The Sustainable Textile Promotion Association Released The 2024 Material Market Report

The 2024 Material Market Report released by Textile Exchange is an annual publication that comprehensively analyzes global fiber and raw material production, aiming to help the industry measure and promote its goals. The report contains production data, market trends, standard certification and other information of various fibers and raw materials, and also points out the challenges and future development direction of the industry.

1、 Overview of global fiber market

Production trend: The global fiber output will reach 124 million tons in 2023, a record high. The output has doubled since 2000 and is expected to reach 160 million tons in 2030. Synthetic fiber dominates the market, accounting for 67%, of which polyester fiber accounts for 57%; Plant fiber accounts for 25%, cotton is the second most important fiber, accounting for 20%; Artificial cellulose fibers (MMCFs) account for 6%; Animal fiber accounts for 1%, and wool is the main animal fiber, accounting for 0.9%.

Recycled fiber market: the market share of recycled fiber will drop to 7.7% in 2023, lower than 7.9% in 2022. The recovery of polyester fiber is the highest, accounting for 12.5% of the recovered fiber, mainly from plastic bottles; Wool recycling accounts for about 6%; Recycled cotton accounts for about 1%; The recovered MMCFs accounted for 0.7%.

2、 Details of various fibers

1. Cotton

Raw cotton production: in 2022/23, the global raw cotton production will decrease from 25.1 million tons to 24.4 million tons, of which about 29% will come from various certification projects, such as Better Cotton, organic cotton, etc. Better Cotton accounts for about 22%, and organic cotton accounts for about 3.2%.

Organic cotton: organic cotton certification is complex, with 15 farm level organic standards/projects, of which the organic standards of India, the United States and the European Union account for about 94% of the global certified organic cotton. In 2022/23, about 772000 tons of cotton in the world will be certified by one or more organic standards, an increase from 2021/22.

Recycled cotton: In 2023, the output of recycled cotton is estimated to be 319000 tons, accounting for 1% of the total cotton output, and the market share is expected to increase. GRS and RCS of Textile Exchange are key third-party standards for recycled cotton.

Other plant fibers: including jute, coconut shell fiber, flax, hemp, sisal, etc., the global output is about 6.7 million tons, accounting for 5% of the global fiber production. Jute has the largest market share, about 52%; Coconut shell fiber takes the second place, about 29%; Flax accounts for about 6%, mainly produced in Europe; Cannabis accounts for about 4%. Its production is legalized in some countries, and its production is expected to increase.

2. Wool

Raw wool production: in 2023, the global raw wool output will be about 1 million tons (1.98 million tons of fat containing wool), with a market share of 4.8%. Among them, the market share of Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) or other relevant wool projects is increasing, with RWS accounting for about 4%.

Other animal fibers: the global output of mohair is about 4570 tons, and South Africa is the main producer; The output of alpaca wool is about 6200 tons, and Peru is the main producer; The output of yak hair is about 3465 tons; The output of camel hair is about 4060 tons; Angolan rabbit hair output is about 500 tons.

3. Man made cellulose fibers (MMCFs)

Primary fiber production: in 2023, the output will increase from 7.4 million tons to 7.9 million tons, accounting for 6% of the global fiber market. Among them, the output of viscose fiber (rayon) accounts for the majority, about 6.3 million tons.

Standards and certification: About 60 - 65% of MMCFs production is covered by FSC and/or PEFC. CanopyStyle Audits assesses suppliers' raw material procurement practices, and 54% of global MMCF production will be certified as "Green Shirt" in 2023.

4. Polyester fibre

Primary fiber production: the output will increase from 63 million tons to 71 million tons in 2023, accounting for 57% of global fiber production.

Production of recycled fiber: In 2023, the global output of recycled polyester fiber will increase from 8.6 million tons to 8.9 million tons, but the market share will decrease from 13.6% to 12.5%, mainly from PET plastic bottles (98%).

Biobased and CO? B based polyester: The market share of bio based polyester is about 0.01%, and the raw materials need to be further developed. Some companies explore CO? As a raw material of synthetic fiber, it faces technical and energy challenges.

5. Polyamide (nylon) fiber

Primary fiber production: the output will increase from 6.2 million tons to 6.7 million tons in 2023, accounting for 5% of global fiber production.

Production of recycled fiber: in 2023, the output of recycled polyamide will be about 100000 tons, accounting for 2% of the polyamide fiber market, mainly from the waste before and after consumption, and the production will face technical and raw material challenges.

Bio based polyamide: the global output is about 40000 tons, accounting for 0.5% of the polyamide fiber market, and the raw materials need to be further developed.

Other synthetic fibers: including polypropylene, acrylic acid and elastic fiber, with a total output of 6.1 million tons in 2023, accounting for 5% of the global fiber market. The output of polypropylene is 3.1 million tons, with a market share of 2.5%; The output of acrylic acid is 1.6 million tons, with a market share of 1.3%; The output of elastic fiber is 1.4 million tons, with a market share of 1.1%.

3、 Other raw materials (non fiber)

1. Down

Original down production: in 2023, the output will increase from 602000 tons to 627000 tons, about 85 - 90% of which will come from ducks.

Production of recycled down: the output will be about 5800 tons in 2023, with a market share of about 1%.

2. Leather

Original leather production: In 2022, the global leather production (calculated by the weight of raw leather) will be about 13.4 million tons. Cowhide is the most commonly used type of raw leather, and China is the largest producer of cowhide.

Recycled leather: The use of recycled leather helps reduce industry waste, and RCS and GRS standards can be used to certify recycled leather raw materials.

Natural rubber: In 2022, the global output will exceed 15 million tons, and Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are the main producers. About 85% of natural rubber is produced by small farmers. The market share of rubber forest covered by FSC and PEFC rose from 2.9% to 3.0%.

4、 Supply Chain Standards

Organic Content Standard (OCS): an international voluntary standard aimed at increasing organic agricultural production. In 2023, the number of certification sites will increase from 12131 to 13859.

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): a leading organic fiber textile processing standard covering ecological and social standards, the number of certification sites will increase from 13549 to 14676 in 2023.

Content declaration standard (CCS): provide tools to verify specific input materials in finished products, and the number of certification sites will increase significantly in 2023.

Recycling declaration standard (RCS): aimed at increasing the use of recycled materials, the number of certification sites will increase from 10139 to 12869 in 2023.

Global Recycling Standard (GRS): add social and environmental processing requirements and chemical restrictions on the basis of RCS, and the number of certification sites will increase from 34178 to 43427 in 2023.

Cradle to Cradle (C2C): a globally recognized measure of sustainable products. Version 4.0 released in 2021 has new requirements.

Materials Material Standard: a unified standard system. The final version will be released in 2025 and take effect in 2026.

5、 Challenges and future development direction of the industry

1. Challenges

The industry relies heavily on the original bio chemical stone based synthetic materials, threatening the realization of climate goals. The market share of recycled fibers has declined, and it is difficult to recycle fiber blended textiles. Organic cotton certification is complex, and data collection and aggregation are difficult.

2. Future development direction

Develop new recycling technologies, such as chemical recycling, to improve the quality and output of recycled fibers. Promote bio based and CO? The development of base materials will reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. Improve data collection and analysis methods, and improve data quality and transparency.

(Source: website of Ministry of Commerce)