Market Overview

The market for pulp & paper chemicals is anticipated to register a CAGR of more than 2% during the forecast period. Pulp & paper chemicals are the raw materials required to produce paper. These chemicals are mixed with paper pulp, to produce paper.

  • Growing pulp & paper industry in emerging economies and increasing paper recycling are augmenting the growth of the market.
  • Environmental hazards from the pulp and paper industry and stringent water treatment regulations are likely to hinder the market’s growth.
  • Extensive research on paper quality improvements is projected to act as an opportunity for the market in future.



Key Market Trends

Increasing Demand from the Packaging and Industrial Papers

  • Paper packaging includes rigid and flexible paper packaging formats, such as paper sacks and bags, corrugated boxes, wrapping paper, cartons, display packaging, cups and trays, inserts and dividers, tapes and labels, and clamshells. Significant weight advantages of paper packaging ensure benefits, in terms of distribution efficiencies and raw material inputs.
  • Packaging performs an important function by protecting goods from damage, from the point of manufacture to the final consumer. It prevents wastage of goods and energy. Packaging meets stringent safety, technical, and hygienic requirements.
  • A rise in the demand for flexible paper packaging, owing to growing consumer awareness regarding harmful effects of plastic on the environment along with eco-friendly nature and economic form of paper packaging, is expected to propel pulp and paper chemicals market growth.
  • The major advantage of using recycled paper packaging is the associated reduction in the cost of packaging material up to 40%. Stringent government regulations, pertaining to environmental concerns and reduction in carbon emissions, are also one of the major factors expected to fuel consumption of recycled paper packaging across the end-user industries.
  • Owing to increasing environmental concerns across the world along with the rising need to reduce toxic emissions; recycled paper packaging is used by healthcare, personal care, and food and beverages industries. This, in turn, is expected to create positive impact for the market growth, during the forecast period.



China to Dominate the Asia-Pacific Region

  • Asia-Pacific region is expecting higher growth of pulp & paper market owing to increasing waste paper importing market in China.
  • With increasing environmental awareness and safety issues, the Chinese government has enforced several new regulations on wastepaper importing.
  • Small-scale paper mills with an operating capacity of less than 50,000 tons are not eligible for importing waste paper. These new regulations are having profound impact on the global wastepaper recycling practice and the papermaking industry in China. US exports of recovered paper to China remained relatively consistent throughout the year, averaging 608,000 ton per month.
  • Chinese papermaking companies lack own forestry property. The companies mainly import raw materials for papermaking. The short supply of raw materials greatly affects the papermaking industry development, as it rapidly grows. In addition, the government policies and other extrinsic factors impact the import of raw materials.
  • With the focus now shifting towards eco-friendly and sustainability, paper packaging is expected to gain focus over plastic packaging, which poses a significant threat to the environment. China is expected to drive the market for the paper packaging segment, with applications across industries, like healthcare, personal care, homecare, retail, and others. This, in turn is driving the demand for pulp and paper chemicals market in the coming years.
  • Increasing concern over food safety in the food and beverages sector has propelled the need for high-quality food service board and liquid packaging board. Besides this, the development of e-commerce in China has promoted the increase in the express delivery, further driving the demand for packaging paper, thereby, driving the demand for pulp and paper chemicals market, during the forecast period.



Competitive Landscape

The pulp & paper chemicals market is partially consolidated, with the top five players having a significant position in the market. Key players in the pulp & paper chemicals market include Nouryon, Arkema, BASF SE, DuPont, Clariant, Imerys, Kemira Chemicals among others.

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