Key facts:
- The global specialty papers market is predicted to grow from 28.2 million tonnes in 2025 to 31.3 million tonnes by 2030.
- Flexible packaging is the largest specialty paper sector with 5.7 million tonnes - 20.2% of the total market.
This report covers developments in the global specialty papers market and forecasts growth to 2030. It explores the key market trends, including sustainable packaging solutions and interrelated environmental regulations, new technology for papermaking, new materials for paper and coatings - including bio-based coatings and alternative fibres - and the trend for customisation and personalisation in packaging.
Sustainable packaging structures and the governing policies that support them are key drivers in changing the kinds of products that are made, how they are designed, which raw materials are utilised, and their disposal at the end of their lifecycle.
Definition:
A key difference between specialty and commodity papers is that specialty grades cannot usually be used for anything other than their intended special purpose. Specialty papers are either manufactured to have specific properties required by the end user or are converted for a specific application by an operation such as coating, lamination, or addition of an adhesive. These papers play a significant role in packaging, specialty printing, and industrial use.
Key Questions:
- How are brand owners responding to sustainability regulations and recyclability targets?
- How will the move away from film-based flexible packaging benefit specialty paper substrates?
- What developments are being made in security papers to deter counterfeiters?
- How are shifts in consumer demands driving design developments in specialty papers and packaging?
This report is essential to:
- Raw materials suppliers
- Paper producers and converters
- Brand owners and end-users of specialty papers
Table of Contents
Executive summary
Introduction and methodology
- Introduction
- Objectives
- Scope and definitions
- Market segmentation
- Methodology
- Stage 1: desk research
- Stage 2: telephone interviews
- Stage 3: report generation
- Glossary and definitions
Key drivers and trends
- Introduction
- Sustainable packaging solutions
- Technology advancements
- Bio-based materials
- Biomaterials - coatings, microfibrillated cellulose - in and on the surface
- Seaweed
- Bioplastics - PHA, PHB, PLA, etc.
- Proteins - casein/zein/soy protein
- Polysaccharides - pectin/ chitin/levan/pullullan
- Starches - chemically modified/ starch conversions copolymers/nanoparticle version of starch
- Active packaging
- Environmental regulations
- E-commerce and shipping
- Security and anticounterfeiting measures
- Customization and personalization
- Food and beverage industry
- Health and hygiene products
- Luxury and premium packaging
Specialty papers by application
- Overview
- Decor papers
- Wallpaper base paper
- Coverings paper
- Flexible packaging papers
- Metallizing base paper
- Waxing base paper
- Laminating base paper
- Machine glazed paper
- Greaseproof paper
- Parchment paper
- Twisting paper
- C1S packaging paper
- Printing label papers
- Specialty uncoated label paper
- Specialty C1S label paper
- Release liner paper
- Printing papers
- Cover latex saturated and nonlatex paper
- Photographic paper
- Thermal paper
- Binder's board
- Fine art paper
- Opaque lightweight paper
- Filtration papers
- Engine/automotive filtration paper
- Coffee filter paper
- Tea filter paper
- Industrial filter paper
- Laboratory filter paper
- Electrical papers
- Insulation paper
- Battery separators
- Cable paper
- Security papers
- Currency paper
- Check paper
- Ticket paper
- Postage stamp paper
- Other papers
- Glassine
- Tracing paper
- Synthetic paper
- Cigarette paper
- Creped decorative paper
- Gift-wrap paper
Geographic markets
- Overview
- Western Europe
- Germany
- France
- UK
- Italy
- Spain
- Scandinavia
- Other Western Europe
- Eastern Europe
- Russia
- Poland
- Other Eastern Europe
- Middle East & Africa
- Turkey
- Other Middle East & Africa
- North America
- South & Central America
- Brazil
- Other South & Central America
- Asia-Pacific
- China
- India
- Japan
- Other Asia-Pacific
Specialty paper competitive landscape
- Overview
- Top 35 companies in specialty papers
- Ahlstrom
- Asia Pulp & Paper
- BiOrigin Specialty Products
- Copamex
- Crane
- Delfort
- Dispapali
- Domtar Corporation
- Drewzen
- DuPont
- Fedrigoni Group
- Felix Schoeller Group
- Giesecke+Devrient
- Glatfelter
- Hollingsworth & Vose Company
- Huhtamaki
- International Paper Company
- James Cropper
- KRPA Paper
- Landqart
- Lecta
- Mativ Holdings
- Metsa Tissue
- Mondi Group
- Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd.
- Nordic Paper
- Oji Holdings Corporation
- PALM Group
- Papeteries de Vizille
- Pixelle
- Sappi Limited
- Smurfit WestRock
- Suzano
- Twin Rivers
- Stora Enso
- UPM
FIGURES
- Projected specialty paper sales by category, 2025 ('000 tonnes)
- Forecast growth in specialty paper sales by category, 2025-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Shares of top ten specialty papers in 2025 (% tonnes)
- Projected specialty paper sales by type, 2025 ('000 tonnes)
- Forecast growth in specialty paper sales by type, 2025-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Projected specialty paper sales by region, 2025 ('000 tonnes)
- Forecast growth in specialty paper sales by region, 2025 ('000 tonnes)
- Candy Bars wrapped in paper with barrier coatings
- Native Deodorant
- Projected specialty paper sales by category, 2025 ('000 tonnes)
- Forecast growth in specialty paper sales by category, 2025-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Outdoor storage shed with resin treated paper exterior
- Direct metallization process
- Paper bag with twisted paper handle
- Personal protective suits, made of synthetic paper
- Paper elements used in cigarette construction
- Projected specialty paper sales by region, 2025 ('000 tonnes)
- Forecast growth in specialty paper sales by region, 2025 ('000 tonnes)
- Specialty paper companies by estimated 2024 specialty paper sales ($ million)
TABLES
- Global specialty paper sales by type, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Decor papers: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Decor papers: global sales by type, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Wallpaper base paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Coverings paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Flexible packaging papers: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Flexible packaging papers: global sales by type, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Metallizing base paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Waxing base paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Laminating base paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Machine glazed paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Greaseproof paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Parchment paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Twisting paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- C1S packaging paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Printing label papers: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Printing label papers: global sales by type, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Specialty uncoated label paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Specialty C1S label paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Release liner paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Printing papers: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Printing papers: global sales by type, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Cover latex saturated and non-latex paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Photographic paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Thermal paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Binder's board: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Fine art paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Opaque lightweight paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Filtration papers: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Filtration papers: global sales by type, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Engine/automotive filtration paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Coffee filter paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Tea filter paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Industrial filter paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Laboratory filter paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Electrical papers: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Electrical papers: global sales by type, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Insulation paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Battery separators: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Cable paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Security papers: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Security papers: global sales by type, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Currency paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Check paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Ticket paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Postage stamp paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Other papers: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Glassine: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Tracing paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Synthetic paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Cigarette paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Creped decorative paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Gift-wrap paper: sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
- Specialty paper sales by geographic market, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
For each country/region:
- Specialty paper sales by type, 2020-30 ('000 tonnes)
List of countries/regions:
- Western Europe
- Germany
- France
- UK
- Italy
- Spain
- Scandinavia
- Other Western Europe
- Eastern Europe
- Russia
- Poland
- Other Eastern Europe
- Middle East & Africa
- Turkey
- Other Middle East & Africa
- North America
- US
- Other North America
- South & Central America
- Brazil
- Other South & Central America
- Asia-Pacific
- China
- India
- Japan
- Other Asia-Pacific