Talk to any supplier to the global hygiene market and they will tell you a similar story. The consumer profile is changing. Baby diapers are no longer the only driver for innovation. Adult incontinence products are no longer for just healthcare institutions, but also active adults. 

Increasing disposable incomes in developing nations have opened up opportunities for first feminine hygiene items and then other absorbent products. This has created a marketplace where suppliers have to be on their toes, able to quickly revert to the changing market needs whether it be for a better fitting training pant or a more discrete adult incontinence pad. The result has been a steady stream of innovations, partnerships between companies and a range of solutions that will surely propel the market forward. “People are becoming less sensitized to health issues and historical taboos, which increases the population of people using disposable hygienic products,” says Nathan Weaver, vice president, Global Hygiene, H.B. Fuller. 

“And today, as the baby diaper market continues to grow, parents in both developed and emerging regions are more concerned about the diapers they are putting on their children. All these factors lead to a changing consumer profile that drives changes to the absorbent product design.” Also influencing the hygiene market are changing consumer lifestyles. 

With families today more active at home and work, the nonwovens industry has committed to looking for new solutions. “The increased comfort and underwear-like feeling are true goals today and clearly people are ready to innovate and look for new solutions especially from spunlace technology,” says Marjo Kuisma, product manager, hygiene at Suominen. While baby diapers continue to be the bread and butter segment in the hygiene industry—offering high volumes and low margins—the importance of this market is here to stay. 

Suppliers and manufacturers continue to find new ways to improve product performance without ignoring costs and a look at the diaper market during the past decade reflects this innovation. However, during this time the adult incontinence market has provided companies throughout the value chain with the opportunity to create different offerings for different user types within the segment thanks to the users’ ability to provide feedback. 

“We have seen CPG companies re-launching their AI product lines as a response to the growth in this segment and suppliers like Conwed fine-tuning their materials and components to meet the demands for efficient, comfortable and discreet disposable products,” explains Ivan Soltero, strategic marketing manager, of Conwed Plastics, a supplier of elastomeric netting products for hygiene applications.