#Man-Made Fibers

2025-10-02

Global fiber production reaches record levels in 2024

Textile Exchange has released its latest Materials Market Report, alongside the Materials Benchmark Insights and Trends and an updated Climate+ Dashboard. The findings highlight both record growth in global fiber production and the challenges of aligning the industry with Paris Agreement climate goals.

Global fiber production reached a new record in 2024, underscoring both the industry’s dynamism and the scale of the challenges ahead. According to the latest data, global fiber output climbed to 132 million tonnes, up from around 125 million tonnes in 2023. This is equivalent to producing roughly four tonnes of fiber every second. While the volumes reflect continued demand for textiles worldwide, the figures also highlight a widening gap between industry progress and the climate targets set by the Paris Agreement.

Polyester remains dominant

The surge in production was driven primarily by fossil-based synthetics. Polyester remained the single most widely used fiber, accounting for 59 percent of total global output. Of this, an estimated 88 percent is fossil-based, confirming the sector’s strong dependency on virgin petrochemical feedstocks. Recycled polyester volumes rose slightly, from 8.9 million tonnes in 2023 to 9.3 million tonnes in 2024. However, because virgin polyester grew faster, the overall share of recycled polyester declined from 12.5 percent to 12 percent of the polyester market.

Cotton and other natural fibers

Cotton remains the second most widely used fiber but saw a slight decrease in both volume and market share. Production fell from 24.8 to 24.5 million tonnes, equating to 19 percent of the global fiber mix. Within this, 34 percent of cotton was produced from certified sources in 2024, reflecting steady growth in sustainability programs, but also underscoring the limited speed of transition compared to the pace of overall fiber growth.

Manmade cellulosics: Gradual gains

Production of manmade cellulosic fibers (MMCFs) – including viscose, lyocell, modal, acetate and cupro – increased from 7.9 million tonnes in 2023 to 8.4 million tonnes in 2024, holding a 6 percent share of the global market. Certified or controlled feedstock accounted for an estimated 65–70 percent of total MMCF output. Recycling of MMCFs also showed early progress: the share of recycled feedstocks rose from 0.7 percent in 2023 to 1.1 percent in 2024, with further growth expected as R&D and pilot projects expand.

Polyamide: Limited progress in recycling

Polyamide (nylon) remained the second most used synthetic fiber, representing 5 percent of the global fiber market with around 7 million tonnes produced. Yet recycling rates are still low: only about 2 percent of total polyamide comes from recycled feedstocks, primarily pre-consumer waste, discarded fishing nets, or carpets. While this highlights potential for circular models, significant technical barriers remain. Biobased polyamide fibers also accounted for only 0.4 percent of total production, constrained by high costs, limited supply, and ongoing debates about sustainability credentials.

Recycling and certification

Across the industry, the overall share of recycled fibers remained stable at 7.6 percent, the majority of which was PET from recycled bottles (6.9 percent of total global fiber production). Less than one percent of all fibers came from pre- and post-consumer recycled textiles, showing that true textile-to-textile recycling remains in its infancy.

Certified fibers, however, continue to gain traction: in addition to cotton, around two-thirds of MMCFs and 50 percent of global mohair production were certified under recognized standards in 2024. This indicates progress in building traceable, responsible supply chains, even as absolute fiber volumes continue to rise.

A call for scaling up

For Textile Exchange CEO Claire Bergkamp, the latest findings reflect both achievement and urgency: “The data we’ve released today makes clear the scale of the challenges ahead, but it also gives us a strong foundation for action. I’m encouraged to see real progress as reporting companies increase their use of certified raw materials and reduce reliance on virgin fossil-based polyester. The challenge now is to take this progress to scale.”

The 2024 figures thus present a double-edged message: record volumes underline the global significance of textiles, while the dominance of fossil-based synthetics highlights the critical importance of accelerating systemic change. Certified materials and early recycling initiatives are encouraging, but without faster progress, the gap to climate goals will continue to widen.

Download the report:

https://textileexchange.org/knowledge-center/reports/materials-market-report-2025/

Biella Yarn launches Collection “Reimagined” for Spring/Summer 2027 with fresh approach to fibre design

Biella Yarn, the flat knitting brand of Suedwolle Group, introduces its Spring/Summer 2027 collection “Reimagined” featuring refined yarn blends and advanced spinning technologies designed for contemporary summer knitwear. Under the motto “And the story goes on…”, Biella Yarn continues to push the boundaries of responsible yarn development, offering versatile materials that elevate modern craftsmanship.

Circular progress: Trevira® CS Eco fabrics can now be made using textile-recycled, permanently flame-retardant fibers and yarns

Indorama Ventures, a global sustainable chemical company, takes an important next step toward making textiles more circular for homes and public spaces. To support fabric makers in creating a more sustainable version of the well-known flame-retardant Trevira CS fabric, the company now offers Trevira® flame-retardant fibers and filament yarns that contain 50% recycled textile material. First customers were introduced to the new offering during Heimtextil trade show mid-January in Frankfurt, Germany.

Efficiency reimagined: economical, precise, compact

At this year's PaintExpo in Karlsruhe (April 14–17), Barmag will present an optimized design of its paint metering pump (Hall 3, Booth 3344). It impresses with its low weight, increased productivity, and extended service life. Specially developed for compact robot arms, the pump enables high-precision and economical paint application – ideal for industries such as automotive, aerospace, and renewable energies.

Fourth CDP Triple “A” Rating reinforces Lenzing’s leadership in sustainability

Lenzing AG has once again been recognized by the global nonprofit organization CDP for its transparent reporting performance in the areas of climate change, forests, and water security. This places Lenzing among only 23 companies worldwide that made it on the “Corporate A List” across all three categories in 2025 – out of more than 22,000 companies that disclosed their environmental data. For Lenzing, this marks the fourth time the company has achieved this prestigious triple‑“A” rating.

MUNICH FABRIC START: Between Attitude and Sensuality

The future begins where we reimagine it. After seasons of restraint, Spring.Summer 27 marks a conscious counter-trend: optimism, sensuality, and creative freedom are replacing pragmatism and neutrality. Physical presence and individuality are regaining importance – as a response to uncertainty, exhaustion, and algorithmic predictability. The overarching theme of PLEASURE stands for fashion as an emotional space, as an expression of attitude and cultural reflection. Colours, surfaces, and materials become vehicles for self-confidence and joie de vivre.

organIQ seek: smart alternative to potassium permanganate

CHT Group announces new technical findings within its organIQ seek platform that significantly advance the transition toward permanganate-free denim bleaching. Through extensive industrial testing and application research, CHT confirms that organIQ seek can now be used with remarkable effectiveness as a substitute for potassium permanganate in spray bleach, while remaining aligned with sustainability expectations and cost realities in the European market. At the COLOMBIATEX in Medellín as well as at the Exintex in Puebla and the Kingpins Show in Amsterdam the CHT Group will present organIQ seek as an alternative to potassium permanganate.

PERFORMANCE DAYS: Focus topic shifts to the beginning of the value chain

Following the last Focus Topic in October 2025, which placed Textile-to-Textile Recycling at its core, PERFORMANCE DAYS continues to drive the conversation around circularity – this time with an expanded and more upstream perspective. The upcoming Focus Topic, “Textile to Textile: The Role of Collectors and Sorters,” presented during the spring edition on March 18–19, will spotlight one of the most essential yet often overlooked components of a functioning circular textile system: the efficient collection and sorting of post-consumer textiles.

Proven performance, optimised costs – the new RE 6 EL

Nowadays textile companies increasingly need to produce small production runs and respond to market changes with instantaneous pattern changes in order to operate profitably – meaning they require machines that offer maximum flexibility, reliability and cost efficiency. KARL MAYER understands the challenges of the market and is launching its new RE 6 EL. The Raschel machine offers the core strengths of the classic RSE 6 EL and essentially the same performance parameters, but has been further cost-optimised largely due to local production advantages. This makes the newcomer an efficiency champion in production, especially when it comes to frequent pattern changes.