The berry Global Group has announced to increase the production of nonwoven materials for products such as disinfectant wipes in Europe. The investment, located in Europe, will increase Berry’s production footprint in support of its global customers, with total investments reaching over $110 million in nonwoven materials for products such as hard surface disinfectant wipes.
This new asset will add to the company’s existing Spunlace platform, further expanding its sustainable wipes portfolio. Recognizing its customers’ ongoing environmental sustainability goals, the new asset will incorporate the production of biodegradable or recycled nonwoven substrates, increasing Berry’s capacity in Europe by more than 300 million square meters. The new line is expected to be commercially available in the September quarter of 2022.
Before the demand surge of 2020, the European impregnated wet wipes segment, for home cleaning and disinfecting, was growing at the rate of five percent in the 2014 to 2019 time frame. COVID-19 has a heightened focus on sanitation and personal hygiene for infection prevention, suggesting permanent consumer trends away from the chore of cleaning to a health and safety priority.
Achim Schalk, General Manager of Berry’s Health & Hygiene Specialist, said, “This multimillion-dollar investment further completes our industry-leading portfolio. Through flexible assets such as this installation in Europe, we can better serve our customers with reliable, sustainable solutions for the wipes market.”
Curt Begle, president of Berry’s Health, Hygiene, and Specialties Division, said, “We strategically partner with many of the world’s leading brands with wipe materials, ensuring our investments align with demand for today and the future. The reliability of our capacity and scale is paramount to our customer support and the trusted relationships we desire to maintain.”
