51. Reusable Absorbent Products pt. 1 with Frantisek Riha-Scott

Most absorbent hygiene products today are disposable. With this comes convenience, cleanliness, and affordability. But it also brings negative impacts on the environment.

For this reason, some consumers are choosing reusable options. However, these products may lack in the areas of performance, practicality, and price. So how do manufacturers like you offer reusable options to your customers while still meeting their needs?

Frantisek Rhia-Scott, founder and design director at Confitex, proves how necessity drives creation. In the first of two ‘Attached to Hygiene’ episodes, Frantisek tells host Jack Hughes how the absorbent apparel company brought a much-needed incontinence product to the market.

A reusable absorbent incontinence product with a greater purpose

Frantisek started Confitex over 10 years ago while he was a competitive downhill skier. He wanted athletes to be able to continue their race without having to take the time to ‘answer the call of nature’. In talking to family and friends, he soon saw a bigger and more widespread need for such an article.

Market research proved quite beneficial: He learned that as many as one in three experience incontinence at some point in their life. Further research helped Frantisek identify consumer niches, product issues, and possible solutions.

Sustainability must serve the society, economy, and the environment

The absorbent hygiene industry is in a race to find increasingly sustainable solutions—especially as regulations increase. But it’s a balance. Products need to be better for the environment and affordable, or it’s not a sustainable business model. To adapt, the industry needs to work even harder on finding viable solutions, especially regarding efficient production.

Outline of the Episode

• [03:42] How the competitive skier used his sport and love of fashion to design reusable underwear
• [05:25] Why Confitex is at the forefront of the industry trend of sustainability
• [11:15] The importance to be sustainable both environmentally and economically
• [15:33] Traditional absorbent hygiene styles have certain advantages in the market, including a long-standing history across all distribution channels
• [18:18] The coming challenge of the EU restricting the use of plastic-derived polymers in single-use products
• [22:34] E-commerce offers a financially viable business model for reusables
• [32:50] The challenges that come with marketing reusable absorbent hygiene products
• [33:42]Meeting challenges by combining the best elements of reusable and single-use products

Resources

You can find Frantisek Riha-Scott on LinkedIn or leave him a message through our email at [e-mail].

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