Woolchemy Accelerates Commercial Traction as Award-Nominated Wool-Based Hygiene Materials Gain Global Attention
- Woolchemy Limited
- May 12
- 3 min read
Wellington, New Zealand – 12 May 2025 – Woolchemy, the New Zealand materials innovation company transforming sheep wool into high-performance, sustainable hygiene materials, has been named the winner of the IDEA® Raw Material Achievement Award by INDA, the global association serving the nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry. The winning material, neweFibre, is the world’s first hygiene-grade wool — purified to meet the stringent regulatory requirements of the disposable hygiene sector. It forms the foundation of Woolchemy’s patented materials platform, designed to serve the $126 billion global hygiene market.
Woolchemy was selected as a finalist by a panel of technical experts and ultimately awarded top honours for its pioneering work to introduce wool into single-use hygiene products—a category traditionally dominated by plastic. Every day, half the world’s population uses and disposes of 2 billion hygiene products, and 93% of the materials used in these products are derived from petroleum.
“Being recognized by INDA at IDEA® 2025 is an honour,” said Woolchemy CEO and Co-Founder Derelee Potroz-Smith. “neweFibre is the foundation not just of neweFlex nonwovens but of all future Woolchemy materials for hygiene. It's a testament to what’s possible when we align innovation with nature.”
Validated by Brands and Independent Research
As detailed in Woolchemy’s whitepaper, Revolutionising Hygiene: High-Performance, Plastic-Free Materials with Skin Health Benefits, neweFlex delivers compelling performance in diapers, feminine care, and incontinence products:
Microclimate Control: In lab testing, neweFlex improved thermal stability and reduced humidity by 10% compared to a polypropylene ADL.*
Exceptional Dryness: Surfaces using neweFlex stayed 3 to 14 times drier than other biobased alternatives.*
Odour Reduction: Wool’s natural properties cut ammonia odours by 57%, supporting long-lasting comfort and freshness.*
(*According to laboratory testing using industry-standard protocols)
Wool mirrors the structure of human skin, with keratin proteins that enhance skin compatibility—a growing consumer demand in hygiene.
Each diaper using neweFlex includes ~1 gram of coarse wool and plant-based fibres, and the nonwoven material is certified 100% biobased by Beta Analytic. With over 300,000 diapers discarded per minute—most made from petroleum-derived plastic—Woolchemy’s biodegradable and renewable alternative provides a path to circular hygiene design.
“Our technology offers a rare combination of high performance, environmental responsibility, and skin health benefits,” said Potroz-Smith. “We're proud to be working with global partners who are serious about bringing next-generation consumer products to market.”
Environmental Footprint
Woolchemy’s materials begin with wool—nature’s own performance fibre, made of over 50% bio-sequestered carbon by weight. Our wool is ethically sourced from New Zealand farms renowned for their high environmental standards and quality, including regenerative grazing practices and low-input systems that help preserve soil health and biodiversity. By transforming strong wool—a renewable and often undervalued fibre—into biodegradable materials that replace fossil-derived plastics, Woolchemy is enabling circular design in one of the world’s most waste-intensive industries.
About Woolchemy
Woolchemy is a New Zealand-based materials technology company redefining the use of wool in hygiene and personal care. Founded by Derelee Potroz-Smith and Angela Potroz, the company creates proprietary, high-performance wool-based materials that are sustainable, skin-compatible, and patent-protected. Alana Cheape joined in 2019 as a founding member, bringing 12 years of experience from the personal hygiene industry to help shape Woolchemy’s commercial and technical direction.
About neweFibre and neweFlex
neweFibre is Woolchemy’s patented hygiene-grade wool fibre technology, providing the core material for neweFlex—the company’s high-performing, biobased Acquisition Distribution Layer (ADL). neweFibre forms the basis of all future Woolchemy innovations for disposable hygiene. neweFlex is currently patent-granted in 2 jurisdictions and pending in 14.
For additional insights and to access the full whitepaper, visit: www.woolchemy.com/resources
Media Contact:
Alana Cheape
Chief Marketing Officer, Woolchemy
Phone: +64 210 247 6152
Email: alanac@woolchemy.com
Website: www.woolchemy.com
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