Soane Materials to unveil flushable nonwoven tech at World of Wipes 2026

Soane Materials will present new cellulose-based flushable nonwoven research at the World of Wipes conference in Nashville on June 30. The company says the formulation is designed to improve wipe strength without sacrificing flushability, a long-running problem for manufacturers and wastewater systems.

Why it matters: - Flushable wet wipes sit at the center of a difficult tradeoff: consumers want strong performance, while sewer and water treatment systems need products that break down quickly. - Soane Materials says its new formulation is designed to reduce that compromise and could give manufacturers a more scalable path to stronger, flushable wipes. - The technology is positioned as a near drop-in option for existing wetlaid production lines, which could lower adoption barriers for manufacturers.

What happened: - Soane Materials said it will present new research on flushable nonwoven design at the 2026 World of Wipes International Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, from June 29 to July 2. - Elizabeth Huth-Helriegel, Soane Materials' business development director, will deliver the session at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 30. - The session is titled "Strong When It Matters, Gone When It Counts: Advances in Flushable Nonwoven Design." - The conference is organized by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, and carries the theme "Redefining Wipes: Smart. Sustainable. Scalable."

The details: - The company says the formulation combines redispersible microfibrillated cellulose, natural fibers and binders. - Soane Materials says the resulting materials are designed to deliver stronger performance than conventional flushable products on the market today. - The company says the materials still meet flushability standards set by EDANA and IWSFG. - Soane Materials says the wipes disperse and disintegrate at a rate equal to or faster than existing benchmarks. - The formulation is designed for the current wetlaid manufacturing process. - Soane Materials says producers could adopt the technology without significant retooling. - The session will cover the material and process variables that affect the strength-disintegration tradeoff. - The presentation will also address how a tunable formulation approach can be adapted across multiple nonwoven applications. - Elizabeth Huth-Helriegel will also discuss practical considerations for integrating the technology into existing manufacturing lines without hurting performance or output. - Soane Materials says the presentation is intended for product developers, R&D teams and manufacturing leaders. - The company says the goal is a scalable framework for flushable wipes that meet consumer expectations while reducing environmental footprint. - Licensing conversations are now open. - Soane Materials directs readers to more information.

Between the lines: - The announcement signals that Soane Materials is trying to turn a materials-science claim into a commercial licensing opportunity, not just a conference presentation. - The emphasis on a near drop-in process matters because flushable materials often fail on manufacturing practicality, not just performance specs. - The focus on standards from EDANA and IWSFG suggests the company is trying to address both product durability and the industry benchmarks that shape market acceptance.

What's next: - Soane Materials will present the research live at World of Wipes in Nashville on June 30. - The company says licensing discussions are open now, suggesting the conference may serve as a lead-generation and partnership moment. - Product and manufacturing teams attending the session may use the presentation to evaluate whether the technology fits existing production lines and wipe categories.

The bottom line: - Soane Materials is pitching a flushable wipe material that aims to solve one of the category's biggest problems: making wipes stronger without making them harder to flush.