Lyocell supply and demand have grown nearly 40% in two years, and nonwoven output surpassed 9 million tons for the first time—these figures signal that bio-based fibers are moving from labs to production lines. However, the path from technical feasibility to market viability is still blocked by two hurdles: localization of key monomers and carbon footprint standards.
Background
A recent industry conference in Changshu, Jiangsu, highlighted that the sector is on the verge of scale-up. Jin Gaoling, vice president of the China Chemical Fibers Association, noted that bio-based fibers achieved leapfrog growth during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, but for the 15th Five-Year Plan, the top priority is the localized, large-scale production of key monomers such as high-purity lactic acid, lactide, and furandicarboxylic acid. This implies that the cost and supply stability of some bio-based fibers still depend on overseas chemical giants.
Another key message was feedstock diversification. Non-grain biomass resources such as straw, corncobs, Juncao, and bamboo were repeatedly mentioned, both to reduce dependence on petroleum-based materials and to address the 'competing with food' controversy. For buyers, feedstock route shifts will directly affect fiber batch consistency and cost curves; in the short term, they need to monitor suppliers' raw material traceability.
Industry Impact
Academician Cheng Bowen's proposed full-chain research system—'mechanism tracing, technology breakthroughs, applications and standards'—essentially points to a new dimension of competition in bio-based fibers: not just material substitution, but a battle for standard-setting discourse from dissolution mechanisms to end-use applications. Lyocell, as a typical example, has extended its high-value applications to medical and hygiene materials, meaning traditional textile companies focusing only on apparel fabrics may miss higher-margin incremental markets.
Wang Huaping, a researcher at Donghua University, made a more trend-setting prediction: the share of green fibers in the overall structure will rise significantly in the coming years. Combined with Zhang Qian's warning at the China National Textile and Apparel Council that green trade rules are about market access, it is clear that Western buyers will increasingly scrutinize supply chain carbon footprints. Once carbon footprint accounting standards for bio-based fibers are established, non-compliant companies may be directly excluded from procurement lists.
Industry data is equally telling. According to the China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association, nonwoven output exceeded 9 million tons in 2025, with disposable hygiene products and wipes as the main application markets, making biodegradable raw material development a hot topic. This opens up application spaces far beyond apparel, but also demands finer control over fiber strength, hydrophilicity, and degradation rates.
Corporate practices demonstrate a value-added path from 'green raw materials' to 'functional fibers'. Xinxiang Chemical Fiber's ionic liquid method has achieved stable operation on a thousand-ton line; Jiangsu Sanlian's cooling-effect bio-based polyester filaments; and Yisheng New Materials' modification of polylactic acid fibers all prove that bio-based materials can combine environmental attributes with functional selling points. For downstream brands, this means the era of simply marketing 'biodegradable' is over; performance and experience are the basis for premium pricing.