Smithers’ new expert study – The Future of Fibre vs. Polymer Based Nonwovens to 2027 – charts the evolution of this trend and the broader impact on nonwoven supply and product performance. Its data show that in 2022, 100% of polymers used in polymer-based nonwovens are plastic (PE, PET, PP, Others). Only 64% of fibre-based nonwovens are plastic (PP or PET fibres); with Rayon, Lyocell, bi-component fibres and wood pulp representing the remainder.

The market is evenly split a projected 6.53 million tonnes of fibre-based nonwovens worth $28.7 billion will be produced worldwide in 2022. This contrasts to a market for polymer nonwovens consuming 6.64 million tonnes and worth $27.0 billion; and a much smaller segment for fibre-polymer composite nonwovens projected at 225,200 tonnes valued at $761.9 million.

Fibre-based nonwovens have the technological lead in 2022 for producing sustainable and increasingly fully plastics-free products. This will lead to accelerated demand in multiple applications through to 2027. Countering this is a lack of installed production capacity, which will require investment to reverse. While matching the technical performance of polymer nonwovens will be a leading R&D priority for realising a more sustainable future in an industry where most consumer formats are still designed for single-use. 

This will be balanced against the introduction of new nonwoven processes and other iterative trends, such as the production of lower basis weight substrates. Simultaneously the market will see a wider use of recycled plastics and bioplastics, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) providing alternative routes to more sustainable nonwovens.

These factors will retard any wider transition to fibre-based nonwovens, giving both material sets nearly equal growth rates through to 2027 – at 6.9% for fibre-based nonwovens by weight; 6.8% for polymer-based.

The majority of expansion for fibre-based nonwovens will come from drylaid lines. Globally consumption will increase faster than for the main polymer nonwoven process, spunlaid; though expansion on supply from both airlaid and wetlaid lines will be significantly slower.

The greatest growth in fully plastics-free nonwovens will be in wipes, leveraging the technical heritage that is increasingly diversifying the range of flushable wipe substrates available. In contrast polymer-based disposable nonwovens will continue to increase sales, especially into the dominant hygiene market, where there are currently no cost-competitive sustainable alternatives.

In durable nonwovens, enthusiasm from the fashion industry will see much wider use in apparel interlinings. Fibre-based coating substrates also have a very positive growth outlook as nonwovens continue to supplant higher cost, heavier weight textiles in multiple segments.