Published: February 27, 2026
Reading Time: 8 minutes
July 1, 2026—a date of critical importance for Chinese nonwovens exporters.
On this day, the newly revised Regulations on the Quality Supervision of Fiber Products will officially take effect. These regulations not only expand the scope to include all fiber products for daily use but also establish clear "technical red lines" for the use of recycled raw materials. Simultaneously, the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and Digital Product Passport (DPP) requirements are forcing entire supply chains toward transparency and compliance.
For nonwovens business partners and suppliers, a harsh reality has arrived: Sustainability scorecards from multinational brands like Kimberly-Clark and P&G are systematically screening suppliers. Products not designed "for recycling" will directly lose order eligibility.
This article, based on the latest policy interpretations and technological breakthroughs, provides you with a comprehensive "end-to-end" roadmap for implementing circular economy principles in nonwovens manufacturing—helping you find new growth curves amidst compliance pressures.
Before discussing specific solutions, we must first clarify a misconception: The notion that "disposable nonwovens = unsustainable" is being overturned by industry innovation.
As industry leaders have stated: "Nonwovens are robust and can withstand stress, which precisely offers unique opportunities for recycling." Unlike traditional woven fabrics, the fibrous network structure of nonwovens makes them potentially easier to process through specific mechanical recycling methods under certain conditions.
More importantly, China's Fiber Quality Monitoring Center has explicitly identified "textile waste recycling" as a key area of support, establishing specialized monitoring modules for recycled raw material usage through intelligent monitoring mechanisms. Policy is shifting from "restriction" toward "regulation and guidance."
Below are three practical strategies for nonwovens business partners and suppliers:
Currently, a large volume of SMS nonwovens and spunlace nonwovens on the market utilize composite structures combining different materials (such as PP+PET or PP+viscose). While this design enhances product performance, it also creates significant recycling obstacles—traditional recycling methods struggle to separate mixed materials, ultimately leading to downcycling or landfill disposal.
"Design for disassembly" represents a cutting-edge direction in global nonwovens technology. A collaborative project between Hungary's MOME University and fashion brand Nanushka provides an instructive case study: They produced nonwovens using 100% textile waste, stabilized through water-soluble stitching. When the material requires recycling, simply dissolving the stitches allows the material to easily disintegrate back into fibers, achieving true closed-loop recycling.
VOXFLOR Huateng, through collaboration with third parties, established a closed-loop production system for PVC backing: collecting production scraps, shredding, separating, and reprocessing vinyl fragments into new Re-Bac® backing, achieving 100% post-industrial material circular utilization. This model is entirely transferable to the nonwovens sector.
Bio-based materials like PLA and Lyocell offer clear advantages in biodegradability, but historically, high costs and inconsistent performance have prevented them from entering mainstream applications.
Recent technological breakthroughs are changing this landscape. Freudenberg Performance Materials' launch of a 100% bio-based nonwoven in October 2025 serves as a prime example. Made from PLA and wood pulp, containing no chemical binders, and produced via the wet-laid process—this fundamentally differs from traditional spunbond PLA nonwovens.
|
Application Area |
Performance Requirements |
Advantages of PLA/Wood Pulp Combination |
|
Plant Propagation Systems |
Water absorption, root growth promotion, biodegradability |
Wood pulp provides absorbency, PLA provides high strength |
|
Packaging Materials |
Heat sealability, barrier properties |
PLA's heat sealability combined with wood pulp's natural texture, replacing traditional plastic desiccant bags |
|
Medical Wound Dressings |
Biocompatibility, fluid absorption |
Biodegradable, reducing medical waste disposal pressure |
Edge trims and non-conforming products generated during nonwovens production are typically treated as waste. This not only incurs disposal costs but also wastes potential resource value.
Academic research and industrial practice are simultaneously advancing waste recycling technologies.
Research from the Chinese Culture University (Taiwan) indicates that PP/PET recycled fibers combined with low-melting-point PET fibers can be processed via needle-punching into eco-friendly vegetation mats for soil and water conservation applications. This demonstrates that production waste can not only be "downcycled" but can also be "upcycled" into high-value functional products.
Research from Donghua University shows that silk waste can be processed via the wet-laid process into silk nonwovens with excellent breathability, amphiphilicity (oil and water affinity), and UV resistance, holding promise for packaging and cleaning applications.
The EU-funded AUTOLOOP project is developing AI-based automated sorting and advanced chemical recycling technologies, aiming to recycle or reuse 96% of post-consumer textiles, producing pure Lyocell and polyester fibers. While focused on textiles, its technological pathways offer valuable reference for the nonwovens industry.
Before initiating any of the strategies above, be sure to understand the following core requirements of the upcoming regulations:
(1)Prohibition on using medical fiber waste or used funeral fiber products.
(2)Prohibition on using reprocessed fibers to produce underwear or infant fiber products.
(3)Exception: Recycled polyester fibers may be used in filling products for infants and young children.
Looking back at the trajectory of the nonwovens industry over the past five years, a clear trend emerges: Companies that took the lead in integrating circular economy principles into their core strategy are now enjoying brand premiums and supply chain priority.
Whether through "design for recycling" product innovation or technological breakthroughs in waste closed-loop systems, the fundamental question being answered is the same: When resource constraints and environmental regulations become the norm, how will your company continue to grow?