New sustainable biopolymer and production process development for a novel period care product

Callaly是英国一家高度创新的月经护理产品的开发商和制造商，由一位妇科医生发明，这是一种“混合”卫生棉条和内裤衬垫。这款名为Tampliner的创新产品结合了两种产品的最佳功能，并特别依赖于一种创新的专利防渗护套，使卫生棉条可以在不接触经血的情况下卫生地插入。Callaly于2019年底在英国建立了Tampliner生产基地，并创造了一种新的直接面向消费者的销售和邮政分销模式。女性可以通过一套Callaly产品（包括Tampliners和传统经期产品）来管理和定制她们的个人需求。该产品和业务已被证明是受欢迎的，目前该团队拥有超过5,000个订户/消费者基础，每月提供超过50,000个产品。Callaly的商业精神受到生态原则的强烈影响，团队渴望以最高的可持续性标准开发新颖创新的Tampliner。所有的Tampliner部件，除了一个项目是可生物降解的。这个项目是创新Tampliner的心脏：一个圆柱形护套组件膜，将卫生棉条固定在Tampliner的衬垫组件上。这个护套是由一种不可持续的聚合物制成的。在产品开发的早期阶段，Callaly被告知必须为Tampliner专门开发一种生物聚合物替代品。Covid-19大流行的破坏以及消费者对可持续性的日益敏感，现在强调了Callaly需要应对这一业务发展挑战。Callaly正在寻求Innovate UK的投资资金，以研究一些可能的生物可降解聚合物，最重要的是测试它们是否可以取代现有的传统塑料部件。封闭的项目使Callaly能够与可持续塑料领域的专家合作——伦敦帝国理工学院和Aquapak（生物降解塑料的工业生产商）。

Callaly is a UK based developer and manufacturer of a highly innovative menstrual period care product, invented by a gynaecologist, that is a "hybrid" tampon and pantyliner. The innovative product, called a Tampliner, combines the best features of both products and specifically relies on a patented innovative impermeable sheath that enables the tampon to be hygienically inserted without contact with menstrual blood.Callaly established UK based Tampliner production in late-2019 and created a novel direct-to-consumer sales and postal distribution model. Women can manage and customise their personal requirements from a suite of Callaly products (comprising Tampliners and conventional period products). The product and business has proven to be popular and at present the team has a growing subscriber/consumer base of over 5,000 subscribers providing over 50,000 products a month.Callaly has a commercial ethos that is strongly influenced by ecological principles, and the team aspires to develop the novel & innovative Tampliner to the highest sustainability standards. All of the Tampliner parts with the exception of one item are biodegradable. This item is the heart of the innovative Tampliner: a cylindrical sheath component membrane that secures the tampon to the pantyliner component of the Tampliner. This sheath is made from a non sustainable polymer. During the early stages of product development, Callaly was advised that a biopolymer alternative would have to be specially developed for the Tampliner. The disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic and the increased consumer sensitivity to sustainability has now emphasised the need for Callaly to address this development challenge to the business.Callaly is seeking Innovate UK investment funding to investigate a number of possible biodegradable polymers and most importantly to test them to see if they can be used in place of the existing conventional plastic part. The enclosed project enables Callaly to collaborate with experts in sustainable plastics---Imperial College London and Aquapak (industrial producer of biodegradable plastic).