Ahead of this October's GO Wipes Europe 2024, we caught up with expert speaker Martin Henderson, UK Technical Director at Rockline Industries.
Martin is UK Technical Director at Rockline Industries Ltd. Martin has a BSc in Chemistry from the University of Leicester and joined Rockline in 2015, progressing through a number of technical roles before taking on his current role leading the UK Technical Team in supporting Rockline's UK & European customers
We asked him to share his knowledge and thoughts.
1. Can you give us a bit of insight into what your will sharing at the conference (without giving too much away!)
I’ll be talking about the upcoming ban on plastic in wipes in the UK and exploring some of the big steps industry has already taken towards compliance along with the challenges that it has posed.
2. What is your biggest driver as a business today?
This might be a bit cheesy, but I think Rockline’s Mission Statement says it best: To inspire customer loyalty by making everyday products that deliver superior value.
3. What do you think will be the biggest challenge for the wipes and nonwovens industries in the coming 2-5 years?
As single use products, there is always going to be scrutiny on end of life when it comes to wipes. Removing plastic partially addresses some of the challenges, but I think we will see continued discussions around flushable products and industry will need to continue to develop and educate to ensure the products available are fit for purpose.
4. What do you see as some of the most interesting innovations in the market now?
The UK market has lost a lot of differentiation through moves into plastic free spunlace. The really interesting innovations for me are those that can bring back that differentiation and provide some added value to consumers.
5. What are you most looking forward to at the event?
Outside of the talks, these events are always great for catching up with existing contacts, but also to connect with new people.