Conference Speakers

The Intersection of Nonwovens, Sustainability and the Environment: An African Perspective

Nonwoven materials are becoming more popular across multiple industries due to their lightness and ability to protect against microorganisms. However, concerns regarding their sustainability are beginning to emerge owing to the disposable nature of nonwovens and their potential for environmental pollution. The 2019 pandemic gave a huge stimulus for the nonwoven industry with a huge global demand for sterilized consumer goods in hygiene, medical, and personal care. At the same time, the pandemic demand also exacerbated and highlighted the problems of waste and environmental pollution associated with this multipurpose material. Although nonwovens disposable nature is essential to preventing infections, many now want to see the mounting problem of waste replaced with biodegradable alternatives. A small but growing sub-segment of woven goods are made from renewable, organic fibres, creating a great scope for a biodegradable nonwoven industry.

The presentation looks at this subject from a global industry perspective, before delving and narrowing the subject matter to specifically the Africa region.

The presentation goes on to look at the following related areas, among others:

1) Plastic Waste Recycling and Recycled Garments as a circular economy business opportunity for Africa

2) Uniquely African challenges in AHPs disposal and examples from key nonwoven markets

3) Successful circular economy initiatives from other sectors in Africa’s uniquely African approaches that have worked and can be replicated

4) The role of carbon credits in recycling and how does Africa earn a seat at the table?