Full-on bans or limitations on the use of plastics in wipes continue to expand globally. Earlier this year, the U.K. became the first country in the world to ban the use of plastic in disposable wipes while single-use plastics legislation in the EU as well as in several states including California, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Oregon made new raw materials development in disposable wipes mandatory.

Already, substrate suppliers are understanding the assignment, investing in new lines and existing line upgrades to allow them to create wipe materials from materials like bamboo, cotton and cellulose. While makers of wipes in consumer segments have been touting natural features for years, adoption has been slower within professional settings due to formulation limitations. The active ingredients in harsher cleaning wipes do not vibe with natural materials…until recently. New technologies have allowed suppliers of professional wipes to convert new substrates and the results are being noted on the market.

According to a study recently conducted by Kline & Co., more than 65% of respondents said that sustainability plays a role in their decisions when buying a professional cleaning wipe product. Concerns about waste, biodegradability and compatibility with their ESG goals were significant factors, with nearly 52% of respondents using fewer disposable wipes due to waste concerns, almost 40% due to biodegradability concerns, and 32% due to ESG goals.

However, efficacy is crucial for professionals using wipes at their facilities. Kline’s survey reveals that 38% of end users perceive green cleaning products as equally effetive as traditional cleaning chemicals, with an additional 30% considering them to be even more e<ective. Moreover, a significant 80% of end users express willingness to pay more for green cleaning solutions. As part of an effort for cleaning professionals to comply with sustainability goals, many end users favor wet wipes that contain plant-based or botanical ingredients such as citric acid, lavender, soy and thymol.

Managing Infection

Disinfectant wipes are found everywhere throughout healthcare settings, from hospitals and clinics to nursing homes and home care. Sta< use these wipes to clean medical equipment, disinfect operating rooms between cases, clean public areas and much more. “These wipes are the epitome of a single-use plastic,” says Jonathan Fast, senior staff scientist, healthcare infection prevention North America, Ecolab. ”You wipe a surface for five or 10 seconds and then throw it away. We’ve calculated that the disinfectant wipes used in North American healthcare facilities in one year would wrap around the globe 58 times.”

In response, suppliers of wipe materials to healthcare settings have been working to find an alternative to plastic materials for years. This has been boosted by increased awareness around sustainability and the pursuit of green initiatives by hospitals and healthcare providers.

“There’s a ton of waste in hospitals,” says Karoline Sperling, clinical services manager, healthcare infection prevention, North America. “Hospital leaders and the front lines are hungry for healthcare to be more sustainable.”

Ecolab® Disinfectant 1 Wipe2 with 100% Plastic-Free Substrate shows how innovative product development can help create safer patient environments and great operational efficiency while reducing the volume of single-use plastics being sent into the healthcare systems. This wipe offers one-minute hospital disinfection, made with a substrate derived 100% from wood pulp fibers. The wipe substrate is 100% plastic-free and readily degradable.

“What makes a hospital disinfectant wipe different from a consumer wipe is the number of organisms that it kills, as well as the lower contact times and effective cleaning capability needed for a hospital environment,” Dr. Fast says. “The innovation with Ecolab’s new product is bringing a wipe substrate, derived 100% from wood-pulp fibers, together with broad spectrum hospital disinfection. Those elements hadn’t previously come together in the U.S. hospital market.”

When it comes to hospital disinfectant wipes, factors like kill claims and contact time are especially important. Organizations need to consider whether a wipe will kill the pathogens of interest, based on emerging diseases and local epidemiology. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are particularly important to many hospitals and health systems.

“Ecolab’s readily degradable disinfectant wipe uses an EPA-registered disinfectant with broad spectrum kill claims against 40+ organisms and emerging pathogens, and provides healthcare workers with the opportunity to help mitigate the risk of hospital-acquired infections,” Sperling says.

Contact time refers to how long a surface must remain wet to kill the pathogens of interest. Some disinfectants require longer contact times than others; the contact time for Ecolab Disinfectant 1 Wipe with 100% Plastic-Free Substrate is one minute, with some claims taking as little time as 30 seconds (for SARS-CoV-2 for example). “In healthcare, long contact times are not practical and it is critical for a surface to remain wet for the recommended contact time, in order to ensure efficacy,” Sperling adds.

Keeping Clean

According to a report published by Freedonia Group in March 2023, demand for manufacturing wipes is expected to advance 2.5% per year to $646 million in 2026, driven primarily by unit growth as prices moderate from inflation- and supply chain-related highs in 2021 and 2022. Unit growth will be supported by consistent increases in manufacturing activity precipitated by industries returning to pre-pandemic levels of operation and continued adoption of wipes as manufacturers recognize their cost and performance benefits within many industries.

Dry wipes have historically been more widely used in manufacturing settings due to their versatility and ability to be used in conjunction with solvents applied on site. This trend will continue despite improvements in wet wipe technology. Dry wipes are particularly favored in special purpose manufacturing applications, such as surface preparation and printing uses.

General purpose wipes accounted for 63% of manufacturing wipes sales in 2021, despite the continued popularity of specialty wipes. General purpose wipes are valuable as they can be used in a variety of industrial settings to cost effectively remove soils from manufactured products as well as from machinery, tools, and other equipment. Market growth going forward will be boosted by an acceleration in unit sales growth as U.S. manufacturing activity continues to rebound. Additionally, general purpose wipes usage will benefit from the continued implementation of the EPA’s Wiper Rule, which eases regulations surrounding their disposal.

Beyond manufacturing wipes, demand for wipes overall is expected to advance 2.3% per year off a relatively high base to $4.3 billion in 2026, according to Freedonia. While this growth rate is relatively slow compared to historical norms, it stems from elevated market levels, as pandemic-related sales spikes for various wipes (notably disinfectant wipes in 2020), supply chain challenges, and higher raw material costs led prices for wipes to jump in 2020 and 2021, inflating market value in those years.

The rapid growth of wet wipes across many applications has made the development of alternative raw material platforms urgent. With disposable wipes already being challenged for their contribution to landfills as well as marine waste, suppliers of nonwovens have responded with new product formats.

More than a decade after launching a biodegradable cleaning wipe, made from 100% cellulose fibers, within its consumer business, CloroxPro, the makers of Clorox professional products, expanded its Clorox EcoClean product platform with the launch of Clorox EcoClean disinfecting wipes. These Design for the Environment (DfE)-certified, ready-to-use wipes are made with a 100% plant-based substrate and naturally-derived, citric acid active ingredient that kills 99.9% of germs without bleach, ammonia or alcohol.

“At CloroxPro, we are committed to protecting public health by creating safer, healthier shared spaces,” says Kirstem Hochberg, a senior specialist on Clorox’s scientific a<airs team. “We do this by evolving with our end-users’ needs through product innovation. For cleaning professionals, demand for eco-conscious products continues to grow – in fact, the green cleaning industry is growing faster than the traditional cleaning industry.”

Currently three out of four cleaning professionals agree using eco-conscious cleaners and disinfectants in public spaces is important. Add to this legal changes—as of April 2024, certified eco-conscious products are required for new custodial contracts that maintain federal buildings and three in four U.S. states have Environmental Purchasing Policies in place. “In light of these shifts, we decided to expand our Clorox EcoClean platform with the addition of Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes,” Hochberg adds.

To create a more eco-conscious wipe without sacrificing efficacy and efficiency, Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes are specially formulated with a citric acid active ingredient making them gentle on surfaces but tough on grease, grime and germs. They clean and kill 99.9% of germs without bleach, ammonia or alcohol and without harsh chemical odors, and the cloths are made with 100% plant-based fibers.

Additionally, they clean and disinfect without harsh chemical odors and with 38% less plastic. They are ideal for use in shared spaces because they are gentle on surfaces—such as doorknobs, countertops, tables, desks and more—but tough on grease, grime and germs, including cold and flu viruses, norovirus and Covid-19.

“The demand for eco-conscious cleaners and disinfectants continues to increase as facilities prioritize the comfort of their staff and meeting their sustainability goals,” says Kyra Caskey, senior director of marketing, CloroxPro. “This is why we are proud to expand the Clorox EcoClean portfolio with ready-to-use disinfecting wipes that offer cleaning professionals an eco-conscious alternative that works just as well as the leading professional disinfecting wipe.”

Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes are the newest addition to the Clorox EcoClean product line, which also includes DfE and Safer Choice-certified cleaners and disinfectants: Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Cleaner, Clorox EcoClean All-Purpose Cleaner, and Clorox EcoClean Glass Cleaner. All of these products are certified under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment and Safer Choice programs. Designed for comfortable use (no gloves or personal protective equipment required) and safe for use on multiple surfaces, they’re the ideal option for cleaning and disinfecting a range of public spaces, including schools, offices and government buildings.

The new wipes, like the other EcoClean products, also support ambitious ESG goals integrated into Clorox’s broader company-wide strategy. They showcase the company’s efforts to design products that reinforce its commitment to reduce virgin plastics in its supply chain by 50% by 2030.

All Clorox EcoClean products are made using 25% post-consumer recycled plastic packaging and can help facilities reach their sustainability goals, including meeting requirements for LEED, ISSA CIMS—Green Building, and Healthy Green Schools and Colleges.

However, the challenge is proving that these products are as effective as previous generation technologies.

“While many cleaning professionals want to use eco-conscious products, they still have misconceptions that they don’t work as well as traditional cleaners,” Hochberg says. “To maintain efficacy while providing a more eco-conscious wipe option, Clorox EcoClean Disinfecting Wipes use a citric acid active ingredient, which is naturally derived from citrus fruits, but kills 99.9% of germs including cold and flu viruses, Norovirus, the Covid-19 virus and more. In turn, this offers cleaning professionals a more eco-conscious option without having to sacrifice the cleaning and disinfecting power of traditional disinfecting wipes.“