Global consumption expected to reach $64.8 billion by 2024

In 2019 hundreds of nonwoven products are in use globally. Such a diversity leads to equally diverse supply chains, competitive environments, drivers, trends and regulatory issues. 

Smithers Pira’s latest market report, ‘The Future of Global Nonwoven Markets to 2024,’ forecasts the global consumption of nonwovens to grow from a projected $46.8 billion in 2019 at an annual rate of 6.7% during 2019-2024 to reach $64.8 billion in 2024. This reflects confidence that relatively short-term issues like the China–U.S. trade war, Brexit uncertainty, and other global issues affecting economic growth will be resolved (or at least accounted for) and nonwovens will grow at increased rates, especially after 2021. 

With shifts in end-use demands increasing across the five years to 2024, ‘The Future of Global Nonwoven Markets to 2024’ identifies the following key drivers and trends for the global nonwovens industry today:

• Sustainability – Accelerating demand for sustainability is expected to show to 2024. The growing move to ban plastics in many products strongly favors the use of sustainable nonwovens.

• Regulatory issues – The approval by the EU of its directive on single use plastics, specifically hygiene products and wipes, indicates that the continued movement away from plastics will be a major driver within nonwovens.

• Costs (energy/water/raw materials) – A major driver for the growth of nonwovens is their lower cost compared to alternatives. A cost is measured not only in dollars or euros, but also in the consumption of scarce resources, given that water and other raw materials are all under pressure.

• User requirements – Nonwoven materials can deliver performance properties unattainable (economically) by other materials; sometimes pure performance rather than cost or convenience drives this market.

• Retail trends (private label versus brands) – Globally, private label, nonwoven products are gradually increasing market share versus branded products, although this varies widely by region and end-use.

       Source: Nonwovens Industry, August 2019.