Abstract: Reclamation of resources has become an important trend for sustainable development of nonwoven industry. As people’s awareness of environmental protection enhanced, the development and application of bio-based polymer materials have become an industry-wide focus and new generation of biobased nonwovens have entered into market on a large scale. Authoritative study shows that consumers prefere nvironment-friendly products, especially those medical and personal-care articles made from regenerated resources. In this paper, the current applications of bio-based polymers in spun-melt nonwovens both at home and abroad are reviewed from the angles of technology, equipment and products, the demand for such products on market and the challenges confronting this sector are analyzed.

Key words: bio-based polymer; spunlaid; nonwoven fabric; environment-friendly; regenerable resources