Karen McIntyre, Editor02.07.25
Spunlace nonwovens consumption accounted for 1.8 million tons, valued at $10.3 billion, according to industry analyst Smithers. In volume terms, spunlace accounted for 12.7% of the market in 2023 and this is expected to rise to 14% by 2028. Meanwhile, in terms of value, spunlace makes up 17.5% of the market in 2023; this will increase to 20% by 2028. The market’s projected growth rate from 2023 to 2028 is 8.65% in volume and 10.1% in value. This will in part be attributed to robust investment in spunlace lines driven by diversification of spunlace materials in applications including hygiene, wipes, or durables.
In recent years, the wipes market—spunlace nonwovens’ largest target application—continues to adapt to higher demand created by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has retreated, but not returned, to pre-pandemic levels.
“A lot of people have gotten into the habit of carrying disinfection wipes with them, as they are readily at hand in any situation,” says Ulrich Hornfeck, CCO of nonwovens producer Sandler. “Wipes continue to be the largest segment among spunlace applications and growth in the wipes market is one of several triggers of growth for spunlaced nonwovens in general.”
However, as consumers become increasingly more conscious of the environmental impact of their purchasing decisions, they are looking for reusable alternatives in everyday uses. Wipes, as well as many other disposable products, are under scrutiny with regard to sustainability, and some countries are even looking into legislation banning certain types of products if they contain “plastic.” Therefore, sustainable raw materials are a focal point in product development, bringing about a high level of innovation as manufacturers search for new raw materials or raw material combinations in order to offer “greener” product solutions.
Arnaud Laroche, head of sales of spunlace equipment supplier Andritz Nonwoven & Textiles, sees an increased demand for convenience items, which can be at odds with consumers’ sustainability goals. However, recent technological advances in the spunlace market are providing the best of both worlds—a disposable wipe with a more sustainable footprint.
“The ability to work with such a diverse array of fibers makes spunlace a highly adaptable and sustainable solution in the nonwovens industry,” says Laroche. “Its capacity to utilize natural and renewable resources aligns with the growing demand for eco-friendly products, making it an attractive option for manufacturers looking to reduce their environmental footprint.”
This is helping the industry defend itself against regulations such as plastic bans and sustainability guidelines by governments, along with growing consumer awareness of the impact wipes and other disposable products have on the environment.
“This shift does not only address environmental concerns but also aligns with the evolving preferences of a more eco-conscious consumer base,” Laroche adds. “Spunlace offers the possibility to include up to 100% of cellulosic or natural fibers in the raw material blend.”
“The key to Welspun’s Advanced Textiles business lies in the vision to produce future-focused value-added products, which enables them to retain their leading position in the realm of advanced textiles,” says Warrier.
The Indian nonwovens producer, equipped with state-of-the-art Trützschler and Andritz machinery, is capable of processing all known varieties of cellulosic fibers, including cotton, bamboo, viscose and lyocell between 25-200 grams per square meter. “This allows Welspun to cater to a range of applications including, but not limited, to the manufacture of hygiene, femcare and personal care products, industrial cleaning apparatus disposables, as well as medical disposables,” Warrier says.
Last year, under its subsidiary WAMIL (Welspun Advanced Material India Limited), the company opened an advanced textiles facility comprising of a state-of-the-art high-speed line for manufacturing spunlace nonwovens in Chandanvelly, Telangana. With this investment of Rs. 500 crores, Welspun says it has become the largest producer of spunlace nonwovens in India with a total annual capacity of 27,000 metric tons.
Also in investment mode is Suominen. In August, the Finland-based company announced it would strengthen capabilities in sustainable products by adding a new production line at its site in Alicante, Spain, a reported €20 million investment The new production line increases Suominen’s Card-Pulp-Card (CPC) capacity and was made in line with Suominen’s strategy and vision to be the frontrunner in sustainability. It is expected to come onstream by the end of the year.
“With this investment we respond to the accelerating demand of sustainable nonwovens in Europe. This investment is made to enhance our profitability and competitiveness,” says Tommi Björnman, president and CEO.
This announcement came just a few months after the company said it would enhance an existing production line at its site in Bethune, SC. Like the Alicante investment, this upgrade is consistent with Suominen’s strategy of being the frontrunner in nonwovens innovation and sustainability.
“With this investment, we strengthen our position as the leader in sustainable nonwovens in Americas market and respond to the increased demand of environmentally friendly products. This investment also enhances our operational performance in terms of safety, quality and productivity,” says Björnman
The total value of the investment is approximately €10 million and the project is expected to be completed in the first half of 2025.
Suominen’s sustainability strategy has trickled down to its product offerings. Sales of new products accounted for over 35% of the total sales last year with sustainable product sales increasing by 79%. Throughout the year, 12 new sustainable products were launched.
One of these new products, Biolace with cotton, is a 100% biodegradable and compostable cotton-enhanced wipe. It is made by combining multiple sustainable fibers using filtered water. This material can help reduce solution add-on requirements compared to other 100% sustainable options due to a combination of fiber selection and process techniques.
Another new addition to the Biolace product family is Biolace with a Nubtex micro-dot pattern designed for those applications looking for more intense cleaning. Nubtex’s unique micro-dot pattern combined with sustainable fibers for fluid management provides an exceptional material design for difficult cleaning tasks. The product is a 100% biodegradable and compostable nonwoven best suited for personal care, household and workplace use.
“Compared to a standard dot pattern, the Nubtex pattern creates a more abrading surface area that aids in loosening dirt and debris for improved pick-up and removal from surfaces and skin,” explains Andrew Charleston, manager, Category Management, Americas.
“These investments continue to follow the company’s long-term strategy of investing in its customers’ growth while leading the industry with advanced nonwoven manufacturing platforms that support ground breaking technologies,” says a Fibertex Nonwovens spokesman.
Fibertex Nonwovens believes the multi-layer technology will be a game changer in the nonwovens industry. The new technology advancements allow customers to tailor specific solutions to their needs and its flexibility means that customers can better differentiate themselves on product performance and sustainability. Additionally, the technology supports 100% the development of plastic-free products, customized patterning for functionality, higher performance at lower weights and optimized energy consumption and CO2 reduction.
“Our customers need the best net value of service, innovation, quality and price. Our customer surveys illustrate how much our partners value our reliability, trustworthiness, and commitment to strong R&D,” the spokesman adds. “Within the market Fibertex Nonwovens has been able to set itself apart by delivering on the promise to pioneer and innovate the way industries work with nonwovens and performance materials.”
Within wipes, demand continues to change as brands focus on recognizing and addressing consumer needs in terms of improved wipe performance. This can be significantly achieved through the nonwovens design and production. Additionally, identifying and successfully commercializing alternative raw materials that bring additional value through performance, cost or improved supply chain will continue to be an important part of Fibertex’s business.
In addition to wipes, Fibertex is also driving spunlace growth in markets that require specifically technical nonwoven performance, notably in growth segments such as sustainable hygiene, medical, advanced filtration and automotive.
Before it merged with Berry Global’s HHS unit to become Magnera, Glatfelter Corporation announced it would expand production of its plant-based spunlaced topsheet material to its facility in Asheville, NC, in an effort to enhance the company’s ability to provide plant-based, plastic free and bio-based hygiene products. This material is also made in Soultz, France, which like the Asheville facility was acquired from Jacob Holm Industries in 2021. The GlatPure range of topsheet material was designed with sustainability using organic cotton, raw cotton, hemp, Lyocell, and their blends to deliver fast liquid handling, softness and comfort.
The combination of Berry and Glatfelter’s nonwovens assets in late 2024 created a nonwovens powerhouse with scale across multiple technologies including spunlace nonwovens. In addition to the former Jacob Holm business on Glatfelter’s side, the newly formed company also contains Berry’s considerable assets including a state-of-the-art spunlace line in Cujik, The Netherlands, specifically targeting sustainable wipes applications. This line is able to produce biodegradable or recycled nonwoven substrates with a reported capacity of more than 300 million tons.
With demand in the spunlace market shifting toward sustainability—and a growing emphasis on plastic-free claims and natural materials—Magnera’s scale enables access to the latest sustainable raw materials across the globe, allowing the company to stay at the forefront of market trends, executives report.
Emerging regulatory pressures, such as flushability standards and labeling requirements (e.g., “contains plastic”), are also shaping the market landscape. Magnera addresses this by focusing on plant-based fibers like cotton, hemp and lyocell to meet consumer and regulatory expectations for safer, eco-friendly products.
“Sustainable raw materials are increasingly preferred, with plant-based fibers like cotton, hemp and lyocell gaining traction for their renewable and eco-friendly properties. Magnera collaborates with suppliers to develop innovative solutions aligned with these trends and future market needs,” the company adds.
Beyond wipes, Magnera’s spunlace solutions expand into period and baby care, driven by demand for sustainable, high-performance materials. With the capability to produce ultra-lightweight, plant-based, and bi-layer materials, these solutions simplify product design, reduce waste and meet the stringent performance standards required for hygiene applications.
Sandler credits a wide product range and know-how of different applications in keeping its spunlace business healthy, even as continued investment has challenged the supply and demand ratio. While existing applications like baby care, cosmetics and cleaning continue to see supply matching or exceeding demand, niche markets continue to provide opportunities for growth as do emerging new fields.
The company utilizes the properties and advantages of the spunlace technology for different industries and end uses. In nearly all of these applications, the importance of sustainability to end-consumers and therefore to manufacturers continues to grow.
“Sustainability has always been a cornerstone of our corporate philosophy and is taken into account from the initial developmental stage onwards – for spunlaced nonwovens as well as in all other markets we supply,” says Hornfeck. “The spunlace technology offers the possibility to adapt the nonwovens’ raw material composition, while maintaining our established product functionality and quality, or with a view to bringing about desired properties.”
By working with raw material composition and increasing the use of renewable and recycled raw materials, Sandler has been able to improve sustainability even in disposable products such as wipes. “Together with our customers and partners, we are continually testing new raw material options with a view to finding the raw materials that work best for the customer’s specifications,” Hornfeck adds.
As an established supplier with longstanding business relationships in the industry, Sandler not only supplies high-quality products, it has established strong, reliable partnerships based on cooperation and communication. Together with customers and partners along the entire supply chain, it finds solutions and advances products.
“In doing so, state-of-the-art technology, innovation, and collaboration are vital for growth,” Hornfeck says. “Our production facilities are not standard equipment. Each of our spunlace production lines is specially configured, tailored to our customers’ requirements and product specifications.”
Apart from wipes, Sandler supplies spunlaced nonwovens for technical applications as well as hygiene products. In a market as dynamic and versatile as the nonwovens industry, growth is driven by product differentiation and innovation. As in most other markets, sustainability and single-polymer materials are topics of great interest and shape product design. In addition to developing nonwovens further, having different technologies at our disposal also enables us to combine material properties to enhance functionality or open up new areas of application.
As it continues to face challenges in the Turkish market, Mogul Nonwovens continues to focus on new applications for its spunlaced nonwovens both within and outside of the wipes market. Recent technological developments include a specialty grade of its Madaline microfilament nonwovens, called Madaline Ultraleather, which is a leather-like material offering a fabric feel. This material continues to target clothing and home textile applications. Additionally, Mogul’s Durell, a bicomponent material, now includes some unique grades made from UHMWPE. The result is a product with unique ballistic properties and puncture resistance that can be used for military applications and also for upholstery and protective footwear, climbing gear, cycling wear, anti-vandal products and protectors for a wide range of industries.
“Of course it should be some opportunities other than wipes. There are some niche applications like automotive, filtration, artificial synthetic leather applications that are also giving growth opportunities,” says Ersin Kosker, vice president of sales.
In recent years, the wipes market—spunlace nonwovens’ largest target application—continues to adapt to higher demand created by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has retreated, but not returned, to pre-pandemic levels.
“A lot of people have gotten into the habit of carrying disinfection wipes with them, as they are readily at hand in any situation,” says Ulrich Hornfeck, CCO of nonwovens producer Sandler. “Wipes continue to be the largest segment among spunlace applications and growth in the wipes market is one of several triggers of growth for spunlaced nonwovens in general.”
However, as consumers become increasingly more conscious of the environmental impact of their purchasing decisions, they are looking for reusable alternatives in everyday uses. Wipes, as well as many other disposable products, are under scrutiny with regard to sustainability, and some countries are even looking into legislation banning certain types of products if they contain “plastic.” Therefore, sustainable raw materials are a focal point in product development, bringing about a high level of innovation as manufacturers search for new raw materials or raw material combinations in order to offer “greener” product solutions.
Arnaud Laroche, head of sales of spunlace equipment supplier Andritz Nonwoven & Textiles, sees an increased demand for convenience items, which can be at odds with consumers’ sustainability goals. However, recent technological advances in the spunlace market are providing the best of both worlds—a disposable wipe with a more sustainable footprint.
“The ability to work with such a diverse array of fibers makes spunlace a highly adaptable and sustainable solution in the nonwovens industry,” says Laroche. “Its capacity to utilize natural and renewable resources aligns with the growing demand for eco-friendly products, making it an attractive option for manufacturers looking to reduce their environmental footprint.”
This is helping the industry defend itself against regulations such as plastic bans and sustainability guidelines by governments, along with growing consumer awareness of the impact wipes and other disposable products have on the environment.
“This shift does not only address environmental concerns but also aligns with the evolving preferences of a more eco-conscious consumer base,” Laroche adds. “Spunlace offers the possibility to include up to 100% of cellulosic or natural fibers in the raw material blend.”
Sustainable Solutions
A focus on offering greener solutions is driving investment and innovation within the spunlace market. Welspun’s ability to run cellulosic fibers has enabled the company to provide quality alternatives to its customers in the European Union, who are subject to the Single Use Plastics (SUP) Directive, says Kiran Warrier, global category head - Advanced Textile, Welspun.By offering improved softness over competing materials, the use of spunlace is expanding in diaper and other hygiene applications. (5 second Studio/Shutterstock.com)
“The key to Welspun’s Advanced Textiles business lies in the vision to produce future-focused value-added products, which enables them to retain their leading position in the realm of advanced textiles,” says Warrier.
The Indian nonwovens producer, equipped with state-of-the-art Trützschler and Andritz machinery, is capable of processing all known varieties of cellulosic fibers, including cotton, bamboo, viscose and lyocell between 25-200 grams per square meter. “This allows Welspun to cater to a range of applications including, but not limited, to the manufacture of hygiene, femcare and personal care products, industrial cleaning apparatus disposables, as well as medical disposables,” Warrier says.
Last year, under its subsidiary WAMIL (Welspun Advanced Material India Limited), the company opened an advanced textiles facility comprising of a state-of-the-art high-speed line for manufacturing spunlace nonwovens in Chandanvelly, Telangana. With this investment of Rs. 500 crores, Welspun says it has become the largest producer of spunlace nonwovens in India with a total annual capacity of 27,000 metric tons.
Also in investment mode is Suominen. In August, the Finland-based company announced it would strengthen capabilities in sustainable products by adding a new production line at its site in Alicante, Spain, a reported €20 million investment The new production line increases Suominen’s Card-Pulp-Card (CPC) capacity and was made in line with Suominen’s strategy and vision to be the frontrunner in sustainability. It is expected to come onstream by the end of the year.
“With this investment we respond to the accelerating demand of sustainable nonwovens in Europe. This investment is made to enhance our profitability and competitiveness,” says Tommi Björnman, president and CEO.
This announcement came just a few months after the company said it would enhance an existing production line at its site in Bethune, SC. Like the Alicante investment, this upgrade is consistent with Suominen’s strategy of being the frontrunner in nonwovens innovation and sustainability.
“With this investment, we strengthen our position as the leader in sustainable nonwovens in Americas market and respond to the increased demand of environmentally friendly products. This investment also enhances our operational performance in terms of safety, quality and productivity,” says Björnman
The total value of the investment is approximately €10 million and the project is expected to be completed in the first half of 2025.
Suominen’s sustainability strategy has trickled down to its product offerings. Sales of new products accounted for over 35% of the total sales last year with sustainable product sales increasing by 79%. Throughout the year, 12 new sustainable products were launched.
One of these new products, Biolace with cotton, is a 100% biodegradable and compostable cotton-enhanced wipe. It is made by combining multiple sustainable fibers using filtered water. This material can help reduce solution add-on requirements compared to other 100% sustainable options due to a combination of fiber selection and process techniques.
Another new addition to the Biolace product family is Biolace with a Nubtex micro-dot pattern designed for those applications looking for more intense cleaning. Nubtex’s unique micro-dot pattern combined with sustainable fibers for fluid management provides an exceptional material design for difficult cleaning tasks. The product is a 100% biodegradable and compostable nonwoven best suited for personal care, household and workplace use.
“Compared to a standard dot pattern, the Nubtex pattern creates a more abrading surface area that aids in loosening dirt and debris for improved pick-up and removal from surfaces and skin,” explains Andrew Charleston, manager, Category Management, Americas.
Growing With Purpose
Betting on its multi-layer spunlace technology, Fibertex Nonwovens is expanding its output on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2024, the Denmark-based company completed the installation of a state-of-the-art spunlace production line at its Gray Court, SC, facility and is now successfully serving its customers with advanced materials in the wipes, hygiene, automotive and filtration sectors. The company also plans to expand the capacity of multilayer technology spunlace in the Czech Republic later this year. Both projects are integral to Fibertex’s global investment strategy and reinforce its vision to remain the world leader in advanced nonwovens and high-performance solutions.“These investments continue to follow the company’s long-term strategy of investing in its customers’ growth while leading the industry with advanced nonwoven manufacturing platforms that support ground breaking technologies,” says a Fibertex Nonwovens spokesman.
Fibertex Nonwovens believes the multi-layer technology will be a game changer in the nonwovens industry. The new technology advancements allow customers to tailor specific solutions to their needs and its flexibility means that customers can better differentiate themselves on product performance and sustainability. Additionally, the technology supports 100% the development of plastic-free products, customized patterning for functionality, higher performance at lower weights and optimized energy consumption and CO2 reduction.
“Our customers need the best net value of service, innovation, quality and price. Our customer surveys illustrate how much our partners value our reliability, trustworthiness, and commitment to strong R&D,” the spokesman adds. “Within the market Fibertex Nonwovens has been able to set itself apart by delivering on the promise to pioneer and innovate the way industries work with nonwovens and performance materials.”
Within wipes, demand continues to change as brands focus on recognizing and addressing consumer needs in terms of improved wipe performance. This can be significantly achieved through the nonwovens design and production. Additionally, identifying and successfully commercializing alternative raw materials that bring additional value through performance, cost or improved supply chain will continue to be an important part of Fibertex’s business.
In addition to wipes, Fibertex is also driving spunlace growth in markets that require specifically technical nonwoven performance, notably in growth segments such as sustainable hygiene, medical, advanced filtration and automotive.
Before it merged with Berry Global’s HHS unit to become Magnera, Glatfelter Corporation announced it would expand production of its plant-based spunlaced topsheet material to its facility in Asheville, NC, in an effort to enhance the company’s ability to provide plant-based, plastic free and bio-based hygiene products. This material is also made in Soultz, France, which like the Asheville facility was acquired from Jacob Holm Industries in 2021. The GlatPure range of topsheet material was designed with sustainability using organic cotton, raw cotton, hemp, Lyocell, and their blends to deliver fast liquid handling, softness and comfort.
The combination of Berry and Glatfelter’s nonwovens assets in late 2024 created a nonwovens powerhouse with scale across multiple technologies including spunlace nonwovens. In addition to the former Jacob Holm business on Glatfelter’s side, the newly formed company also contains Berry’s considerable assets including a state-of-the-art spunlace line in Cujik, The Netherlands, specifically targeting sustainable wipes applications. This line is able to produce biodegradable or recycled nonwoven substrates with a reported capacity of more than 300 million tons.
With demand in the spunlace market shifting toward sustainability—and a growing emphasis on plastic-free claims and natural materials—Magnera’s scale enables access to the latest sustainable raw materials across the globe, allowing the company to stay at the forefront of market trends, executives report.
Emerging regulatory pressures, such as flushability standards and labeling requirements (e.g., “contains plastic”), are also shaping the market landscape. Magnera addresses this by focusing on plant-based fibers like cotton, hemp and lyocell to meet consumer and regulatory expectations for safer, eco-friendly products.
“Sustainable raw materials are increasingly preferred, with plant-based fibers like cotton, hemp and lyocell gaining traction for their renewable and eco-friendly properties. Magnera collaborates with suppliers to develop innovative solutions aligned with these trends and future market needs,” the company adds.
Beyond wipes, Magnera’s spunlace solutions expand into period and baby care, driven by demand for sustainable, high-performance materials. With the capability to produce ultra-lightweight, plant-based, and bi-layer materials, these solutions simplify product design, reduce waste and meet the stringent performance standards required for hygiene applications.
Sandler credits a wide product range and know-how of different applications in keeping its spunlace business healthy, even as continued investment has challenged the supply and demand ratio. While existing applications like baby care, cosmetics and cleaning continue to see supply matching or exceeding demand, niche markets continue to provide opportunities for growth as do emerging new fields.
The company utilizes the properties and advantages of the spunlace technology for different industries and end uses. In nearly all of these applications, the importance of sustainability to end-consumers and therefore to manufacturers continues to grow.
“Sustainability has always been a cornerstone of our corporate philosophy and is taken into account from the initial developmental stage onwards – for spunlaced nonwovens as well as in all other markets we supply,” says Hornfeck. “The spunlace technology offers the possibility to adapt the nonwovens’ raw material composition, while maintaining our established product functionality and quality, or with a view to bringing about desired properties.”
The use of disinfectant wipes boomed during the Coronavirus pandemic and continues to be strong today. (Maridav/Shutterstock.com)
By working with raw material composition and increasing the use of renewable and recycled raw materials, Sandler has been able to improve sustainability even in disposable products such as wipes. “Together with our customers and partners, we are continually testing new raw material options with a view to finding the raw materials that work best for the customer’s specifications,” Hornfeck adds.
As an established supplier with longstanding business relationships in the industry, Sandler not only supplies high-quality products, it has established strong, reliable partnerships based on cooperation and communication. Together with customers and partners along the entire supply chain, it finds solutions and advances products.
“In doing so, state-of-the-art technology, innovation, and collaboration are vital for growth,” Hornfeck says. “Our production facilities are not standard equipment. Each of our spunlace production lines is specially configured, tailored to our customers’ requirements and product specifications.”
Apart from wipes, Sandler supplies spunlaced nonwovens for technical applications as well as hygiene products. In a market as dynamic and versatile as the nonwovens industry, growth is driven by product differentiation and innovation. As in most other markets, sustainability and single-polymer materials are topics of great interest and shape product design. In addition to developing nonwovens further, having different technologies at our disposal also enables us to combine material properties to enhance functionality or open up new areas of application.
As it continues to face challenges in the Turkish market, Mogul Nonwovens continues to focus on new applications for its spunlaced nonwovens both within and outside of the wipes market. Recent technological developments include a specialty grade of its Madaline microfilament nonwovens, called Madaline Ultraleather, which is a leather-like material offering a fabric feel. This material continues to target clothing and home textile applications. Additionally, Mogul’s Durell, a bicomponent material, now includes some unique grades made from UHMWPE. The result is a product with unique ballistic properties and puncture resistance that can be used for military applications and also for upholstery and protective footwear, climbing gear, cycling wear, anti-vandal products and protectors for a wide range of industries.
“Of course it should be some opportunities other than wipes. There are some niche applications like automotive, filtration, artificial synthetic leather applications that are also giving growth opportunities,” says Ersin Kosker, vice president of sales.
