Features:
- Demand has flattened for fluff pulp, but prices have appreciated significantly - increasing by almost 50% since 2019
- By 2029 it is projected that the fluff pulp market will reach volume of 8.62 million air dried tonnes, valued at $11.5 billion
- Between 2024 and 2029, annual growth rates are 3.4% (volume) and 3.6% (value).
The global fluff pulp market in 2024 consists of 7.8 million air dried tonnes of capacity, produced primarily by 11 producers in 22 separate mills. This capacity includes 'swing' mill capacity (mills that can produce other products as well as fluff pulp). In 2024, it is estimated that about 88% of capable capacity is producing fluff rather than alternative materials.
Produced using the kraft (sulphate) chemical pulp process from coarse, long-fibre softwoods, fluff pulp historically has been a speciality pulp grade with higher prices and margins than the more common papermaking pulp grades. This report documents the growth of fluff pulp capacity and consumption from 2019 through 2029 and includes a detailed quantitative breakdown of fluff pulp consumption by end-use application and by geographic region. Fluff pulp production is broken down by wood species, pulping process and treatments.
Key Questions:
- How swing mills will affect fluff pulp capacity to 2029
- What impact changes in production costs will have on the market
- What factors are causing instability in the fluff pulp market
- Which end-use sectors have highest growth potential over the next five years
- How the global drive to reduce plastic consumption has impacted the market for fluff pulp.
This report benefits:
- Raw material suppliers and pulp producers
- Machinery and equipment suppliers
- Hygiene product and wipes manufacturers
Table of Contents
Executive summary
Introduction and methodology
- Scope
- Methodology
- Definitions
Key drivers and trends for fluff pulp
- Introduction
- Key trends/properties driving the fluff market
- Pricing trends
- Capacity developments
- Non-softwood fluff pulp (ie eucalyptus)
- Impact of fluff-less/low fluff hygiene cores
- Cost in use
- Sustainability/plastics free
- Pulping process (i.e. sulphate or Kraft, sulphite)
- Pulp sheet properties (moisture, treatment levels, brightness, burst strength, and defibreizing energy)
- Rolls versus bales
- Fibre properties (length, coarseness, fibre length distribution)
- Recycled fluff
Fluff pulp markets by process
- Introduction
- Pulping
- Sulfite
- Sulfate (Kraft)
- CTMP
- Other
- Bleaching
- Elemental chlorine free (ECF)
- Totally chlorine free (TCF)
- Unbleached
- Treatments/post treatments
- Fluff pulp usage by process by end-use
- Market share by process
Fluff pulp markets by material type
- Introduction
- Fluff pulp consumption by raw material
- Southern softwoods
- Loblolly pine
- Slash pine
- Radiata pine
- Other southern pine
- Northern softwoods
- Scandinavian pine
- Scandinavian spruce
- Maritime pine
- Other northern pine
- Hardwood
- Reclaimed/recycled fluff
- Other cellulose
Fluff pulp markets by end-use
- Introduction
- Market share of fluff pulp by end-use application (2019-29)
- Hygiene
- Baby diapers/nappies
- Training Pant Market
- Feminine Hygiene Products
- Adult Incontinence Products
- Nonwovens
- Introduction
- Airlaid (wipes, hygiene core, hygiene STS, mops, food pads, tabletop, packaging, insulation, moulded products, etc.)
- Coform (baby wipes, hygiene)
- Spunlace (CPC, SPS, CAC (Spinlace, Genesis, Mondi), hydroentangled airlaid - all for wipes)
- Composites
- Other nonwovens
- Other end-uses
- Introduction
- Food pads
- Medical
- Other
Fluff markets by region
- Introduction
- Fluff pulp market by region/country (2019-29)
- European fluff pulp market (2019-29)
- European fluff pulp production
- European fluff pulp consumption
- Western Europe fluff pulp consumption
- Western European fluff pulp consumption by country/region
- Germany
- UK
- France
- Spain
- Italy
- Benelux
- Scandinavia
- Eastern European fluff pulp consumption
- Eastern European fluff pulp consumption by country/region
- Russia
- Turkey
- Poland
- European fluff pulp consumption/capacity
- North American fluff pulp market (2019-29)
- North American fluff pulp production
- North American fluff pulp consumption
- US fluff pulp consumption
- North American fluff pulp consumption/capacity
- South American fluff pulp market (2019-29)
- South American fluff pulp production
- South American fluff pulp consumption
- Brazilian fluff pulp consumption
- South American fluff pulp consumption/capacity
- Asian fluff pulp market overview
- Asian fluff pulp production
- Asian fluff pulp consumption
- Asian fluff pulp consumption in Asia by country/region
- Asian fluff pulp consumption/capacity
- Rest of the World (ROW) fluff market overview
Industry Profile
- Introduction
- Global fluff pulp production
- Global "Swing Mills" fluff pulp production (2019-29)
- Global fluff pulp consumption/capacity (2019-29)
- Major market players for fluff pulp
- IP
- GP Cellulose
- Domtar
- Rayonier
- Stora Enso
- Rauma
- Arauco
- Klabin
- Suzano
- ENCE
- Diao
- Others
- Key strategies of major market players
- New fluff pulp product developments