Unifying Hygiene Industry Audits with a New Standard
A voluntary standard can significantly reduce the number of separate audits across an industry. It provides one credible framework, cutting duplication and supporting consistent global quality.
About EDANA
Nonwovens are engineered fabrics used in hygiene, medical, and industrial products.
Comprising over 260 members, EDANA is the international association advocating for the benefits of nonwovens for society. It supports sustainability, product stewardship, and industry collaboration through application specific and regional events
The challenge
Overlapping audits for converters (manufacturers that transform nonwoven fabrics into finished or semi-finished products) burden Absorbent Hygiene Products (AHPs) suppliers with duplicated work, cost and disruption.
Each converter applies its own, yet largely identical, checklist, requiring suppliers to host audit teams repeatedly.
Within the hygiene supply chain, converters turn nonwoven substrates into diapers, wipes and other absorbent hygiene products. To qualify or stay approved, their material suppliers must pass customer-specific audits that examine almost the same clauses, document control, traceability, contamination prevention, and more. Serving several converters means the cycle repeats, consuming staff time, interrupting production and adding avoidable travel, reporting and corrective-action costs.
The solution
A single, credible standard replaces multiple audits, giving suppliers consistency and converters confidence.
This voluntary standard means suppliers are not obliged to use it but may adopt it to demonstrate trusted safety, quality, and efficiency.
BSI worked with EDANA and industry experts to create this voluntary standard that cuts audit duplication across the Absorbent Hygiene Product (AHPs) supply chain. The standard gives suppliers a recognized way to show their commitment while assuring converters of consistent evaluation. Expert drafting, thorough consultation, and multiple feedback rounds ensured precision, impartiality, and global practicality.
- Consistent quality assurance: Shared benchmarks across AHPs supply chains.
- Transparency: A common framework for expectations and verification.
- Global recognition: Credibility strengthened through the BSI approach.
- Industry efficiency: Consolidated audits cut duplication.
- Supply chain optimization: Simplified qualification while maintaining quality.
- Industry ownership: EDANA retains full rights and control of the standard.
Impact:
An estimated 50% reduction in audit time frees participating organizations to focus on improvement and innovation.
(Read the full case study here )
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Testimonial
"We chose BSI because of your strong reputation in drafting standards and your scale as an organization."
"Credibility was at the heart of this project, and together we set a new benchmark for the industry"
Marines Lagemaat, Scientific and Technical Affairs Director — the voice of nonwovens, EDANA
