Disposable napkins market until 2025

The special living conditions that formed during the Covid-19 pandemic mean that the demand for many napkins, which have historically been considered optional consumer items, will remain resilient to the recession and during the recovery period. The total market value of the napkin market in 2021 reached $20.63 billion and will continue to grow at an average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8% to $26.07 billion in 2025. Accordingly, the market of nonwovens used for their production will grow over the same period from 26.24 million square meters and 1.44 million tons in 2020 to 38.32 million square meters and 1.97 million tons in 2025.

In the face of the pandemic, the non-woven napkin industry continued to work, providing any means that could somehow slow down the spread and reduce the impact of the virus. Disinfectant wipes were supplied to consumers in record quantities. The demand for antibacterial wipes and medical wipes has also increased to incredible levels.

For some napkin segments, this increased demand will continue over the next few years, and the overall global demand for nonwoven napkins until 2025 will exceed previous forecasts.

The Smithers report analyzes the market by four main types of napkins (home hygiene, children's hygiene, personal hygiene, industrial napkins). The report shows the following perspectives:

• Covid-19 had the most direct impact on household disinfectant wipes (home hygiene). The unprecedented surge in demand in 2020-2021 was held back only by a shortage of supply and production capacity. According to the estimates of some major suppliers of disinfectant wipes, this is the most profitable sector in the market, which will see increased demand until 2025.
• Baby wet wipes remain the largest segment of the napkin market. It accounts for 48.4% of total sales. In 2020 - 2021, there was a significant increase in demand for baby wet wipes. This was explained by the fact that consumers, due to the hype for hygiene items during the pandemic, sought to accumulate napkins of all existing types. The result of this temporary peak will be a slight decrease in the growth rate of this segment in 2022-2025.
• Widespread lockdowns introduced by almost all countries of the world, as well as the emergence of the trend of working from home (remote work) have led to an increase in demand for napkins designed for personal hygiene. Although growth has slowed in 2021, this segment also remains one of the most expensive and fastest growing of all major segments.
• In 2020-2021, the segment of industrial napkins suffered the most from COVID-19. In particular, the main consumers in the automotive and construction markets have reduced consumption; and the demand for napkins for catering establishments has sharply decreased due to the closure of bars, cafes and restaurants. The sub-segment in which the greatest increase in demand was observed, for obvious reasons, is medical wipes, since enhanced disinfection methods have become an important tool in the fight against Covid-19 both today and in the future.

Both the pandemic and the EU Directive on Disposable Plastic Products generated increased demand for flushable (water-soluble) wipes during the period under review. The priority of napkins produced in accordance with the current trend of a "sustainable" approach to the production, consumption and processing of products has stimulated a series of research and development of new types and mixtures of "sustainable" materials used in their production.