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An X-ray of a TENA absorbent pad, with a detail view of fibres in the absorbent core

How do we innovate to reduce our impact?

We're on a mission to reduce the environmental impact of our products and services, while also improving the life quality of millions of people worldwide. Our key to accomplishing this is the Life Cycle Assessment – a globally recognised method, based on international standards, of measuring the impact of our products in every stage of their life cycle.

Beside the TENA Protects Program logo, icons for each stage of the product life cycle encircle a text that reads, “CO2 50% by 2030.”

Assessing the entire product life cycle

The life cycle of a TENA product has 5 stages: raw materials, manufacturing, transport, usage, and after-use. Apart from usage, which is in your hands, all these stages contribute a percentage to our products’ carbon footprint. Here's a look at what goes into making our products, and how we’re able to improve the carbon footprint in each stage, thanks to our work with LCAs.

Maria Mollberg, wearing a white blouse and black blazer
Icons of a pile of logs, and two trees, on a green background

Raw materials

This is where it all starts: with things like wood pulp and non-woven fabrics. The pulp that goes into our absorbent cores comes from responsibly managed forests in Europe and North America. We use trusted suppliers in Europe and Asia for our superabsorbent polymers (SAP), and our nonwoven fabrics are sourced from suppliers in Europe and Asia, with a focus on identifying and innovating even better materials where possible.
Paul Davies, wearing glasses, a blue shirt and a black jersey.
Icons of a factory and a wind mill on a green background

Manufacturing

When manufacturing, we start by carefully inspecting and testing raw materials to ensure they meet our quality standards. Then we form the absorbent core, which we coat with a superabsorbent polymer for even better absorbency.  
 
Next, we add some non-woven fabric, and a few adhesives and elastics to keep everything snug. Last, we shape the product into its final form – whether that's a liner, pad or underwear – and get it packaged up for transport.
Viktoria Stridh, wearing glasses, a white blouse and a grey blazer.
Icons of a truck and two clouds above, on a green background

Transport

We're all about being smart with our logistics. So, when it comes time for transport, we work with great logistics partners, seeking out the shortest routes and less carbon-intensive options like rail and sea freight. We’ve also gotten pretty good at using less packaging during transport, which reduces waste and lowers our impact even more.
Axel Nordberg, wearing glasses, a white shirt with a blue tie, and a dark blue blazer
Icons of a liner and a pant on a green background

Usage

It’s our responsibility to reduce the carbon footprint of our products, but together we can have an even bigger impact. And here’s where you come into the picture: using the right product, with the right fit and absorbency level for your needs, or the needs of someone you’re caring for, can have a major impact on the product’s total carbon footprint.
Mattias Abrahamsson wearing a white shirt and a dark blue suit.
Icons of a fire and a recycling box on a green background

After-use management

We have some ambitious goals here at TENA. A big one is developing products and services for a circular society where more is re-used and less goes to waste. That means taking responsibility for the whole life cycle, even after you're done using our products. There are some serious challenges on this journey, but we’re innovating every day, and coming up with new solutions all the time.