Alexander Koukoulas

Technology & Innovation Strategist, A2K Consultants

Dr. Alexander A. Koukoulas is an independent consultant and owner of A2K Consultants LLC, a consulting firm he established in 2006 to help companies succeed in new process, product and business development. Before this, he held senior leadership positions at International Paper and Albany International and is the former President & CEO of the Herty Advanced Materials Center. He is a serial inventor with 14 U.S. patents. Dr. Koukoulas received his B.Sc. and Ph.D degrees in chemistry from McGill University and holds executive certificates from the MIT Sloan School of Business.

Nonwovens and the Sustainability Imperative

Growing concerns for the environment have led to unprecedented changes in consumer behavior and government policy. Corporations have responded to these changes by developing and applying strategies that can enhance the sustainability of their manufacturing processes and their products. In the nonwovens industry, a natural consequence of both changing consumer attitudes and government policies protecting the environment will be the migration away from petroleum-based fibers and the expanded use of bio-based alternatives, including wood and agricultural fibers and advanced fibers that are derived from biomass sources. In this regard, wetlaid manufacturing processes will provide a proven foundation for enabling companies to deliver sustainably-derived products that can satisfy evolving consumer demands. This presentation will examine current applications in wet-laid manufacturing and the use of renewable fibers in the nonwovens industry.