by Cotton (linter) pulp is the purified cotton fibers extracted as a by-product from the cotton ginning process. It finds wide application in the production of paper products, absorbent materials, cigarette filters and explosives. Cotton (linter) pulp offers superior absorbency and softness as compared to wood pulp due to its higher alpha-cellulose content. The growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable paper products is expected to drive the demand for cotton linter pulp in the coming years.
The Global Cotton (Linter) Pulp Market is estimated to be valued at US$ 422.9 Bn in 2024 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 9.8% over the forecast period 2024 to 2030. Growing environmental concerns have boosted the demand for sustainable and eco-friendly products made from agricultural residues rather than wood-pulps.
Key Takeaways
Key players operating in the Cotton (Linter) Pulp Market are CommScope, Comba Telecom, Laird Connectivity, Radio Frequency Systems, Rosenberger, Amphenol Procom, Mobi Antenna Technologies, Tongyu Communication, Shenglu Telecommunication, Cobham Antenna Systems. CommScope being the global market leader with over 20% market share.
The growing demand for absorbent hygiene and personal care products has fueled the demand for cotton linter pulp in the developed economies of North America and Europe. Statista estimates the global adult incontinence market to exhibit a CAGR of 7.5% till 2024.
Chinas ambition to become carbon-neutral by 2060 has boosted investments in sustainable and eco-friendly materials. Chinese cotton linter pulp producers are expanding their production capacities and global footprint to cater to the growing international demand.
Market key trends
One of the prominent trends driving the cotton (linter) pulp market is the shift towards sustainable packaging solutions. The rising concerns over plastic pollution are encouraging manufacturers to shift from plastic to paper-based packaging. Cotton linter pulp provides an eco-friendly and sustainable solution for food packaging, pharmaceutical packaging and various other industrial packaging applications. Major FMCG players like Nestle, PepsiCo, and Unilever have pledged to undertake sustainable packaging initiatives which will boost the demand for agricultural residue based pulps like cotton linter pulp.
Porter’s Analysis
Threat of new entrants: Difficult due to highly capital intensive production process and presence of major established players in the market.
Bargaining power of buyers: Moderate bargaining power due to presence of many established players providing substitutes.
Bargaining power of suppliers: Moderate bargaining power of few major raw material suppliers.
Threat of new substitutes: Low threat due to unique properties offered by cotton linter pulp for various applications.
Competitive rivalry: Intense due to fragmented supply base and differentiation in product and service quality provided by major players.
Geographical Regions
The cotton linter pulp market in terms of value is highly concentrated in Asia Pacific region mainly due to large presence of cotton producing countries like India, China and Pakistan in the region. These countries collectively account for over 60% of global cotton production.
North America region is expected to witness fastest growth in the cotton linter pulp market during the forecast period. This is attributed to increasing investments by major pulp manufacturers in the region for capacity expansions to cater to the rising demand from paper, nonwoven fabrics and cigarette filter industries among others.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
