EDANA, the international association serving the nonwovens and related industries today released its statistics on Nonwovens Production and Deliveries for 2021. Nonwoven production in Greater Europe, which includes Western and Eastern European countries, Türkiye, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine, increased by 2.0% in volume and reached 3 million 120 thousand 967 tons and 87.6 billion square meters in 2021. The European output increased by nearly 9% since 2019. The updated figures for highlight again the ability of the European industry to innovate and to invest in order to meet the challenges of the pandemic crisis following the impressive growth recorded in 2020.
EDANA’s Market Analysis and Economic Affairs Director Jacques Prigneaux said that this 2% average growth is in line with European forecasts disclosed in October 2021 in their Global Nonwoven Markets 2020-2025 report. Prigneaux explained the growth figures as follows; “In 2021, significant growth areas for nonwovens were recorded in building construction (+17.4%), agriculture (+11.3%), electronic materials (+10.1%) and air filtration (+9.1%). Countering this, a further decline of -1% was recorded in automotive interior applications. In some market segments, a comparison with the pre-COVID situation is probably more relevant. This is particularly true in hygiene, medical and wipes nonwovens, which were almost flat or slightly decreasing compared to the level reached in 2020, but still much higher than in 2019”.
Spunmelt nonwoven production increased by 3.1%
Jacques Prigneaux noted that looking at the different production processes of nonwovens, various trends were observed in 2021 and continued his words as follows; “The production of fibre-based materials, including Drylaid (+2.4%), Wetlaid (+1.1%), and Airlaid (-4.8%) technologies, recorded divergent growth rates. Nonwovens produced by chemical, mechanical heat or solvent treatment, Spunmelt nonwovens recorded a growth rate of +3.1%. In Drylaid, the highest growth in tonnes was observed in needlepunched, with a 6.4% increase. The production of drylaid-hydroentangled, which peaked in 2020, was at the same level a year later”.
EDANA General Manager Pierre Wiertz disclosed; “As we are celebrating 50 years of EDANA support to the sustainable growth of the nonwovens industry, facts and figures in this year’s report illustrate more than ever the benefits for society of nonwoven-based products, from personal and infection prevention products to life-saving filtration media, to electronic applications supporting the transition to e-mobility”.