Nonwovens, Compliance & Materials Science
Navigate global standards (ISO, EDANA), environmental law, and materials science with guidance from a recognised industry leader.
The nonwoven substrate is the heart of any high-performance wipe, defining its function, feel, and environmental impact. With thirty years of hands-on experience, from R&D labs to global supply chains, David E. James Consulting provides an unparalleled depth of expertise in the science and strategy of nonwovens. We partner with you to navigate every stage of the product lifecycle—from initial material selection and regulatory compliance to manufacturing conversion and advanced technical validation—ensuring your final product is effective, compliant, and commercially successful.
Expertise in Wiping Applications: From Skin Cleansing to Surface Disinfection
A wipe is never just a wipe. Its success depends on a nuanced understanding of its end-use environment. We provide expert guidance across the full spectrum of wet and dry wiping applications, ensuring every component is perfectly optimised for its intended purpose. Personal Care & Domestic Use: Leveraging experience as the former principal technical contact at a contract manufacturer for Johnson & Johnson, we guide the development of products where consumer experience is paramount. This includes selecting substrates for superior softness in baby wipes, ensuring optimal lotion delivery for cosmetic applications, and designing for robust cleaning performance in household surface wipes. Industrial & Healthcare Use: Drawing on direct experience of having managed a £3.4M R&D facility for infection prevention at GAMA Healthcare, we specialise in high-performance applications. This includes specifying nonwovens for critical surface disinfection, ensuring material compatibility in cleanroom environments, and developing products that meet the rigorous efficacy and safety standards required by healthcare institutions and the NHS. At the heart of the solution is a sophisticated system designed, developed and marketed by Sky Chemicals(UK) Ltd
Sustainability by Design: A Holistic Product Lifecycle Approach
True sustainability is not an add-on; it must be engineered into the product from its inception. We guide clients in developing products that are not only environmentally responsible but also commercially viable, using a holistic, data-driven approach.
The Nonwoven Material: We analyse the entire lifecycle, from raw material choices (cellulosics, regenerated fibres, polymers) to manufacturing impacts, helping you select a substrate that meets your performance needs while minimizing its carbon footprint.
The Primary Packaging: Our expertise extends to the complete package. We provide strategic advice on designing "recycle-ready" packaging using mono-materials, incorporating Post-Consumer Recyclate (PCR) to meet upcoming UK pEPR and EU PPWR regulations, and ensuring the final design protects product integrity.
Potential Accreditations: We help you navigate the complex landscape of environmental certifications, advising on the requirements for accreditations such as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC, which can provide a powerful market advantage.
Pioneering Plastic-Free Nonwovens
Driven by consumer demand and legislation like the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive, the shift to "plastic-free" is one of the most significant challenges facing the industry. Successfully making this transition requires deep material science expertise. We help you navigate the technical hurdles of removing plastic binders and fibres while maintaining critical product attributes like wet strength, softness, and cleaning efficacy, guiding you through the selection and validation of alternative materials to create a market-leading plastic-free wipe.
Navigating Flushability: The Intersection of Performance and Compliance
Flushable wipes represent one of the most technically demanding and highly regulated categories in the nonwovens industry. A product must be durable enough for its intended use yet disperse rapidly and safely in wastewater systems.
As a UK expert to ISO/TC224/WG10 on 'Flushable products' and the former Chairperson of the EDANA wet wipes working group, David E. James offers unmatched authority in this area. We provide expert consultancy on:
- Interpreting and applying the latest flushability guidelines (e.g., GD4), specifications, and international standards.
- Designing products that pass the rigorous seven-stage testing protocol.
- Understanding the complex legal landscape, informed by a unique LLM dissertation on wet wipe liability, to mitigate risk and ensure full compliance.