Europe grew by 3.6% in 2015 to reach 2,329,000 tonnes, despite an environment of slow economic growth. While the output of the European Union has limited growth, some countries showed strong growth development, the organization said. ‘A country like Turkey continued to record double-digit growth, which more than compensated for the decline recorded in some other European markets,’ said Jacques Prigneaux, EDANA’s market analysis and economic affairs director. The production of fiber-based materials such as Drylaid, Wetlaid, and Airlaid technologies recorded an increase of 3.1%, and spunmelt nonwovens recorded the highest growth rate with 4.3%, while the highest growth in tonnes were observed in the drylaid-hydroentangled process, with a 7.0% increase. Although the main end-use for nonwovens continues to be the hygiene market, with a 31% share of deliveries (717,200 tonnes), the most significant growth areas for nonwovens in 2015, by tonnage sold, were recorded in automotive (+9%), agriculture (+11%), personal care wipes (+11%), food & beverages (+12%), and air and liquid filtration (+17%). However, major declines were recorded in interlinings, coating substrates, and some applications for the construction markets.
This story uses material from EDANA, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
