SAPs certified for industrial composting: designing the absorbent core between European regulation and performance requirements
The feminine hygiene market is undergoing a change in the materials it uses.
Not because of a trend, but because of a combination of regulatory pressure, ESG requirements from the retailers, and demand for differentiated products.
At the centre of this change is SAP – superabsorbent polymer – the component that determines the performance of the absorbent core and that is now part of a transition from fossil-based sodium polyacrylate to SAPs certified for industrial composting.
For those designing absorbent cores, this means assessing alternatives with the same level of the same level of attention that, until recently, was focused mainly on technical performance.
Market figures: volumes that increase the impact of material choices
The global feminine hygiene market was valued at USD 45.56 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 85.81 billion by 2034.
Europe currently accounts for approximately USD 11.89 billion, with Western European consumers averaging more than 380 units per person per year in the 10–54 age group.
At these consumption levels, even a relatively small change in core material can become relevant in supply-chain environmental assessments and can result in noticeable differences in the characteristics of the finished product.
The regulatory framework: plastic labeling is already a reality
Since July 3, 2021, Directive (EU) 2019/904 – the so-called SUP Directive – has required that the presence of plastic be indicated on the labelling of single-use products, including sanitary pads and tampons.
The presence of sodium polyacrylate is no longer merely internal technical information, but something visible to consumers.
At the same time, leading European retailers and distributors are incorporating environmental criteria into their supplier qualification processes, driven by the Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan.
For manufacturers supplying private-label products or relying on structured large-scale retail channels, ESG requirements are no longer optional.
On the demand side, more than 20,000 respondents across 31 countries indicate an average willingness to pay 9.7% more for products accompanied by verifiable environmental information, and that is not an insignificant margin.
Traditional SAP vs. compostable SAP: a technical comparison
Sodium polyacrylate is the industry-standard SAP for well-established technical reasons: high absorbency, gel stability over time and compatibility with high-speed production lines.
Its structural limitations are equally well known: its petrochemical origin, and end-of-life carachteristics production, which need to be assessed within the specific application and LCA context.
Next-generation compostable SAPs are evaluated against the same parameters with a clear objective: to provide comparable performance without compromising industrial processability and to allow, where covered by certification, treatment through industrial composting under the conditions the conditions specified by that certification.
Three variables need to be verified during qualification :
- absorption and retention under pressure, comparable to market standards
- process stability: material behavior on high-speed production lines
- verifiable compostability certification, based on a recognized standard and supported by third-party validation
Spongel: specifications and operational implications
Spongel is a SAP certified OK Compost Industrial developed and patented by Magic.
It was designed to integrate into existing production processes without requiring structural modifications to the lines, while maintaining high absorption capacity.
For manufacturers of hygiene products, adopting Spongel opens up three concrete operational directions:
- development of product lines incorporating materials certified for industrial composting, with claims supported by the relevant certification and substantiated for large-scale retailers and international retail groups
- simpler alignment with European regulatory requirements concerning single-use plastics, using a material that reduces the fossil-based synthetic content within the absorbent core
- a documented response to ESG qualification criteria: certification is a technical parameter that can be independently verified, rather than a statement of intent
The starting point is the core
The environmental characteristics of an absorbent hygiene product cannot be reduced to a single claim: they need to be assessed by considering the materials used, the certifications available and the applicable end-of-life conditions.
These are the elements on which an environmental claim can be documented and verified.
For those designing products for this market, evaluating Spongel means starting from the component that determines performance, a choice with measurable consequences, not merely a marketing decision.
