As disinfectant non-woven wipes are regarded as an indispensable tool to fight the spread of the new crown virus pandemic, the global non-woven wipes industry has ushered in great prosperity. According to Smithers' research report "The Future of Global Nonwoven Wipes to 2025" (The Future of Global Nonwoven Wipes to 2025), data shows that by 2020, the tonnage growth of disinfectant wipes will reach 36.8%. In addition, other reports predict that if there is sufficient production capacity, this ratio may exceed 200%.
The special conditions of the Covid-19 epidemic mean that the demand for wipes that were previously regarded as casual purchases will still maintain a strong resistance to recession throughout the recovery period. In 2021, the total market value of the wet wipes market will reach US$20.63 billion, and it will continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8%, reaching US$26.07 billion by 2025. At the same time, the number of non-woven materials will also increase in the same period, from 2020 to 26.24 million square meters and 1.44 million tons; it is expected to increase to 38.32 million square meters and 1.97 million tons by 2025.
Report author Phil Mango explained: “During the Covid-19 pandemic, if the non-woven wipes industry can continue to operate, it provides tools to slow down and reduce the impact of the virus.” By 2020, the non-woven wipes industry The demand for antibacterial wipes has surged, and the supply of disinfectant wipes has reached a record level, while the demand for antibacterial wipes and sanitary wipes has also grown to an extraordinary level. Phil Mango also predicted: "For some wiping product areas, this growth in demand will continue for several years. By 2025, the overall global demand for nonwovens will exceed previous forecasts."
Market analysis of the four main types of wet wipes, the overall market demand for wet wipes will continue to grow
The report analyzes the four main types of wipes (home care, baby, personal care, industrial) and 16 sub-categories of the market. The report shows the outlook for each product in 2020 and beyond as follows
1. Home care wipes
The epidemic of Covid-19 virus has had the most direct impact on home care wipes. Secondly, disinfectant wipes are the second most affected market among all non-woven fabrics, second only to mask products. The unprecedented surge in demand in 2020 is only constrained by insufficient supply and processing capacity. Major suppliers of disinfectant wipes estimate that the production volume in mid-2021 will not be able to meet current demand at the earliest. By 2025, driven by household disinfectant wipes, the overall demand for disinfectant wipes will continue to grow.
2. Baby wipes
Baby wipes are still the largest single market segment in the wipes market, accounting for 48.4% of the total tonnage. This year, as consumers hoard all types of wet wipes, this demand will accelerate. This temporary peak will reach 2021-2025, and the growth rate will drop slightly.
3. Personal care wipes
Confinement orders and the situation of working from home have led to an increase in the demand for personal care wipes. The supply shortage in the first half of 2020 caused consumers to buy toilet paper and adult incontinence wipes in large quantities, but this rapid increase is a short-term phenomenon. Although growth will slow in 2021, the personal care wipes market will still be the most expensive and fastest growing part of all major wipes types.
4. Industrial wipes
Industrial wipes, mainly for businesses, are expected to be hit hardest by Covid-19. In particular, major users in the automotive and construction markets have reduced their consumption. Due to the closure of bars, cafes and restaurants, wipes for catering services have been greatly reduced. The market segment where the demand for wet wipes is growing is medical and sanitary wipes. Obviously, strengthening disinfection measures is an important tool to overcome the Covid-19 virus at present and in the future.
The EU issued regulations on the regulation of single-use plastic products, stimulating the accelerated research and development of new materials.
Even if the demand for the wet wipes market continues to grow, manufacturers must also deal with other pressures, mainly to deal with the increasing market demand for washable wipes. The European Union issued regulations on the regulation of single-use plastic products (Single Use Plastics Directive), which aims to significantly reduce the amount of single-use plastics (SUPs) entering European landfills by restricting the use of SUP in certain categories Quantity.
For wet wipes and sanitary products, the biggest impact will be reflected in the labeling requirements. This requirement needs to inform consumers about the proper disposal of products and the negative impact of SUP and littering on the environment.
This directive stimulated the rapid development of new materials for wet wipes, including
1. Hydro-entangled wet wipes using longer man-made cellulose fibers;
2. Air-laid modified carboxymethyl cellulose binder;
3. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymer for co-molding and spunlacing.
