Global Green Surfactants Market Research Report: Forecast (2023-2028)

Market Definition

Green surfactants are surfactants of microbial or plant origin, providing various advantages over conventional surfactants, such as low toxicity & high biodegradability. The raw materials for these surfactants are available easily as they are derived from natural resources & offer effortless applicability.

Market Insights & Analysis: Global Green Surfactants Market (2023-28)

The Global Green Surfactants market is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 5% during the forecast period, i.e., 2023-28. The major factor driving the growth of the market was the rising environmental concerns among industries, which has enhanced the adoption of sustainable raw materials from the production processes. As the production of these surfactants is based on completely natural sources like plants & microbes, it allows for reducing carbon emission, which was high in the production of conventional surfactants. Further, the government of several countries across the world is taking initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of industries during the historical years. For instance,

• In 2022, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, India, announced its strategies to enhance the adoption of carbon-capture technologies across the oil & gas sectors in India. The initiative was majorly in line with the reduction of the carbon footprint of the oil & gas industry of the country.

Initiatives like these are enhancing the adoption of green surfactants, mainly across the oil & gas industry. As they are one of the most integral parts of the oil & gas industry and are mainly used in the oil recovery step of oil production. Hence, the initiatives to decarbonize the oil & gas industry have uplifted the adoption of these surfactants during 2018-2023, owing to their low-carbon footprint as they are manufactured from sustainable materials. In addition, the demand for these surfactants has also enhanced due to the manufacturing of soaps, detergents, and shampoos, majorly by decreasing the level of foam produced & improving the cleaning capacity of the detergents.

Further, the demand for soaps & detergents has been boosted due to the growing application in hospitals, hotels, public toilets, etc. The construction of hotels & restaurants, among others, has also been increasing considerably across countries like the UAE, France, etc., owing to the surging tourists, public & private investments, and government initiatives to encourage the tourism sector. Thus, with the rising infrastructural developments, the demand for soaps & detergents has also amplified, which would enhance their manufacturing. Consequently, the requirement for these surfactants is anticipated to intensify in the forecasted years among soap & detergent manufacturing companies to cater to the sustainability initiatives, thus upgrading the Global Green Surfactants market share.

Market Dynamics

Significant Driver: Rising Demand for Sulfate-free Soaps & Detergents to Augment the Market Growth

The major factor that has been boosting the need for green surfactants during the historical period for manufacturing purposes is the elevated demand for soaps & detergents, which do not contain sulfate-based surfactants, such as sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), etc. Consumers have been highly inclined towards sulfate-free products, owing to the growing awareness regarding the toxicity & carcinogenicity associated with sulfate-containing products. Further, sulfate-based products were also found to cause skin irritation among consumers, which played a significant role in shifting consumers’ preference towards products containing these surfactants.

Henceforth, consumers have been preferring these surfactants, as they are derived from natural resources & are also gentle on skin & clothing. Consequently, it has enhanced the demand for these surfactants among personal care product manufacturers like Natura & Co., L'Oreal Group, etc. Moreover, the rising inclination of companies like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, etc., to introduce their sulfate-free skin care products are anticipated to drive the demand for these surfactants among them during the forecast period, thus enhancing the Global Green Surfactants market size.

Possible Restraint: Higher Cost Compared to Conventional Ones

The green surfactants are comparatively higher in cost compared to the conventional surfactants, which has been affecting their adoption among the end-users, as it increased the overall cost of the end-products. This led to reducing the sales of end products manufactured from green surfactants, further lowering their demand in the manufacturing process during the historical years. The major factors responsible for the high cost of these surfactants include the need for sustainable raw materials derived from natural sources such as plant-based or bio-based feedstock. Natural feedstock has limited availability & requires expensive processing and transportation process that enhances their overall cost of production.

Furthermore, in recent years, there have been negligible investment plans by technology providers to improve their offerings which would reduce the cost of production. Henceforth, the unavailability of technologies to facilitate the extraction process would hamper their adoption among end-user industries like cosmetics, food & beverage, etc., during the forecast years.

Growth Opportunity: Growing R&D to Manufacture Fermentation-derived Biosurfactants

The interest of companies like Holiferm, Sasol Chemicals, etc., in introducing fermentation-derived biosurfactants through the use of microbes has amplified considerably during the past few years. It is majorly because the fermentation-based process allows the manufacturing of tailored biosurfactants based on different applications. Further, companies can also adjust the temperature, pH, and oxygen levels of the fermentation process to modify the functionality of green surfactants & accomplish desired characteristics like wetting capabilities, foaming, emulsifying, etc. These biosurfactants are modified to use in sectors like cleaning products, agricultural chemicals, oilfield chemicals, etc. This has led several companies to start investing in the production of fermentation-based biosurfactants to enhance their end-user portfolio, as a single process can be used to manufacture a range of biosurfactants. For instance:

• In 2023, Sasol Chemicals & Holiferm Limited announced a partnership for the manufacturing & marketing of two new fermentation-based biosurfactants, i.e., rhamnolipids & mannosyl erythritol lipids (MELs). The partnership focuses on producing fermentation-derived biosurfactants using Holiferm's exclusive technology.

Consequently, growing initiatives by companies to introduce fermentation-based biosurfactants & the availability of their wide range of applications would create an opportunity for market growth during the forecasted period.

 Key Trend: Stringent Government Regulations to Reduce Carbon Footprint of the Industrial Sectors

The enhanced government regulations across countries like the US, India, the UK, France, etc., during 2021 & 2022 to reduce the carbon footprint of their industries have been enhancing the adoption of green surfactants in recent years. The initiatives to reduce carbon emissions promoted the production of surfactants from sustainable feedstock like biomass, plant-based oils, and waste oils, primarily to lower the dependence on carbon-intensive fossil-based feedstock. In addition, the use of these surfactants would also help in reducing the carbon footprint of end-user industries like agriculture, personal care, etc., which has led to amplified demand for bio-based surfactants during the past few years.

Moreover, owing to a wide range of actions across different industries for carbon emission reduction, the government has also been taking initiatives to support their adoption globally. Further, the intensifying commitments by governments across different countries to completely turn toward zero-carbon emissions in the future years are anticipated to upscale the adoption of green surfactants in the forecasted years, making it trending across the globe.

Market Segmentation

Based on Type:

• Glycolipids
• Lipopeptides
• Fatty Acids
• Others (Saponins, Sugar Esters, etc.)

Among them, Glycolipids experienced significant growth in demand during the historical period, owing to their better biodegradability & minimal toxicity. The major demand for glycolipid surfactants is arising across industries like home cleaning, personal care, and commercial cleaning, mainly due to the enhanced popularity of natural & eco-friendly products.

Also, glycolipid surfactants are comparatively milder than lipopeptides & fatty acid surfactants and are highly gentle on the skin & eyes, which has enhanced their adoption in personal care products. These surfactants were also highly used in dishwashing liquids, laundry detergents, and hand soaps, as they generate foam that is solid, durable, and efficient at cleaning. This has led chemical companies like Solvay, The Dow Chemical Company, etc., to invest in the launch of glycolipid surfactants during the historical years, as they are highly in demand among the end-users. For instance:

• In 2022, Dow launched their glycolipid-based surfactants, i.e., EcoSense SL-60 HL & EcoSense SL-60 HA Surfactants, for use in the personal care industry. These surfactants have applications in mild cleansing products like body wash, shampoo, face wash, and leave-on products like body lotions.

Hence, with the rising interest of end-users in the personal care & cosmetic industry, the demand for glycolipid surfactants is anticipated to amplify in the following years.

Based on Application:

• Personal Care
• Household Detergents
• Food & Beverage
• Cosmetics
• Healthcare
• Industrial Cleaning
• Others (Agriculture, Mining, etc.)

Of them all, the Household Detergents application has been the major contributor to the revenue growth of the Global Green Surfactants market during the historical years. They are highly effective & milder in comparison to conventional surfactants, owing to which their demand has amplified considerably across households. In addition, these surfactants do not contain any kind of harmful chemicals, due to which they are highly preferred among end-users as they prevent them from any kind of skin irritations & health problems caused by detergents. Thus, with the enhanced preference for milder products, and the higher inclination of companies to manufacture products with low carbon footprint, the demand for green surfactants in household detergent manufacturing would amplify in the years ahead.

Regional Projection

Geographically, the market expands across:

• North America
• South America
• Europe
• The Middle East & Africa
• Asia-Pacific

Among them, North America has dominated the Global Green Surfactants market during the historical years. It was majorly because of the presence of large end-industry players across the region, which has been supporting the demand for these surfactants. Further, the constant investment in research & development (R&D) of cleaning & personal care products that are not harmful for human use is anticipated to intensify the adoption of these surfactants across North America in the upcoming years.

Moreover, the Asia-Pacific is also anticipated to be one of the leading regions in the market during the forecast period, owing to the implementation of stringent regulations for carbon emissions across the countries like China, India, Japan, etc. Therefore, the implementation of regulations to reduce carbon footprint would upscale the adoption of sustainable raw materials across these industries, further enhancing the production of green surfactants.

Recent Developments by the Leading Companies

• 2022: Clariant launched their new range of Vita surfactants & polyethylene glycols (PEGs) that are 100% bio-based, in line with their aim to reduce fossil-based production & remove carbon from their value chain.
• 2022: Solvay launched its two new biosurfactants, i.e., Mirasoft SL L60 and Mirasoft SL A60, which are completely bio-based & biodegradable surfactants that were produced using a productive fermentation method for use in cosmetics.

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