Committed to Sustainability

IMA Teknoweb’s commitment to sustainable development has evolved. Working with more sustainable raw materials has posed many challenges that have led to the development of cutting edge technologies. The company’s chief commercial officer, Guido Conio, explains how the company continues to offer improved solutions to its customers.

NWI: As IMA Teknoweb has focused its efforts toward providing more sustainable solutions to its customers, what has been the driving force behind these efforts?
GC: A combination of economic, social, and environmental factors are driving IMA Teknoweb to prioritize sustainability in their operations and product offerings. First it is a matter of market demand, as consumers are raising awareness about the environmental impact of products and seeking for eco-friendlier, convenient solutions. Secondly, governments (mostly in the EU and U.S.) are pushing towards a progressive reduction of emissions, waste, and plastic in packaging. On this topic the IMA Group has always been proactive, also promoting the Corporate program IMA Zero, aimed at minimizing the environmental impact of industrial manufacturing.

Guido Conio, Chief Commercial Officer, IMA Teknoweb

NWI: Please discuss the IMA Zero initiative. Was it challenge to shift to manufacturing a completely plastic-free wipe?
GC: Launched in 2019, IMA Zero is the evolution of IMA’s commitment to Sustainable Development, born many years ago with the annual publication of the sustainability report. It is based on four main pillars, dedicated to promoting lower emissions, a more inclusive environment, sustainable mobility, and the minimization of plastic in packaging. This last point involves IMA Teknoweb the most, as eliminating plastic from nonwovens products brings many challenges to production. Only a deep understanding of the raw materials, combined to a pioneering Research & Development on machines, can accomplish this task.

NWI: What were some of the main issues you had to address when seeking to develop plastic-free technology?
GC: Sustainable raw materials present a significant drawback: they tend to be delicate, exhibiting lower wet strength, higher friction, and increased sensitivity to heat. Once unwound into the converting machine, especially at high speeds, the fabric tends to fold unproperly, and/or break very easily. This results in reduced quality, continuous machine stops, lower production, and an overall fragility of the final product. To deal with the challenges associated with these eco-friendly materials, IMA Teknoweb has developed cutting-edge technologies to reduce friction during the folding process and actively control fabric tension. This ensures that eco-friendly materials can be processed with the same efficiency and reliability as traditional fabrics. This means IMA’s converting machines can manufacture plastic-free wipes (20 or 25 lane) at the stunning speed of 300 stacks per minute and pack them by a single wrapper at up to 250 packs per minute. These results have propelled us to establish a new standard for the wet wipes industry.

NWI: What are some of the key raw materials you are seeing wipes makers shift to in replacement of plastic?
GC: The new sustainable materials often derive from bamboo fiber and wood pulp, in addition to viscose. Bamboo is a fast-growing resource; its fibers allow to create soft nonwoven fabrics suitable for wet wipes. Also, wood pulp is very common, renowned for absorbency capabilities and softness. Other fabrics can be made from recycled materials, helping reducing waste and giving new life to existing products. Furthermore, IMA Teknoweb advocates for recyclable monoPE film primary packaging, enhancing the quality of reusable polymer materials.

NWI: What are your feelings about the plastic wipe ban in the U.K.? Do you expect that other countries in the EU, North America and around the world will follow this effort?
GC: The U.K. wipe ban addresses pollution caused by wet wipes breaking down into microplastics, which can be harmful to human health and disrupt ecosystems. It comes as result of a public consultation, which saw 95% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing with the proposal, also confirming consumer awareness on these matters. This initiative will surely affect other countries. Europe as well is waiting for the release of the new Packaging Directive 2025 (PPWR), which will aim to significantly reduce the generation of packaging waste by setting binding re-use targets, restricting certain types of single-use packaging, and requiring economic operators to minimise the packaging used.

NWI: How will the wipes industry react/respond to this legislation?
GC: Many major retailers in the U.K. have already stopped selling wet wipes containing plastic, and wipe manufacturers will need to adapt quickly to the plastic-free switch. Maintaining productivity levels is essential with innovation focusing on enhancing both production processes and final products.

Today, one of the growing market trends is the rise of Moist Toilet Tissues (MTTs), dispersible wet wipes mostly targeted to the Away From Home market. These wipes can be disposed of in the toilet, dispersing in water without leaving behind any plastic residues. IMA Teknoweb is adapting to this new market need with a portfolio of machines able to produce top-notch final products, comfortable for the end user and packed in sustainable film.

NWI: Beyond sustainability, what are some of the key issues or challenges facing the wipes industry?
GC: Manufacturers are facing pressure to keep costs low while maintaining product quality and sustainability. Rising raw material prices, labor costs and regulatory compliance expenses can squeeze profit margins if not managed effectively. To tackle these issues, manufacturers are striving to boost product quality by introducing advanced and cutting-edge technologies, reducing TCO and deploying more automation particularly in the end of line area. IMA Teknoweb can play an important role in this picture.

NWI: Can you discuss any other new technologies being offered by IMA Teknoweb?
GC: IMA Teknoweb offers a comprehensive range of solutions to the nonwovens industry, which can be identified in three main segments—wipes, AHP, PPE.
The wipes segment is not related just to wet wipes rather to a series of products which include cosmetic masks, bathing gloves, floor mops and colour catchers. IMA Teknoweb caters to all these needs with high-speed converting and packaging solutions always at pace with product innovations. For instance, our converters can manufacture special floor cloths which embed a scratching stripe to enhance cleaning capabilities. Our wet and dry wipes can be folded in various types, even rolled in perforated rolls.

Special equipment for disinfectant wipes has been developed according to ATEX recommendations, to produce alcohol-soaked wipes safely.

Another recent innovation is Ocean, our converter dedicated to disposable absorbent pads, which find their major application in personal and home care. Our patented technology ensures homogeneous distribution of fluff, requiring less absorbent material compared to traditional processes.

Finally, our equipment for Personal Protective Equipment includes an integrated converting and packaging machine for FFP2/3/N95 respirators, with or without exhalation valve. Such products are mandatory in working environments with dust, harmful fumes, and all those environments that require air filtration.