Demand for Carded Nonwovens to Grow 2.7% Annually Through 2024 Driven by Pandemic and Push for Sustainability

Two of the biggest market drivers today—the global health crisis and an accelerated push for greater sustainability of materials—are driving demand for carded nonwoven materials. A new analysis by The Freedonia Group projects that US demand for these materials—used in medical wipes and masks—will grow 2.7% per year through 2024 to $2.7 billion. Advances are being driven by both the medical use case, as well as filtration markets and geotextiles in the construction market.  

In the near term, the COVID-19 pandemic will limit gains in industrial segments, as the pandemic forced many “nonessential” manufacturers to temporarily halt operations.  

Nonwovens producers continue to improve their product offerings through such means as the creation of new composites, the use of new fiber blends, and the adoption of advanced machinery to create nonwovens with higher value characteristics.

Consumers increasingly look for products that are produced sustainably and that are made of natural fibers, particularly when nonwovens are employed in the production of consumer products used in close contact with skin. Carded nonwovens in particular stand to benefit from this trend because the web bonding processes used to produce these products allows use of natural fibers.

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Carded Nonwovens is part of the Freedonia Group’s new series on the US nonwovens market. Historical data for 2009, 2014, and 2019 and forecasts to 2024 and 2029 are provided for nonwovens production (total) and demand (by market) in current dollars (which are not adjusted to account for inflation). Total demand is also shown in square meters and metric tons.