MES market seen reaching $2.68B by 2030

The Business Research Company says the methyl ester sulfonate market is set to grow from $1.51 billion in 2025 to $1.71 billion in 2026, with Europe leading in 2025 and Asia-Pacific expected to post the fastest growth. The forecast points to rising demand for biodegradable surfactants in personal care, detergents and eco-friendly cleaning products.

Why it matters: - Methyl ester sulfonate is gaining share as manufacturers and consumers look for biodegradable surfactants with lower toxicity. - The market’s projected growth signals more demand for eco-friendly ingredients in detergents, personal care and industrial cleaning. - The shift away from linear alkyl benzene sulphonates could reshape surfactant sourcing and product formulation.

What happened: - The Business Research Company projected the methyl ester sulfonate market to rise from $1.51 billion in 2025 to $1.71 billion in 2026. - The report forecast the market will reach $2.68 billion by 2030. - The 2026-to-2030 forecast implies a 11.8% compound annual growth rate. - Europe held the largest market share in 2025. - Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the next phase of expansion.

The details: - Methyl ester sulfonate is a high-performance anionic surfactant made by sulfonating saturated fatty acid methyl esters. - The product offers strong cleaning power, calcium-ion stability, high water solubility, rapid biodegradability, hard-water resistance and lower toxicity than fossil-based surfactants such as LAS. - The report cited expanding detergent and laundry markets, abundant natural fatty acid feedstocks, rising awareness of biodegradable surfactants and higher household cleaning use as major growth drivers. - Stronger sustainability rules, wider use of green household products, more MES in personal care and new surfactant production technologies are expected to support demand through 2030. - The report also flagged growing industrial and institutional cleaning demand as a market tailwind. - In personal care, MES is used to deliver mildness and stable foam generation. - US consumer spending on personal care products and services rose from $866 per consumer unit in 2022 to $950 in 2023, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited in the report. - The report said MES adoption is rising in eco-friendly cleaning solutions, high-performance anionic surfactants and biodegradable cleaning ingredients.

Between the lines: - The market story is not just about volume growth. It is about replacement demand as brands move toward ingredients that meet sustainability targets and consumer preferences. - Personal care is becoming a more important use case because MES fits formulas that need mild performance without sacrificing foam or cleaning strength. - Europe’s lead suggests early adoption of greener surfactants, while Asia-Pacific’s growth outlook points to manufacturing scale and faster consumption growth. - The report’s broad forecast range indicates a sector that is still early in its shift from conventional surfactants to bio-based alternatives.

What’s next: - The report expects broader adoption of bio-based surfactants in detergents and cleaning products. - MES use in personal care formulations is likely to expand as demand for gentler and biodegradable ingredients grows. - Manufacturers are expected to keep investing in surfactant processing technology to improve efficiency and sustainability. - The company said the full report includes market attractiveness scoring, TAM analysis, company scoring matrices, forecasting dashboards, hotspot infographics and trend analysis. - More information is available in the full report and a free sample.