We’re on a mission to reduce the carbon footprint of our products and services while improving the quality of life for millions worldwide. Our approach: innovate at every stage of the product life cycle.
Improvements driven by life-cycle thinking
The life cycle of a TENA product has five stages – raw materials, manufacturing, transport, usage and after-use. Apart from usage, which varies by individual use, these stages account for a significant portion of our products’ carbon footprint. Here's how we’re improving our carbon footprint through innovation at each stage throughout the product life cycle.
Raw materials
This is where it all starts: with raw materials such as 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 source our superabsorbent polymers (SAP) and non-woven fabrics from trusted suppliers across Europe and Asia – with a focus on identifying and innovating with even better materials where possible.
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. Lastly, we shape the product into its final form – whether that's a liner, pad or underwear – and get it packaged up for transport.
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 got pretty good at using less packaging during transport, which reduces waste and lowers our impact even more.
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.
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 reused 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.