Image © Alginor ASA
Essity announced its participation in PROTEUS, a flagship project supported by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) and its members.
The project pioneers the development of bio-based super absorbents derived from sustainably harvested brown macroalgae. As part of this initiative, Essity evaluates new bio-based raw materials for use in products such as baby diapers, feminine care, and incontinence products, aiming to reduce the reliance on fossil-based plastics and minimize environmental impact throughout the product lifecycle.
Super absorbents are essential for the effective absorption of urine or menstrual blood in hygiene and health products, such as baby diapers, feminine care, and incontinence products. Today, these materials rely mostly on fossil-based materials.
Essity, through its collaboration in the PROTEUS project, is evaluating algae-based raw materials, specifically from Laminaria hyperborea, an underutilized European brown macroalgae, a sustainable and renewable alternative for absorbent hygiene and medical products.
By joining PROTEUS, Essity advances its innovation agenda, exploring new bio-based technologies that can support lower waste and contribute to a more circular bioeconomy.
“Continuous innovation is essential to improve people’s hygiene, health, and well-being, and to contribute to a more sustainable and circular society. We actively collaborate with established suppliers and start-ups to access, develop, and implement innovative and sustainable materials for our current and future products,” says Anke Renz, Vice President Research & Development, Essity.
The initiative supports the sustainable production of bio based ingredients from Laminaria hyperborea, helping meet increasing demand in areas like hygiene and health. Thanks to state of the art, formaldehyde free technology, the process can use almost the entire algae biomass, far more than the roughly 15% currently utilised in the industry. Operations are further optimised with a hybrid electric vessel, which lowers emissions and reduces environmental impact.
PROTEUS, short for kelP side stReam valOrisaTion to dEvelop new biobased valUe chainS, establishes the world’s first fully integrated industrial scale biorefinery dedicated to unlocking the full potential of Europe’s brown macroalgae. Coordinated by Alginor ASA, a Norway-based pioneer in the sustainable processing of Laminaria hyperborea, the project brings together eleven organisations from across Europe including Essity. Using state-of-the-art formaldehyde-free harvesting and extraction techniques, PROTEUS aims to increase biomass utilisation from 15% to converting the entire renewable resource into high-value products for food, animal feed, personal care, and industrial applications while supporting the transition to a circular bioeconomy.
Essity in EU flagship project PROTEUS to develop bio-based super absorbents from algae. Image © Essity
