Nonwoven Fabrics Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Rise in Production of Automotive - Around 79 million automobiles were produced globally in 2021. Comparing this number to the prior year, a rise of about 2% may be calculated. Nonwovens are being used much more frequently these days. Nowadays, nonwoven fabrics are used to make more than 40 automobile components, ranging from air and fuel filters to carpets and trunk liners. Nonwovens contribute to the weight reduction of the vehicle, improve comfort and aesthetics, and offer advanced insulation, fire retardancy, and resistance to water, fuels, extremes of temperature, and abrasion by incorporating the essential attributes required for good performance and safety. They help make automobiles more appealing, durable, cost-efficient, and environmentally friendly. Hence, with the growing production of vehicles, the demand for nonwoven fabrics is estimated to grow.
• Growing Child Population - India is home to 67,385 births each day, or about 1/6 of all births worldwide. Hence, with the growing child population the demand for diapers is also estimated to grow. Since nonwovens are gentle on the skin and have good water absorption capabilities, they are frequently utilized in disposable diapers. Urine from the baby travels through the nonwoven and is absorbed by the absorbent substance inside when the baby urinates.
• Surge in Demand for Sanitary Pads - In 2019, almost 70% of women in urban India and 48% of women in rural India used sanitary pads. Sanitary pads are frequently made of non-woven fabrics to reduce the risk of side leakage. Hence, the growing demand for sanitary pads is estimated to boost the demand for nonwoven.
• Growth in Geriatric Population - According to the World Health Organization, one in six individuals worldwide would be 60 or older by the year 2030. From 1 billion people in 2020 to 1.4 billion people at this point, more people would be 60 years of age or older. Hence, the demand for adult incontinence such as adult diapers is estimated to increase.
• Upsurge in Sale of Shoes  -  An estimated 13 billion to about 18 billion pairs of shoes were used globally each year, which equates to approximately two to two and a half pairs for every person in the world in 2018. Hence, the demand for nonwoven fabrics is expected to grow. Nonwoven materials are used to make parts of shoes such as inner sole lining, athletic shoe & sandal reinforcement, and shoelace eyelet reinforcement.

Challenges

• Unavailability of Raw Materials
• Volatility in Prices of Raw Material - The expansion of the global nonwoven fabrics market is only marginally hampered by higher raw material costs. Changes in consumer demand, high oil costs, and patterns of international commerce all have an impact on the market. Although the oil market is naturally volatile, polypropylene prices may not rise or fall in the medium term from their current levels. Given the increasing cost of inputs for intermediary goods as a result of the rising price of oil, either the price would be passed on to customers or margins would be reduced. The price of finished goods is affected in a cascading manner by the changes.
• Availability of Eco-Friendly Alternatives