Paper, Nonwoven and Film News for July 5, 2026

Valmet introduced Advantage NTTe, a tissue process designed to combine fabric-like texture, softness and strength while reducing fibre and energy use versus conventional production. The platform targets ultra-premium products and allows mills to tune quality for different markets.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Premium tissue with new bulk and surface characteristics can change caliper, friction and compressibility, so converters should requalify perforation, embossing pressure, slit quality and rewind density.

Source: Valmet on Advantage NTTe

UPM Pulp and ANDRITZ signed a multi-year cooperation agreement giving tissue producers access to pilot-scale fibre and process development at the PrimeLineTIAC centre in Graz. The aim is faster product optimisation and commercialisation for specific mill conditions.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Pilot work can reduce scale-up risk before converters commit to tooling or capacity; buyers should ask for reel samples and validate tension, embossing and perforation recipes on the intended finished product.

Source: UPM on its ANDRITZ tissue partnership

Valmet launched a fully non-contact, nuclear-free quality control system for tissue production. It measures dry weight, basis weight, moisture, softness and creping behaviour in real time without touching the sheet, reducing web-break risk and radioactive-source handling.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: More stable upstream quality means fewer hidden reel variations downstream, but converters should still link incoming roll data to slitting and rewinding recipes for traceable finished-roll consistency.

Source: Valmet release on the new tissue QCS

Stora Enso is investing EUR 19 million at its Skutskar mill in Sweden to increase fluff pulp capacity. The specialised pulp is used in absorbent hygiene products, and the project strengthens supply for customers needing consistent absorbency and fibre performance.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Additional fluff supply supports hygiene-line growth, but downstream plants still need reliable parent-roll preparation, dust control and coordinated nonwoven and film feeding to protect high-speed diaper output.

Source: MET Magazine on Stora Enso fluff pulp expansion

Jani Sales commissioned PM3 at its Sarigam, Gujarat site after technical trials, lifting the company into India's leading group of tissue producers. New parent-reel capacity expands the addressable market for finished consumer and away-from-home tissue formats.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: New tissue tonnage creates a downstream requirement for matching slitting, rewinding, perforating and packaging capacity; plants should size converting investment against saleable formats, not parent-machine output alone.

Source: MET Magazine on Jani Sales PM3

Dalian Ruiguang Nonwoven Group ordered an A.Celli E-WIND STREAM winder and E-WIND RAPID rewinder for wetlaid material up to 3,600 mm wide. Installation and startup are scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: The order shows that parent-roll winding and secondary rewinding are capacity-critical in wetlaid nonwovens; buyers should specify width, roll hardness, edge quality and automated handling together.

Source: MET Magazine on the A.Celli order

Lenzing highlighted scalable cellulosic nonwoven solutions after DualWipe won an INDEX 26 award. The wipe material contains no synthetic fibres, binders or finishing chemicals, targeting microplastic-free cleaning and hygiene applications.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Binder-free cellulosic webs can differ in stretch, lint and wet strength, so converters should test low-tension unwinding, clean cutting, perforation force and roll compression before scale-up.

Source: Lenzing on DualWipe and bio-based nonwovens

Grasim Industries approved INR 30.94 billion for two additional 55,000-tonne-per-year lyocell lines at Harihar, India. Together with the first phase, the project is intended to take total lyocell capacity to nearly 210,000 tonnes per year.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: More lyocell supply broadens options for wipes and hygiene substrates, but material changes require incoming-roll trials for elongation, dust, knife life, tension and finished-roll firmness.

Source: Grasim on its lyocell investment

Pura relaunched its diaper and wipes range with a softer plant-based wipe using a three-layer structure designed to release a controlled amount of lotion. The change pairs substrate engineering with new packaging and retail positioning.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Layered wipe construction affects liquid pickup, folding, cutting and pack dispensing, so converters need repeatable web alignment, dosing control and hygienic changeovers across product variants.

Source: Pura release on its upgraded wipes range

Target recalled multiple Up & Up baby-wipe formats after complaints of discolouration and FDA testing identified Burkholderia cepacia complex and Burkholderia gladioli in samples. The action covers several pack counts and two product variants.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: The recall reinforces the need for controlled water and lotion systems, hygienic machine design, validated cleaning and batch-level traceability from parent roll through finished pack.

Source: FDA notice on the Target baby-wipes recall

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste published a technical and economic assessment for a 50,000-tonne-per-year advanced mechanical recycling plant. Its findings indicate that more than 30% recycled content is feasible in demanding flexible-film applications when recyclate quality is designed around converter needs.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Higher PCR levels can increase gauge and property variation, making tension control, defect inspection, sharp slitting and consistent rewind density central to commercial qualification.

Source: Alliance to End Plastic Waste report release

The Flexible Plastic Fund launched FlexCircular to identify investment needed for the UK to recycle up to 400,000 tonnes of post-consumer flexible packaging by 2030. The programme moves the focus from collection to high-value recycling, including food-contact applications.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: More domestic recyclate will expand material choices, but converters need robust qualification procedures and equipment recipes that manage variable friction, stiffness and contamination risk.

Source: Flexible Plastic Fund release on FlexCircular

Amcor achieved RecyClass Recycled Plastics Traceability certification to EN 15343 for flexible products made at three UK sites, including FFS, shrink, stretch-hood and flat films containing post-consumer recycled plastic.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Certified PCR claims increase the value of production records; converters should connect resin batch, inspection, slit-roll identity and finished-roll labels in one traceable workflow.

Source: Amcor on its RecyClass certification

American Packaging Corporation made certified-circular content available across all six of its centres of excellence after ISCC PLUS certification. The material can be used in tie layers, coatings and films for food, pet food, healthcare and other demanding packs.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: Mass-balance and circular-content structures still need physical converting validation; buyers should test sealing, coating adhesion, web tracking and slit-edge integrity before releasing a specification.

Source: APC release on certified-circular packaging

Toyobo developed a fully plant-based biaxially oriented PEF film and began sample supply in June. The company reports 60% higher rigidity and ten times the oxygen barrier of conventional industrial PET film, supporting downgauging and high-barrier uses.

Why it matters for converters and machine buyers: A new high-rigidity film can alter nip pressure, wrinkle behaviour and knife loading, so converters should qualify unwind tension, slitting method and rewind hardness using production-width samples.

Source: Toyobo on its plant-based PEF film