Reusable absorbent hygiene manufacturer Confitex Technology has won the hygiene industry’s two top innovation awards, validating washable alternatives to single-use period and incontinence pads and liners – and signaling a more sustainable future for personal hygiene.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Confitex Technology has become the first company to win both of the global nonwovens industry’s top awards – the INDEX Award, presented at the INDEX26 expo in Geneva in May 2026, and the Hygienix Innovation Award, presented in the US in November 2025. Its breakthrough washable nonwoven absorbent hygiene products prove that the nonwoven materials used in single-use pads, liners, incontinence guards and bed pads can be stabilised to survive machine washing and tumble drying, and excellent absorbency can be achieved without petroleum-based superabsorbent polymers (SAPs).
A single-use sanitary pad (left) compared with a Confitex Technology washable nonwoven reusable pad (right), which looks, feels and performs like a single-use pad but can be machine washed and tumble dried more than 30 times.
Confitex Technology Founder and CEO Frantisek Riha-Scott says the implications are huge. “What Confitex Technology has done is unlock an entirely new product category – washable, reusable absorbent hygiene products that perform as well as, or better than, disposables, at a price point that works for mainstream consumers and mass-market retailers. It’s the beginning of a consumer category shift comparable to the move from single-use plastic bags to reusables.”
The global absorbent hygiene products (AHP) market is valued at about USD 123.5 billion, with reusable products making up less than 15 percent but growing at a CAGR of 6.89%. EU regulatory pressure supports a move away from single-use plastic products, and the French government recently announced menstrual equity subsidies for reusable period underwear at population scale.
The INDEX Award jury – a panel of global industry experts convened by Brussels-based AHP industry body EDANA – highlighted the market opportunity: “By making absorbent nonwovens fully laundry-compatible, the technology enables nonwoven suppliers to enter the rapidly growing reusable market, historically dominated by textile products. At the same time, the product delivers improved absorbency, leak protection and ease of care for users, while supporting sustainability goals through reusability and the use of predominantly natural-based fibres.”
Confitex Technology’s award-winning nonwoven reusable pads are up to 90 percent bio-based, contain no SAPS, and have been independently lab-tested by Intertek to match or exceed the absorbency of single-use equivalents. All incoming bulk raw materials are tested for PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ and all Confitex Technology products meet OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification.
Confitex Technology Executive Director Lisa Voyle says the company is partnering with global retailers and leading FMCG players to build the washable nonwoven category for mainstream adoption across European and North American markets.
About the awards
The INDEX Awards are presented triennially by Brussels-based nonwovens association EDANA and considered the industry’s highest accolade. The Hygienix Innovation Award is presented annually by US-based industry body INDA to honour breakthrough technologies advancing the AHP industry.
About Confitex Technology
Confitex Technology is the tech leader in reusable absorbent hygiene – designing and manufacturing washable absorbent hygiene products (including reusable period pads and liners, period underwear, incontinence underwear, incontinence products, maternity products, pet products, baby products and bed pads) on behalf of private-label retailers, brands and distributors worldwide from its own automated facilities in Asia and Europe. Confitex Technology’s innovations are protected by over 60 granted patents and its operations hold ISO 13485, EU Medical Device CE Mark, MDSAP, OEKO-TEX STeP, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) and FSC Chain of Custody (FSC CoC) certifications.
Read more at confitextechnology.com
