From the Sector

INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, has announced that registration and exhibit reservations for Hygienix™ 2026 are now open. Hygienix will take place Nov. 16-19 at the Hyatt Regency Houston in Houston, Texas.

Hygienix will bring together industry leaders, innovators, and business professionals from across the absorbent hygiene products (AHP) industry for expert-led conference sessions, product showcases, networking opportunities, Lifetime Service Awards, and the presentation of the Hygienix Innovation Award™.

Hygienix Program Highlights
Attendees will gain valuable insights across key areas driving the future of hygiene:

• Industry collaboration or “coopertition”
• Market intelligence and global economics
• Regulatory and trade environment
• Innovation in products, materials, and processes
• Sustainability and end-of-life solutions
• Consumer and end-user insights
• Startups, entrepreneurs, and emerging technologies

Business Opportunities and Networking
The Exhibits will showcase the latest innovations in the absorbent hygiene industry, offering a platform for companies to demonstrate their products and services to potential partners and clients.

Hygienix 2026 will once again feature Lightning Talks—a series of fast-paced, five-minute presentations by nearly 20 companies scheduled for Nov. 17-18 in the afternoon.

Hygienix Innovation Award™
Recognizing breakthrough products, technologies, and solutions that are making a significant impact in the hygiene sector, the Hygienix Innovation Award will be awarded at the event.

Nominations will be accepted until Sept. 14th. Finalists will present their products on Nov. 17, and the winner will be announced on Nov. 19 to close the event. Last year’s winner was Confitex Technology for their Washable Nonwoven Sanitary Pads, the world’s first washable nonwoven sanitary pads designed for sustainability and scalability without the need for SAPs.

Lifetime Service Award Recipients
Carl Cucuzza and Pricie Hanna are receiving the Lifetime Service Awards. Both industry veterans are being recognized for their key contributions to the advancement of the nonwovens industry and INDA. Cucuzza and Hanna will accept their awards Tuesday, November 17th at 4:30 pm.

The nonwovens industry has officially crowned its new winners. Today at the opening of INDEX™ 2026, five companies were honoured with the INDEX™ Awards, the industry’s highest accolade for technical excellence and forward-thinking design. 

From high-speed machinery to breakthroughs in molecular chemistry, this year's winners were selected for their ability to merge top-tier performance with the urgent requirements of a circular economy. 

Category: Nonwoven roll goods 
Winner: Lenzing - LENZING™ Dualwipe 
LENZING™ Dualwipe is a high-performance cleaning wipe crafted from regenerated cellulose using LENZING™ Nonwovens Technology. Its innovative dual-surface design integrates abrasion and absorbency in a single material, enabling efficient cleaning without relying on fossil-based synthetic materials, binders, or chemical additives. One side features a mechanically active surface for scrubbing away dirt, grease, and residues, while the other offers a soft, highly absorbent surface for liquid uptake and surface finishing. Designed for industrial, professional, and household applications, LENZING™ Dualwipe is compatible with existing converting and processing infrastructure, facilitating rapid adoption. 

Category: Finished products made from, or incorporating nonwovens - Single-use application 
Corman - Organyc brand "Personalized Protection" Light Incontinence Pads 
Corman’s new light incontinence pads deliver personalized protection through three key innovations. The Smart-Cotton™ cover with a citric acid buffer maintains an ideal skin pH of 5.5, reducing irritation. The patented Cotton-Balanced Absorbent Core channels liquid to superabsorbent polymers that lock in moisture and expand toward the body for superior leak protection. Natural odor control uses an organic ingredient to bind ammonia and slow odor formation, eliminating odor instead of masking it. Clinically proven, the pads address the three main concerns of light incontinence: leaks, odor, and skin irritation.

Category: Finished products made from, or incorporating nonwovens - Durable application 
Winner: Confitex Technology - Reusable Nonwoven Bed Pads 
This new Confitex technology has enabled the world’s first machine-washable and tumble-dryable nonwoven bed pads, opening a significant new application for nonwoven materials. Using a proprietary fibre-stabilisation bonding technique, the innovation allows absorbent nonwoven structures to withstand more than 30 machine wash and tumble-dry cycles while maintaining performance. The fully nonwoven construction combines a fast-wicking top sheet with a highly absorbent core capable of holding over two litres of liquid. In addition, a bonded frame structure prevents leakage across the entire surface, including the edges, addressing a common weakness of stitched textile bed pads. 

Category: Raw materials or components (e.g.polymer,fibre, binder, film, tape) of special relevance to the nonwovens and related converted products industry 
Winner: Bostik - Kizen™ Miles 9.0 
Bostik - Kizen™ Miles 9.0 Bostik’s latest innovation, Kizen™ Miles 9.0, is the first adhesive designed for disposable hygiene article construction, that offers the unique feature of debonding on demand: when exposed to a specific chemical key, combined with controlled temperature and mechanical stress, the adhesive allows clean, rapid separation of plastic components in minutes. This process keeps the adhesive material on the substrate, preventing contamination for cleaner, more efficient hygiene article recycling. But during the lifetime of the hygiene article, this new material, based on up to 75% renewable materials, delivers exceptional bonding across a wide range of substrates—including PP, PE, and PLA—while maintaining stable performance over time and under wet conditions. 

Category: Innovation in machinery of special relevance to the nonwovens industry 
Winner: ZUIKO – Recloseable Baby Diaper Converting Machine 
ZUIKO - Converting machine for recloseable baby diapers 
ZUIKO has developed a converting line to produce adjustable pull on pant diapers that address the challenge of achieving a secure fit around a baby’s waist and legs while maintaining softness and stretchability. The design of such a diaper combines the adjustability of open diapers with the stretch characteristics of pant diapers. Unlike conventional pant diapers, which are processed symmetrically, ZUIKO’s recloseable diapers are asymmetric, requiring a precise, glue-less attachment process during folding. Central to the production is ZUIKO’s patented “Stretch Re-pitch Drum™,” which regulates elastic tension and product spacing, allowing panel folding in line with the machine’s flow. This system enables the production of over 700 diapers per minute without the need for multiple folding units.