Wednesday, November 20
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Shifting to Sustainability: Natural Fibers in Diapers and the Rise of Eco Brands
This presentation explores the burgeoning realm of natural fibers in diaper manufacturing and the concurrent rise of emerging brands dedicated to sustainability and ingredient transparency. Richard Knowlson delves into the properties of natural fibers, elucidating their benefits and environmental implications within the context of diaper production. Through a detailed examination of a cotton case study, Knowlson unveils insights gained from Cotton Incorporated commissioned trials to produce 100% cotton nonwovens for the baby care market, demonstrating the potential for natural fiber scalability from pilot to commercial. With a focus on inspiring less plastic, this presentation underscores the feasibility of integrating natural fibers into baby diapers, presenting a pathway towards more sustainable manufacturing.
» Richard Knowlson
Principal, RPK Consulting
BIOGRAPHY
Richard Knowlson has an Honors Degree [BSc (Hons)] from Trent University in the UK. He currently owns RPK Consulting LLC which he founded in March 2019. Previously he worked for almost ten years with Jacob Holm leading their Business Development & Product Development activity.Richard has worked in the Airlaid and Spunlace industries in Technical Development roles for more than 30 years and has multiple patents in these technologies. He has served on the INDA Board of Directors and has written and presented multiple papers at EDANA and INDA meetings all over the world.
