Share of synthetic fibres and yarns in EU industrial textiles use

In 2022, 58 % of fibres and yarns used by EU industry were of synthetic origin.

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A total of 3.3 million tonnes of fibres and yarns were produced in the EU in 2022. In the same year, almost 2.3 million tonnes of fibres and yarns were imported, and 0.82 million tonnes exported. This implies that the total 2022 use of fibres and yarns by EU industry was around 4.8 million tonnes, a decrease of 10% compared to 2010 with significant fluctuations in volumes consumed over this time period. In 2022, 58% of the fibres used by industry were of synthetic origin, representing a volume of 2.8 million tonnes. These volumes have remained relatively constant, although synthetic fibres have also seen a 10% decrease compared to 2010, along with a drop in the volumes consumed by industry during the COVID-19 years. The outputs of this industrial use are intermediate and finished products, which are meant for internal EU use as well as for export.

These numbers support the hypothesis that a large share of our textile products are of synthetic, and therefore non-renewable, origin, and the reported share of synthetics is in the same order of magnitude as what Textile Exchange reports on a global scale in their Materials Market Report (Textile Exchange, 2023).

Plastics and textiles are highlighted in the Circular Economy Action Plan and European Green Deal as critical product value chains that should be prioritized in developing a circular economy in Europe. Plastic-based synthetic textiles are at the intersection of these priority areas. Synthetic textiles are integral to daily life, featuring in clothing, footwear, household linens, home furnishings, and a broad range of technical applications such as protective gear, transportation, and machinery. Europe stands as the largest importer of synthetic textiles, boasts significant domestic fibre production, and is a major exporter of synthetic textile products globally, with the EU industry excelling in specialty fibres and high-value technical textiles.

With a capture rate for used textiles of only 16%, the majority of the textile waste ends up in the residual waste and is incinerated or landfilled. A specific concern is that synthetic textiles do not naturally degrade entirely but persist in the biosphere in the shape of macro-, micro- or even nanoplastics, unless they are incinerated. Furthermore, in textile applications synthetics fibres and yarns are often used in blends with other (natural) fibre types for cost or functionality reasons. From a circularity perspective, however, the use of blends hinders recycling of these textiles.

As discusses in other metrics, the production and consumption of textiles have considerable environmental impacts, and the extent of these impacts varies significantly dependent on the fibre type. Synthetic fibre and textiles, in particular, are major contributors to fossil resource depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, and the release of microplastics (ETC WMGE, 2021).

Definition

Synthetic fibres consist of organic (carbon-based) polymers, which are made from fossil fuels. They entail a wide range of fibre types:

Methodology

Use volumes are expressed in tonnes and concern ‘apparent use’ by EU industry. They are calculated using import, export and production figures from the Eurostat PRODCOM database. Since fibres and yarns are base products for textile manufacturing, this use can be attributed mainly to industry. Based on this analysis, no conclusions can be drawn on the amount of fibres that eventually end up in finished products for EU household consumption. The outputs of this industrial consumption are intermediate and finished products, which are meant for internal EU use as well as for export.

Fibres and yarns in general are reported in PRODCOM under product groups 13.10 and 20.60, for the total volumes only subcategory 13.10.10 (wool grease) was omitted. To calculate the share of synthetic fibres and yarns, the following subcategories were taken into account (last 4 digits in 8-digit code):

· For product group 13.10: 3100, 8110, 8150, 8210, 8250, 8320, 8333, 8336, 8340, 8380, 8390, 83Z0, 8510, 8550;

· For product group 20.60: 1110, 1120, 1130, 1140, 1150, 1190, 1220, 1240, 1260, 1310, 1320, 1330, 1340, 1350, 1390, 1420, 1440.

The production volume are to be estimated, and may contain some gaps or double countings. Since Eurostat data report ‘sold products’, fibres that are sold to yarn producers could be counted twice in the data, while fibres and yarns that are processed immediately after production into fabrics and other intermediate or finished products may not appear in the data for ‘fibre and yarn production’ since they are traded and thus reported under another product code. Synthetic fabrics were not included to avoid double counting.

Metadata

Data source: Eurostat PRODCOM

Unit: %

Temporal coverage: 2010 - 2022

Geographic coverage: EU27

Literature

· EEA, Plastic in textiles: towards a circular economy for synthetic textiles in Europe — European Environment Agency (2021)

· ETC/WMGE, Plastic in textiles: potentials for circularity and reduced environmental and climate impacts (2021)

· Textile Exchange, Materials Market Report (2023)

Share of synthetic fibres and yarns in EU industrial textiles use

References and footnotes