technologies and fiber choices are under continuous review, and producers are exploring alternatives to conventional synthetic-based solutions.

NONWOVEN TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE WIPES

Within this context, process technologies play a decisive role. The selection of the right method directly influences material composition, performance, and environmental impact.

ANDRITZ has developed and refined several nonwoven technologies that are widely used in the wipes industry and can be adapted to sustainability-driven requirements. The company is also well-known for its pulp processing technologies from tree to finished paper, tissue, and nonwovens. ANDRITZ therefore has all the technologies to build systems suitable for the different customer markets, such as carding/drylaid, airlaid, and wetlaid. All these technologies can be used independently or in combination.

The combination of these technologies results in different types of nonwoven technologies such as AirlaceTM, spunlace, and WetlaceTM. ANDRITZ is highly committed to adapting, optimizing, and combining its technologies to provide the perfect solution for customer and market needs.

TECHNICAL CENTERS AS PLATFORMS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING

An important element in the development of sustainable wipes is access to pilot-scale facilities that bridge the gap between laboratory concepts and industrial production. ANDRITZ operates technical centers dedicated to nonwoven technologies for wipes, offering customers the opportunity to conduct trials and feasibility studies before committing to a full-scale investment.

These technical centers allow producers to:
• Test different fiber combinations, including high shares of bio-based materials
• Evaluate product properties such as strength, softness, absorbency, and dispersibility
• Optimize process parameters for specific end-use requirements
• Develop and validate new wipe concepts in a controlled environment

Beyond customer trials, the technical centers also support ongoing research and development activities. They provide a platform for exploring new raw materials, refining existing technologies, and responding to evolving regulatory or market requirements. In a rapidly changing sustainability landscape, this capability is increasingly important for reducing development risk and shortening time to market.

SERVICE AND RETROFIT SOLUTIONS FOR EXISTING LINES

As sustainability requirements and market expectations evolve, many wipes’ producers aim to enhance existing production lines rather than invest immediately in new installations. In this context, service and retrofit solutions are an effective way to adapt equipment to new raw materials, product specifications, or efficiency targets.

ANDRITZ offers a comprehensive service portfolio for the wipes sector, including targeted retrofits to forming, bonding, drying, and utility systems. Recent trends, such as retrofitting conventional spunlace lines with airlaid or wetlaid web-forming capabilities, underscore the drive for innovation. These upgrades open up new market opportunities, such as bio-wipes and flushable wipes, and provide greater flexibility for diversified applications. In addition, process optimization, automation updates, and digital service tools help stabilize production, improve uptime, and maintain consistent quality.

By combining technical upgrades with process expertise and long-term service support, existing nonwoven roll good production lines can be progressively adapted to changing sustainability and market requirements while reducing investment risk and extending asset lifetime.

COLLABORATION AS A KEY ENABLER

While technology is a critical enabler, the transition toward more sustainable wipes cannot be achieved by equipment suppliers or producers alone. Fiber manufacturers, brand owners, wastewater authorities, and industry associations all influence how sustainability criteria are defined, measured, and implemented.

Collaborative approaches help align expectations and avoid isolated solutions that perform well in one area but create challenges in another. This is particularly relevant for topics such as flushability, where end-of-life behavior must be considered alongside product performance and consumer use patterns. Shared testing protocols, transparent communication, and joint development projects contribute to more robust and widely accepted solutions.

SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK

The wipes industry is undergoing significant change as sustainability requirements increasingly influence materials, processes, and product design. Technologies such as spunlace, Wetlace™, and Airlace™ enable the use of bio-based fibers, support demanding applications such as flushable wipes, and offer flexibility for a wide range of end uses.

In parallel, service and retrofit solutions for existing production lines provide an efficient way to improve resource efficiency, extend asset lifetime, and adapt product properties without full reinvestment. Supported by technical centers for trials, optimization, and R&D, manufacturers can reduce development risk and respond more effectively to evolving market and regulatory demands.

Looking ahead, long-term progress toward more sustainable wipes will depend not only on suitable technologies and services, but also on close collaboration across the industry. Joint development and shared responsibility along the value chain remain essential to advancing practical and credible solutions.

Links to our website:

Company: ANDRITZ Nonwoven & Textile

• www.andritz.com/nonwoven

Technology:

• Spunlace for sustainable products
• Wetlace systems