Cellulosic Polymers Market Report 2026

The cellulosic polymers market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $11.01 billion in 2025 to $12.04 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to availability of cellulose feedstock, packaging industry demand, pharmaceutical formulation usage, construction additive applications, chemical modification technologies.

The cellulosic polymers market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $17.17 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.3%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to plastic replacement initiatives, sustainable packaging regulations, growth in personal care products, pharmaceutical manufacturing expansion, bio based material investments. Major trends in the forecast period include rising demand for biodegradable materials, growing use in sustainable packaging, expansion in pharmaceutical excipients, increased adoption in personal care products, focus on renewable polymer alternatives.

The growing demand for personal care products is expected to drive the expansion of the cellulosic polymer market in the future. Personal care products cover a wide range of items used for hygiene, grooming, and enhancing appearance, including skincare, haircare, oral care, cosmetics, and fragrances. This increasing popularity is fueled by greater consumer awareness of health and wellness, a focus on personal grooming and aesthetics, and the influence of social media trends. Cellulosic polymers are commonly used in personal care products as thickeners, stabilizers, and film-forming agents to improve texture, viscosity, and overall product performance. For example, in July 2024, a report by the British Beauty Council, a UK-based organization, highlighted that the personal care sector contributed £27.2 billion ($30.44 billion) to the UK’s GDP in 2023, marking an 11% increase compared to 2022. This growth was attributed to a 10% rise in household spending on personal care products and services in the UK. Therefore, the increasing popularity of personal care products is driving the growth of the cellulosic polymer market.

Major companies in the cellulosic polymers market are focusing on advanced solutions, such as membrane-based cellulosic sugar production, to improve sustainability, diversify feedstocks, and reduce dependence on fossil-based raw materials. Membrane-based cellulosic sugar production involves converting inedible biomass, such as bagasse or cassava pulp, into fermentable sugars using enzymatic treatment combined with membrane separation to purify and concentrate the resulting sugars. For example, in September 2023, Toray Industries, a Japan-based chemical and materials company, invested an additional US $8.2 million in its Thai subsidiary, Cellulosic Biomass Technology Co., Ltd., to expand its membrane-based saccharification process and scale up cellulosic sugar production. The expansion aims to increase daily production capacity from three tonnes of bagasse-derived sugar to five tonnes by incorporating cassava-pulp-derived sugar. Toray plans to produce approximately 100,000 tonnes of cellulosic sugar annually by 2030, which will be used to manufacture bio-based polyamide, including 100% bio-based adipic acid produced in 2022 from inedible biomass sugars.

In September 2023, DuBois Chemicals, a US-based provider of customized specialty chemical solutions, acquired Cellulose Solutions for an undisclosed amount. Through this acquisition, DuBois aims to expand its pulp and paper chemicals portfolio and strengthen its position in the cellulosic polymers value chain. Cellulose Solutions is an India-based manufacturer of cellulose-derived polymers.

Major companies operating in the cellulosic polymers market are Dow Inc., Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd., Asahi Kasei Corporation, Grasim Industries Limited, DuPont de Nemours Inc., Eastman Chemical Company, Celanese Corporation, Nippon Paper Industries, Borregaard ASA, Sappi Limited, Nouryon Chemicals Holding B.V., Daicel Corporation, Lenzing AG, Rayonier Advanced Materials, CP Kelco ApS, Blanver Farmoquimica e Farmaceutica S.A., J. Rettenmaier & Söhne GmbH, Viscose Group, JNC Corporation.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the cellulosic polymers market in 2025. The regions covered in the cellulosic polymers market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the cellulosic polymers market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The cellulosic polymer market consists of sales of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), lyocell, sodium carboxymethylcellulose (Na-CMC), viscose (rayon), and cellulosic nanomaterials. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is, the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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