Nonwovenn is the world’s leading nonwoven fabric-tech company. For over 20 years, the company has introduced to the world the finest grade technical textiles in the durable sector of nonwovens. The company is driven by the principle of doing good to do well. Member of the Management Board and Director of Sustainability Prabhat Mishra discussed the latest developments. Report by Imogen Ward.
Based in Bridgwater, UK, leading innovator Nonwovenn is shifting the industry’s perception on sustainability.
“Nonwovenn’s approach to sustainability is deeply integrated into our business strategy,” explained Director of Sustainability Prabhat Mishra. “Sustainability is not just a responsibility but an opportunity to innovate and lead in our industry. We are dedicated to sustainable harm-reduction, while contributing to the larger good by enabling the circular economy, regardless of the size and scale of the operation.”
Although its roots date back to 1794, this year marks the 21st anniversary of innovative development under the Nonwovenn name and the industry.
From then to now
Originally a part of Courtaulds, a UK-based manufacturer of fabric, clothing, artificial fibres and chemicals, Nonwovenn evolved from the company’s subdivision BFF Nonwovens Ltd. In 2003, it was taken over by current owners under the leadership of David Lamb and became Nonwovenn.
“We went from a commodity to producing niche applications focused on sustainable harm-reduction and all aspects of sustainability,” commented Mr Mishra. “Since then, Nonwovenn has experienced 18 years of increasing sales and profits. Our evolution and growth inspire the sector.
“Globally, Nonwovenn is punching way above its weight, despite being a small to medium-sized enterprise.”
In 2023, Nonwovenn achieved a revenue of over £36 million. It is targeting £45 million for the current year, by introducing innovative products to the market. Currently, between 40% to 50% of Nonwovenn’s revenue
comes from products developed within the last four years.
“Our over 90 R&D projects in development all align with our core commitment of promoting sustainable harm-reduction,” revealed Mr Mishra. “Founded to revolutionise the nonwoven fabric industry, the company consistently pushes the boundaries of what is possible to achieve that mission.”
One great example is ProTech – designed to act as a protective barrier to keep armed forces, firemen and other frontline workers from harm.
The material, which was approved by topmost global standards, minimises a user’s exposure to harmful gases and substances via skin contact. This is just one of many products developed by Nonwovenn for the benefit of end-user safety. The company also produces bandages and haemostats to help protect the severely injured.
Although committed to creating and delivering harm-reduction solutions, Nonwovenn has made significant strides in various fields.
For instance, PouchTech has facilitated the substitution of smoking, with several billion pouches made from Nonwovenn material replacing cigarettes. Additionally, Nonwovenn has developed innovative medical products through MedTech, advanced CBRN solutions and a diverse range of specialised indus-trial products through bespoke InduTech solutions.
Most well-known are the company’s pouches. Annually, Nonwovenn supplies enough material for over 20 billion pouches. Modern oral pouches made from Nonwovenn’s bespoke fabric can be used for pharmaceutical products, to simulate the flavour of a range of things like coffee, sugar sweets, mint and so on. The range of applications is endless.
A greener approach
Industry leaders are expected to lead by example; as one itself, Nonwovenn understands the impact it can have. Thus, the company follows its own full-rounded sustainability strategy.
“Nonwovenn’s commitment to sustainability has been a driving force behind every decision made within the business and
is manifested in our purpose-led strategy of doing good to do well and promoting sustainable harm-reduction,” said Mr Mishra. “Our sustainability strategy focuses on three main pillars: people, planet and prosperity for the entire value chain it impacts, starting from raw materials, its transportation, conversion, communities it operates in, business partners, customers, and the end-consumer.”
In 2023, the company ingeniously designed a trade effluent neutralisation system. This system uniquely combines different streams of trade effluents from various plants within its manufacturing setup, some of which already contain carbon, and uses surface water to further dilute the effluent. This process makes the entire trade effluent compliant for safe discharge without the use of any chemicals, complex processes
Director of Sustainability - Prabhat Mishra
or other standard trade effluent treatment systems commonly used in the industry. This is a matter of pride for British ingenuity.
“We are committed to making the next generation of environmentally friendly nonwovens across our portfolio, ensuring positive resource usage and promoting circular economy collaborations,” Mr Mishra explained.
Previously, Nonwovenn would pre-treat many textiles with chemicals, creating significant waste effluent. Determined to make the process greener, Mr Mishra sought a solution.
“We use waste from our textiles to neutralise other effluent generated from industrial, medical and food packaging products,” explained Mr Mishra. “The system features several tanks where the effluent is mixed in specific
proportions to ensure complete neutralisation. Thereby, we have successfully reduced the environmental impact of these byproducts.”
Elemental inspiration
Nonwovenn approaches sustainability scientifically by addressing the holistic conservation of nature, by minimising the impact on earth, water, energy, air and space. Previously, Nonwovenn sent 100s of tonnes of waste to landfill. However, two years ago, the company introduced a new waste management system and is now a ZERO WASTE TO LANDFILL business.
“We developed collaborative partnerships with waste management companies to completely remove landfill from the equation,” said Mr Mishra. “Now, all our waste is collected, calibrated carefully, salvaged for possible reuse or re-purposed for secondary applications in a dedicated facility called ‘Lesterdale’. Finally, all the recyclable components of waste are recycled. Further work is in progress to make more and more
waste recyclable, shredded and mixed with certain materials to generate safer refuse-derived fuel.
“Last year alone, our waste produced a quarter of a million-kilowatt hours of energy for other sectors, and we don’t charge anything for it. We are incredibly proud to put our waste to good use.”
With each different material requiring a pre-wash process, Nonwovenn’s water consumption was very high. After considering the options, Nonwovenn invested in advanced foam-bonding technology and quick changeover procedures to minimise the requirement of cleaning the equipment. Between 2020 and 2023, Nonwovenn implemented this water saving initiative and successfully halved its consumption over the last three years, and sources all its electricity from renewables. Nonwovenn is also making a phased introduction of green gas.
With carbon emissions targets already established (50% carbon reduction by 2030 and carbon neutral by 2035), these changes have greatly helped Nonwovenn meet its goals.
“When we talk about what we produce, how we produce it and how we resonate with the larger common goal of acting sustainably, it draws people’s attention and makes them willing to collaborate to advance our common cause,” said Mr Mishra, in conclusion. “Everyone wants to help protect the future of our planet, and we are proud to lead by example – doing good to do well.
“We achieved zero waste to landfill two years ago, we signed up to the UN Global Compact and implemented a ‘green champions’ initiative in-house to inspire our staff to think sustainably. I feel extremely privileged to be able to influence Nonwovenn’s actions to become more sustainable.
“Moving forward, Nonwovenn will continue to deliver sustainable harm-reduction.” n
