Companies Advance Circular, Bio-Based Materials for Diaper Production

Two chemical developments in the disposable diaper supply chain signal growing industry momentum toward replacing or recovering fossil-based materials used in hygiene products.

Elea & Lili, a deep-tech startup spun out of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and based in Espoo, announced it has raised €2.5 million (approximately $2.7 million USD) in seed funding to scale its patented biodegradable, microplastic-free alternative to conventional fossil-based superabsorbent polymers. 

Superabsorbent polymers are a core component of disposable diapers and agricultural water-retention products. Elea & Lili's cellulose-based material is designed to be compatible with existing diaper production lines and has undergone safety and skin compatibility testing in accordance with relevant ISO standards, according to the company.

"Hygiene and agriculture are equally strategic entry points for us. In both markets, absorbent materials are mission-critical components — and today they are fossil-based. We are replacing them with a scalable biomaterial," said Tatu Miettinen, CEO of Elea & Lili, in a statement.

The company said the funding will be used to scale pilot production, advance industrial validation, develop first commercial diaper products and accelerate agricultural field trials. Elea & Lili said it is working with cellulose and biomaterials companies to move from pilot to industrial-scale production, though it did not name those partners. The company also noted that EU regulation effective from 2028 will restrict fossil-based plastic components that persist in soil, creating a regulatory driver for its agricultural applications.

Separately, UK-based adhesive and polymer supplier Synthomer announced a partnership with Woosh, a Belgian company focused on diaper circularity, to develop recyclable and eventually non-petroleum-derived adhesives for use in diapers. According to the companies, the collaboration aims to break used diapers down to the molecular level, recover materials and use them to produce new diapers.

Synthomer said its role in the partnership includes reformulating diaper adhesives for recyclability and leveraging its position in the materials supply chain to connect diaper manufacturers with upstream suppliers.

"The biggest technical barrier to circular diapers isn't collection anymore — it's materials. Synthomer brings the adhesive and polymer expertise we need to make circular diapers viable at scale," said Alby Roseveare, CTO and co-founder of Woosh in a press statement.

"This collaboration marks the first time we have entered a partnership focused on circular hygiene materials, positioning us at the forefront of an emerging market," added Michaela Hofbauer, vice president of Sustainable Innovation at Synthomer.

Both developments reflect increasing pressure from regulators and consumer brands to address the material composition of single-use hygiene products, a category that has historically relied on fossil-derived polymers and adhesives with limited end-of-life recovery options.