PFNonwovens Group, a global leader in nonwoven fabrics, has partnered with Borealis to improve their production of nonwoven materials for the personal hygiene market. The collaboration aims to provide value-added and more sustainable solutions to customers while setting a new industry standard. By using Bornewables polypropylene (PP) resins for spunbond and meltblown solutions, they will reduce carbon footprint while delivering the same high quality and performance as previous materials.
Bornewables PP is a direct drop-in replacement for fossil-based polyolefins, and the production process remains unchanged. The PP is made with second-generation raw material feedstock derived entirely from waste and residue vegetable oil streams, which aligns with Borealis’s EverMind’s ambitions to accelerate action on circularity.
The renewable content in all Bornewables products is mass balance accredited under the ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) Plus certification standard, ensuring their authenticity and fully transparent traceability from raw materials to finished products. Borealis adopted the mass balance approach for its renewable and chemically recycled polymers to provide products addressing climate change and circularity.
For every tonne of certified Bornewables PP used in production, PFN can claim an equivalent amount of nonwoven material as certified renewable. This means that by using Bornewables PP instead of standard fossil-based resins, PFN can significantly reduce their carbon footprint and even produce products with a carbon footprint under zero.
“Anticipating the growing demand for more sustainable nonwoven solutions, we have focused our development resources over the past several years on the circular sphere to accelerate our journey towards climate neutrality,” said Tonny De Beer, Chief Product, Technology and Sustainability Officer at PFNonwovens Group. “For PFN’s nonwoven products, fossil-based resins are today the main contributor to the carbon footprint. Therefore, using the Borealis Bornewables instead of standard fossil-based resins will significantly reduce the carbon footprint, even enabling products with a carbon footprint under zero.”
Peter Voortmans, Global Commercial Director Consumer Product at Borealis, added: “The combination of our expertise in polymer science and development with PFN’s processing know-how has resulted in nonwovens that make full use of the Bornewables advantages to minimise CO2 emissions. Together we are reducing both waste and fossil depletion, while delivering cost-efficient products for the hygiene market with a premium look and feel. At the same time, it serves as a role model of Borealis’ commitment to re-invent essentials for sustainable living in collaboration with value chain partners who share common goals.”
This collaboration between PFNonwovens Group and Borealis represents a significant step towards sustainability in the nonwoven fabrics industry. With the growing demand for more eco-friendly products, this partnership is an excellent example of how companies can collaborate to reduce their carbon footprint while delivering high-quality, cost-efficient, and sustainable products.