Nonwoven markets, facts and figures

EDANA provides detailed data on European Nonwovens Production and Deliveries annually for EDANA member companies. Below you will find some of the key statistics.

Worldwide Outlook for the Nonwovens Industry 2018-2023

EDANA press release:  Greater European Nonwovens Production reaches 4.4% Annual Average Growth over the last decade.Statistics app (Android and IOS) dedicated to members.（Click to share to LinkedIn）

Production of nonwovens

In 2018, nonwovens production in Greater Europe increased in volume by 1.5% to reach 2,774,194 tonnes.

This compares with growth rates in the two previous years of 4.8% in 2017 and 4.1% in 2016, on a comparable basis.

The total estimated turnover for the Greater European nonwovens industry in 2018 was around €8,852 million (in comparison to €7,869 million in 2017).（Click to share to Facebook）

Nonwovens market segments

In 2018, the main market segments in terms of volume for nonwovens roll goods, were

hygiene (27.9%)

wipes for personal care (12.8%)

construction (9.6%)

automotive (6.5%)

civil engineering (5.6%)

filtration (3.6%)

food & beverage (3.0%)

Trade

In volumes, total nonwoven exports from EU28 countries to the rest of the world increased by only 3.8% in 2018, amounting to 386,563 tonnes (as compared to 372,297 tonnes in 2017) for a value of € 1,849 million (a +2.1% increase in value).

Employment in nonwovens

our estimate based on answers from many member companies indicates that the total figure of people employed for nonwoven production in Europe increased in 2018 by around 3.3% and is estimated now at around 28,000 people.

The full report and detailed data for the "2018 European Nonwovens Production and Deliveries" are available for member's only as part of their membership benefits.（try suntech Non-woven fabric）

What are nonwovens?

Nonwovens are innovative, high-tech, engineered fabrics made from fibres.  They are used in a wide range of consumer and industrial products either in combination with other materials or alone.

Nonwovens are designed for their specific application, ranging from thin, light weight nonwovens to strong and durable nonwovens, be it consumer or industrial applications. The combination of their specific characteristics through the raw materials selection, the formation and bonding methods used or the applied finishing treatments, such as printing, embossing, laminating etc. allow to deliver high-performance products.

If you are wondering where to find nonwovens or see concrete examples check out Nonwovens in daily life.

During the covid-19 epidemic, non-woven fabrics are widely used in the medical and health fields, and can be used to produce masks, protective clothing, disposable gloves, wet wipes, etc.

Why use nonwovens in protective clothing?

Nonwovens are extensively used in the medical field and in protection against liquid, biological and chemical agents in many sectors. They are also used in clean rooms, laboratories and in the electronics industry to protect materials, goods and components from human contamination.

The different uses are:

Chemical handling

Petchem industry

Automotive industry

Pharmaceutical industry (Manufacturing and Packaging)

Laboratories

Food industry

Visitors, inspectors across in industry

Agriculture and horticulture, veterinary inspections, farms, facilities etc.

Decontamination of contaminated land

Decommissioning of production plants

Oil handling, oil tanker cleaning

Tank cleaning

Industrial cleaning and maintenance

Hazardous waste clean-up

Disease and disaster management

Emergency response services, spill clean up

Police

Medical applications

They are used as protection against a variety of substances which could be harmful for human contact, such as asbestos, dioxin, body fluids, hazardous gases, oils and lubricants, inorganic, organic chemicals, dyes, colours, inks, disinfectants, nutraceuticals (vitamins, etc.), dirt, fine dust, liquid aerosols, splashes, liquids under pressure.

Because they are used only once and incinerated after use, the need for handling is avoided and the spread of contaminants is minimised.

The advantages of using nonwovens in protective clothing

Protection against

dry or wet contact

air-borne particles

Flex cracking resistance

Single-use = 100% certainty

Excellent barrier properties

Excellent uniformity

Breathability

Abrasion resistance

Repellence

Trapezoidal tear strength

Tensile strength

Puncture resistance

Resistance to permeation of liquids

Resistance to ignition

Liquid repellence

Flame retardancy

With 50 years of technical precipitation and design experience, suntech has developed and produced intelligent non-woven fabric machines, including spunbonded non-woven fabric machines, spunmelt non-woven fabric machines, melt blown machines, etc.,and Non-woven fabric to help human health and care for everyone's lives.

（Suntech ST-SMS composite nonwoven production line）