Market dynamics and price trends of polyester drawing waste and popcorn

Since the second half of last year, the market structure of polyester drawing waste and popcorn has undergone significant changes. A large polyester manufacturer in Zhejiang stopped selling popcorn to the market and instead used them as raw materials for its newly put-into-operation recycled staple fiber factory. However, it continued to sell the rest polyester drawing waste that it could not be used self. In 2025, another major manufacturer also ceased selling polyester drawing waste to the outside. Recently, another large polyester manufacturer in Suzhou put a friction material production unit into operation. It has not yet sold popcorn to the outside for the time being, but the volume of polyester drawing waste externally has decreased.

For individual popcorn processing enterprises and chemical fiber factories that purchase polyester drawing waste for in-house processing, the market supply of purchasable drawing waste has shrunk significantly. This has not only pushed up the price of drawing waste markedly but also driven a rise in popcorn prices-with high-quality popcorn, in particular, seeing a notable increase.

In 2023, the price of hot washed blue and white flakes remained higher than that of popcorn for a long time. However, in 2024, there were significantly more periods when popcorn prices exceeded those of bottle flakes, and the price gap between the two narrowed noticeably. By 2025, the price gap has widened significantly, with the maximum spread reaching 300-500yuan/mt in the first half of the year. In terms of average prices, it has also shifted from -155 in 2023 to around 100yuan/mt this year.

Looking at the recent market conditions, the mainstream transaction price of high-quality popcorn made of direct-spun PFY waste from first-tier brands in the market is around 5,200yuan/mt (with some lower-quality products priced relatively cheaper). The price of hot washed blue and white flakes is around 4,900-4,950yuan/mt, resulting in a price gap of 250-300yuan/mt. According to feedback from popcorn producers, the overall orders for high-quality popcorn in the market are good, but the supply is tight, and the number of high-quality suppliers is limited. Coupled with the high cost of polyester drawing waste, most producers currently prioritize ensuring raw material supply to old customers. Some factories still expect prices to rise further.