Woolchemy, the New Zealand–based materials innovation company transforming sheep wool into high-performance, sustainable hygiene materials, today announced the signing of a Collaboration Agreement with BCNonwovens (BCN), a Spanish, family-owned manufacturer specialising in spunlace nonwoven materials for hygiene applications.
Under the agreement, Woolchemy and BCNonwovens will collaborate to advance scale-up manufacturing of the neweFlex™ platform and its application formats, including neweFlex™ ADL and neweFlex™ WIPE, for use in wipes, baby care, feminine hygiene, and incontinence products. The collaboration builds on a successful initial manufacturing trial at BCNonwovens, followed by subsequent testing and validation work.
Woolchemy’s patented materials platform is built on neweFibre™, the world’s first hygiene-grade wool—purified to meet the stringent regulatory requirements of disposable hygiene products. neweFlex™ incorporates neweFibre™ alongside plant-based fibres to deliver strong moisture management, comfort, and skin compatibility, while offering a renewable and biodegradable alternative to petroleum-derived materials traditionally used in hygiene nonwovens.
“Working with BCNonwovens marks an important step in our journey from innovation to industrialisation,” said Derelee Potroz-Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of Woolchemy. “BCNonwovens brings deep expertise in spunlace nonwovens and a highly capable manufacturing platform. Together, we are focused on delivering wool-based materials like neweFlex™ at scale, while meeting the performance, quality, and regulatory expectations of the global hygiene industry.”
“Woolchemy’s technology represents a compelling new direction for nonwoven materials in hygiene,” said Marko Rajamaa, CEO of BCNonwovens. “Wool is particularly interesting as it can be incorporated into spunlace nonwovens using established manufacturing processes, while delivering functional benefits that translate into clear points of difference for customers in a highly competitive market.”
The collaboration reflects a shared intent to reduce reliance on fossil-derived plastics in disposable hygiene products. Today, more than 300,000 diapers are discarded every minute, with approximately 93% of materials used in hygiene products derived from petroleum. Woolchemy’s materials leverage ethically sourced, vegetarian-certified New Zealand wool, with over 50% bio-sequestered carbon by weight, to support customer demand for more circular material solutions in hygiene nonwovens.
The parties intend to progress further customer trials and commercial evaluations over the coming months, with the objective of a future supply agreement, subject to successful technical and commercial outcomes.
About Woolchemy
Woolchemy is a New Zealand–based materials technology company redefining the use of wool in hygiene and personal care. Founded by Derelee Potroz-Smith and Angela Potroz, the company develops proprietary, high-performance wool-based materials that are sustainable, skin-compatible, and patent-protected. Woolchemy’s innovations are designed to replace petroleum-derived plastics in disposable hygiene products with renewable, biodegradable alternatives.
About BCNonwovens
BCNonwovens is a Spain-based, family-owned manufacturer specialising in spunlace nonwoven materials. Founded in 2002, the company supplies high-quality roll goods internationally to the baby wipes, personal care, home care, medical care, and technical markets. With headquarters in Barcelona and production facilities in Sant Quintí de Mediona (Spain) and Georgia (USA), BCNonwovens combines advanced manufacturing capabilities with deep technical expertise to deliver optimised nonwoven solutions.
