Reusable absorbent hygiene manufacturer Confitex Technology has won the hygiene industry's two top innovation awards, validating washable alternatives to single-use period and incontinence pads and liners – and signaling a more sustainable future for personal hygiene.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Confitex Technology has become the first company to win both of the global nonwovens industry's top awards – the INDEX Award, presented at the INDEX26 expo in Geneva in May 2026, and the Hygienix Innovation Award, presented in the US in November 2025. Its breakthrough washable nonwoven absorbent hygiene products prove that the nonwoven materials used in single-use pads, liners, incontinence guards and bed pads can be stabilised to survive machine washing and tumble drying, and excellent absorbency can be achieved without petroleum-based superabsorbent polymers (SAPs).
Confitex Technology Founder and CEO Frantisek Riha-Scott says the implications are huge. "What Confitex Technology has done is unlock an entirely new product category – washable, reusable absorbent hygiene products that perform as well as, or better than, disposables, at a price point that works for mainstream consumers and mass-market retailers. It's the beginning of a consumer category shift comparable to the move from single-use plastic bags to reusables."
The global absorbent hygiene products (AHP) market is valued at about USD 123.5 billion, with reusable products making up less than 15 percent but growing at a CAGR of 6.89%. EU regulatory pressure supports a move away from single-use plastic products, and the French government recently announced menstrual equity subsidies for reusable period underwear at population scale.
The INDEX Award jury – a panel of global industry experts convened by Brussels-based AHP industry body EDANA – highlighted the market opportunity: "By making absorbent nonwovens fully laundry-compatible, the technology enables nonwoven suppliers to enter the rapidly growing reusable market, historically dominated by textile products. At the same time, the product delivers improved absorbency, leak protection and ease of care for users, while supporting sustainability goals through reusability and the use of predominantly natural-based fibres."
Confitex Technology's award-winning nonwoven reusable pads are up to 90 percent bio-based, contain no SAPS, and have been independently lab-tested by Intertek to match or exceed the absorbency of single-use equivalents. All incoming bulk raw materials are tested for PFAS 'forever chemicals' and all Confitex Technology products meet OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certification.
Confitex Technology Executive Director Lisa Voyle says the company is partnering with global retailers and leading FMCG players to build the washable nonwoven category for mainstream adoption across European and North American markets.
About the awards
The INDEX Awards are presented triennially by Brussels-based nonwovens association EDANA and considered the industry's highest accolade. The Hygienix Innovation Award is presented annually by US-based industry body INDA to honour breakthrough technologies advancing the AHP industry.
About Confitex Technology
Confitex Technology is the tech leader in reusable absorbent hygiene – designing and manufacturing washable absorbent hygiene products (including reusable period pads and liners, period underwear, incontinence underwear, incontinence products, maternity products, pet products, baby products and bed pads) on behalf of private-label retailers, brands and distributors worldwide from its own automated facilities in Asia and Europe. Confitex Technology's innovations are protected by over 60 granted patents and its operations hold ISO 13485, EU Medical Device CE Mark, MDSAP, OEKO-TEX STeP, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI), Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) and FSC Chain of Custody (FSC CoC) certifications.
Read more at confitextechnology.com
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Confitex Technology wins INDEX Award and Hygienix Innovation Award for world-first washable nonwoven absorbent hygiene products
Passer d'un rêve à l'autre — Passing from One Dream to Another
19 September – 13 December 2026
11 venues • 120 artists • nearly 400 works
PARIS, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- From Saturday 19 September, the 18th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art opens its doors to the public. Until 13 December 2026, Passer d'un rêve à l'autre (Passing from One Dream to Another) invites everyone to experience a generous Biennale unfolding across 11 venues in Lyon and its metropolitan area, bringing together 120 artists and nearly 400 works.
Curated by Catherine Nichols, the 18th edition takes visitors on a journey through the city and its wider territory, encompassing major exhibition sites, museums, heritage venues and unexpected spaces.
At the heart of this edition, Les Grandes Locos, the Biennale's main venue, hosts a major part of the exhibition. The journey continues across ten other venues, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Lyon (macLYON), the Museum of Fine Arts of Lyon, the Musée des Tissus, exceptionally reopening its doors for the Biennale, and the LPA Saint-Antoine car park.
DISCOVER THE BIENNALE UNTIL 13 DECEMBER
For almost three months, visitors are free to create their own itinerary and experience the Biennale at their own pace.
The Biennale Pass provides access to all 11 venues, with one visit to each venue, whenever visitors choose, until 13 December 2026.
Priced from €18 to €25, the Pass makes it possible to explore the entire Biennale and return throughout the autumn to continue the experience.
Admission is free for visitors under 15, students in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and art students. Reduced rates are available for visitors under 26.
Designed to welcome the widest possible audience, the Biennale is accessible from the age of 3 and introduces new accessibility initiatives this year, including easy-to-read exhibition labels.
Visitors wishing to explore the exhibition further can book a guided tour for an additional €3, while an audio guide is available at the three main venues for an additional €3.
ONE PASS, 11 VENUES, UNTIL 13 DECEMBER
With my Pass, I can visit each venue once, whenever I want, until 13 December!
18th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art
Passer d'un rêve à l'autre — Passing from One Dream to Another
19 September – 13 December 2026
ART AND SOCIAL SCIENCES: REFLECTING ON A CHANGING WORLD
The 18th Lyon Biennale of Contemporary Art explores the human connections at the heart of the economy. Curated by art historian and author Catherine Nichols, it extends a line of inquiry informed by her work on creativity and social transformation. It invites us to consider a fundamental question: How can our capacity to create and tell stories open up other ways of living together?
In Lyon, the themes of dreams and passage give new expression to this inquiry: transforming the constraints of the present through imagination and collective action to build a future for which we share responsibility.
This reflection resonates with Dialogue Between a Thinker and AI, by Thierry Ehrmann, founder of Artprice and creator of the Adobe of Chaos. In the face of the anthropological shock of artificial intelligence, the book explores a profoundly humanist third path: grounding our dialogue with technology in free will, the transmission of knowledge, and critical thinking. Art and social sciences play an essential role in this approach, helping us understand the transformations reshaping our societies and economies and illuminating the choices that carry consequences for us all.
The book circulates freely in English as a RAW Typescript at dialoguebetweenathinkerandai.com
Images:
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About:
Artprice by Artmarket (Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF) and La Demeure du Chaos/Abode of Chaos are partnering with the 18th Lyon Biennale, curated by Catherine Nichols and under the artistic direction of Isabelle Bertolotti.
This collaboration brings together two major players in the art world, both deeply rooted in Lyon while maintaining a strong international outlook. For more than forty years, the Lyon Biennale has supported the evolution of contemporary art and helped establish the Lyon metropolitan area as a leading platform for artists, art professionals, and audiences from around the world. Artprice, the global leader in art market information, has for many decades documented the transformations of the international art scene and the careers of the artists who shape it.
Media Contact : Thierry Ehrmann, ir@artmarket.com
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ARTPRICE NEWS: THE 18TH LYON BIENNALE OF CONTEMPORARY ART IS NOW OPEN
ARTPRICE NEWS: THE 18TH LYON BIENNALE OF CONTEMPORARY ART IS NOW OPEN
