Asahi Kasei launches its sustainable nonwoven Bemliese™ in North America

Asahi Kasei, a multinational Japanese chemical company, has announced the launch of Bemliese™, their patented ultra-sustainable continuous-filament cellulosic nonwoven fabric, in North America, via its trading arm in the US, Asahi Kasei Advance America.

Bemliese™, an organic, fast-acting biodegradable and compostable material that can be used for a variety of disposable goods and applications will resonate with organizations seeking to bolster CSR initiatives as the need for sustainable resources to reduce overall carbon footprint in the product lifecycle grows throughout the world.

Cotton linter – tiny hair-like fibers on cotton seeds – is used to make Bemliese™, a nonwoven fabric sheet. Asahi Kasei is the only business in the world that has created a clean unique technique for treating this linter to generate sheets that can be used in a wide range of product designs through science. Linter was formerly a pre-consumer waste byproduct of the traditional cotton harvesting process, but it has now been transformed to about 3% of the overall output thanks to Asahi Kasei’s invention.

TÜV Austria Belgium NV, an internationally known organization that assesses product biodegradability, has certified Bemliese™, as ‘OK Biodegradable Marine’. TÜV is the only institution that can certify marine biodegradability, therefore Bemliese™ has been proved to be environmentally beneficial both on land and at sea.

When dried, Bemliese™ leaves practically no lint, scratches, or chemicals on the surfaces it comes into contact with, making it a perfect material for cleaning equipment in the contaminated industrial, laboratory, or medical environments. Because of its great purity, it is free of any extra oils or chemicals that may be present in comparable products. Compared to cotton gauze, rayon/PET, and nonwoven cotton, it also has a higher rate of absorbency.

A sheet of Bemliese™, on the other hand, becomes exceptionally soft after moistening and drapes smoothly over whatever surface it touches with little to no abrasion, unlike cotton. It is a great material for sanitary applications or medical sterilization due to its exceptional moisture absorption and ability to cling onto small particles. When wet, it may securely grasp an object’s surface and hold the substance in place while it dries. Cotton linter is a material that creates a recovered cellulose filament structure that has a considerably better amount of liquid retention than regular cotton.

Cosmetic face masks produced from Bemliese™ have created waves in Asian sustainable beauty, drawing world-class cosmetics producers such as L’Oréal and KOSÉ Group thanks to their unparalleled absorbency and performance. These cotton linter face sheets absorb and hold ingredients that renew skin considerably more effectively, and they adhere to every curve of the face from the minute they touch it.

This enables the solution to be applied evenly to the skin, resulting in better results. Furthermore, unlike traditional face sheets, which often contain plastics, cotton linter face sheets boast a 100% natural source, clean manufacturing, and fast biodegradability, which has resonated in the industry, with consumers abandoning their usual products in favor of those that are more environmentally friendly.

Sales and Marketing Director of Asahi Kasei Advance America, Chad Provonsha, said that they’re thrilled by the success and reception of Bemliese™ in Asia for its broad uses and sustainability. This biodegradable fabric has been emphasized in sheet masks and cosmetic wipes, but Bemliese™ may be used in any industry, including agriculture, landscaping, and household goods.

Provonsha added that its application possibilities are limitless, and because it is a one-of-a-kind material that not only outperforms the competition but is also virtually 100% biodegradable within four weeks, they anticipate new developments as a result of its entry into the US market.

Koichi Yamashita, Bemliese’s head of sales, said that the OK biodegradable Marine accreditation will assist to raise awareness of the eco-friendly characteristics of products produced of regenerated cellulose, particularly in relation to the issue of marine microplastics. Moreover, the European Union has prohibited single-use plastics. This offers up new possibilities for cellulose-based fiber products, which aren’t affected by the ban.