Textile Exchange released the 2024 edition of its Materials Market Report. The report, which looks at total fiber and raw material volumes used for apparel, home textiles, footwear, or any other application, shows that global fiber production increased from 116 million tonnes in 2022 to 124 million tonnes in 2023. This number is expected to rise to 160 million tonnes in 2030 if current trends continue.
Other key takeaways from the 2024 report include:
- The production of virgin fossil-based synthetic fibers increased from 67 million tonnes in 2022 to 75 million tonnes in 2023. Polyester remained the most produced fiber globally, accounting for 57% of total fiber production.
- The overall market share of recycled polyester decreased from 13.6% to 12.5%. For polyamide (nylon), the second most used synthetic fiber, recycled fibers constituted only 2% of the total market share. These trends are attributed to the lower prices and continued production of virgin synthetics, as well as current limitations in recycling technologies. Less than 1% of the global fiber market came from pre- and post-consumer recycled textiles.
- While global cotton volumes fell slightly in 2023, the share of cotton produced under sustainability programs remained stable, accounting for 29% of all cotton produced.
- Wool produced under standards such as Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), ZQ, SustainaWOOL (GREEN and GOLD), Sustainable Cape Wool Standard (SCWS) and Climate Beneficial programs increased from 4.2% in 2022 to 4.8% in 2023.
- Certified fibers such as mohair and cashmere saw notable growth, both with market shares of 47%, reaching almost half of market share
- Overall MMCF production increased from 7.4 million tonnes in 2022 to 7.9 million tonnes in 2023, representing 6% of the global fiber market.