EDANA Outlook Barcelona 2012: Summary of Summaries

Summaries of all the papers  given at EDANA's 2012 Outlook Conference in Barcelona have been posted here over the last few weeks, so here is the summary of the key points:

The 11^th annual Outlook Conference was the biggest ever with over 450 pre-registered delegates. 

·         The era of Cheap-China is over.  Cost and wage inflation in the industrial regions cannot be corrected by opening up the interior.

·         Chinese diaper consumption and production is surging and a baby-boom is expected.  Exports are increasing.

·         Per Capita spend on diapers in the developed economies will be static or even decline though 2016.

·         Adult Incontinence products are set to grow rapidly and spunbond nonwoven production for their core-wrap, topsheet and backsheet will benefit.

·         Cloth diapers are growing from a tiny base for the wrong reason: babies are keen to get out of them so they’re good for potty training.

·         Super-soft topsheets are available in non-bico form in Asia.

·         Numerous sustainability initiatives are underway and there is a growing belief that sustainability and efficiency are one and the same.

·         EU regulation of nanomaterials appears to be getting bogged down by lack of definition and in product safety and product liability issues.

·         The new EU Biocidal Products Regulations are “a cow to be milked by lawyers”.

·         Eastern Europe and Latin America will see rapid growth in wet-wipes and incontinence products through 2020.