Global Sterile Medical Packaging Market Size, Share, Opportunities, COVID-19 Impact, And Trends By Product Type (Clamshells, Pouches, Bottles, Blisters And Ampoules, Wraps, Others), By Material Type (Plastic (Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE)), Glass (Borosilicate, Soda-Lime-Silica Glass), Metal (Tin, Aluminum, Lead), Paper And Paperboard), By Sterilization Method (Chemical (Ethylene Oxide, Hydrogen Peroxide, Formaldehyde, Others), Radiation (Ionization Radiation, Non-Ionization Radiation), High Temperature/Pressure (Autoclaves, Plasma Gas Sterilizers, Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Sterilizers)), By Application (Surgical Instruments, Pharmaceutical And Biological), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2022 To 2027

The sterile medical packaging market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.78% to reach a market size of US$46.247 billion in 2027 from US$29.210 billion in 2020.

Increasing concerns of the market players are making them adopt and use advanced packaging solutions to avoid contamination and keep the consumers and end-users free from harm. Proper and effective packaging is an essential step and process in the medical and healthcare industry to minimize the chances of contamination of instruments and medical equipment that are about to be packed so that diseases are not spread. In addition, many of the market players, to prevent the entry of bacteria during the sterilization process, which takes place before the packaging is done, are using safer practices such as installing HVAC systems equipped with technical and advanced grade HEPA filters to keep the contaminants such as bacteria and viruses out of their facilities. Thus, this is leading to a surge in demand for sterilization medical packaging products and is fueling the market growth over the forecast period.

The increasing participation of agents and organizations in setting guidelines to tackle the problem of contamination during the packaging process and the strict rules that must be complied with during the packaging of medical materials.

There is a presence of stringent guidelines by different organizations. For example, The Association of Surgical Technologies (AST) put forward some SOPs (Standards of Practice) that were researched and authored by the AST Education and Professional Standards Committee and were approved by the AST Board of Directors.  These standards were developed to provide support to healthcare facilities in the reinforcement of the most effective and best practices regarding the material to be used for sterilized packaging of items. These criteria were provided to make the healthcare facilities aware that they were responsible for promoting the development, approvals, and policy formation to evaluate sterilization packaging materials. The Standard of Practice I was the proper evaluation before the adoption and purchase, which included the proper testing of the packaging materials so that they can meet the performance standards, which were the sterilization should be able to not deteriorate till the end of the product use. The package can easily be opened via aseptic methods without contamination. The contents must be covered properly and thoroughly.  The package must be resistant to punctures and other problems. The packaging materials must not contain and be made of toxic materials, among other standards.

 Other standards of practice involve reusable packaging materials that should be laundered, inspected, and properly stored to preserve the packaging properties. Paper-plastic peel pouches or peel packs must be used only for the sterilization and packaging of small items. In the case of the wrapped packages, they must be prepared to facilitate the ease of opening the package and transferring it to the sterile field, wherein the sterile conditions must be maintained, among other standards of practice. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies the products and materials that are used for packaging medical materials using sterile methods according to Class II performance standards. In conjunction, it provides some steps and regulations under the Sterilization Process Controls, which include some of the inspectional objectives, which must be carried out to ensure, the methods being used are proper and properly validated. The importance and purpose of this process control subsystem are to manufacture products that meet the regulations and specifications. For the sterilization processes, the primary device specification used is increasingly desirable and suitable and called the Sterility Assurance Level (SAL). Other specifications include sterilant residue levels and the levels of endotoxins. Therefore, the demand for sterile medical packaging solutions to avoid penalties is leading to a boost in market growth.

Product Offerings by Major Market Players

The better, advanced, and diverse varieties of sterilization medical packaging products with enhanced properties can effectively prevent contamination and the spread of diseases to the end-users. These products are being offered by existing and new players in different markets. They are estimated to lead to increased adoption and propel market growth further over the forecast period.

Some of the examples of the product offerings are as follows:

• DuPont is one of the leading companies in providing transportation and industrial products, nutrition and biosciences products, safety and construction products, and electronic and imaging products to cater to various applications.  It offers different products under its product portfolio to cater to sterilization medical packaging. The product range is called “Tyvek” and offers different solutions. One of the offerings is the “Tyvek cover lids and inserts,” which are designed to be used with nested tubes and pre-fillable syringes for the aseptic filling to reduce the risk of contamination with particulate matter. Another product offering is the “Tyvek Roll Stock,” which is designed to cater to automated form-fill-seal equipment for facilitating the packaging of low profile, lightweight, and medical devices with high volume. It also can provide superior protection, among some other qualities.

The North American region to hold a considerable share over the forecast period and the Asia Pacific to increase its share

The increasing investments in the R&D of better sterilization medical packing solutions and products to cater to the increasing demand from the end-user industries coupled with the well-established medical facilities and healthcare industry and the flourishing packaging industry in the countries such as the U.S.

In addition, the Asia Pacific region is expected to hold a considerable share and increase its share over the forecast period, which is attributable to the fact that there are increasing efforts being made in the form of product launches and investments to improve the standing of the packaging and medical industry. 

Recent Developments

• Peli BioThermal announced the opening of a new service center in India in December 2021 in Ahmedabad, a prominent location for pharmaceutical manufacturing in western India.
• To assure the sterility as well as the integrity of the items, Nelipak Laboratory Services conducted Package Integrity Testing in September 2021. All manufacturers are quite concerned about package integrity, but producers of medical devices are particularly concerned since the sterility and integrity of products can have a significant influence on patients' health. This is anticipated to present the organization with additional market expansion chances.
• West Pharmaceutical Services introduced two new product lines in February 2020. The first was its AccelTRA Select EU configurations, which are available in Ready-to-Sterilize as well as Ready-to-Use steam for customers needing a high-performing elastomer and regulatory support in North America, and the second was its AccelTRA ready-to-sterilize (RTS)/ready-to-use (RTU) components product line, with the RTS option already available for customers need
• Amcor debuted ACT2100, a heat seal coating medical packaging technology, in June 2021 to enhance healthcare applications and meet consumer expectations for device packaging.

COVID-19 Impact on Sterile Medical Packaging Market

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the healthcare sector to expand quickly. People have become more concerned about health and safety because of the pandemic, which has prompted the healthcare sector to strictly adhere to new government laws and regulations concerning hygiene. Additionally, the rapidly expanding patient population has overloaded hospital systems, placing a significant strain on the healthcare sector. Owing to the need to stop viral infection and dissemination, there is a rise in the need for sterile packaging technology. Diagnostic procedures, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical ventilators, as well as other essential medical supplies are suddenly in demand as a result of the epidemic. As a result, there is a greater demand for sterile/aseptic packaging, anti-viral packaging, and novel ecological packaging choices. However, there is a shortage of healthcare supplies due to excessive demand. For instance, the Annals of Intern Medicine estimates that by the end of March 2020, there were only 12 million N95 respirators as well as 1,60,000 ventilators in use in the United States. The market is anticipated to stabilize over the next couple of years as governments in these nations take steps to standardize the functioning of their sectors.

Global Sterile Medical Packaging Market Scope:

Segmentation:

• By Product Type
  • Clamshells
  • Pouches
  • Bottles
  • Blisters and Ampoules
  • Wraps
  • Others
• By Material Type
  • Plastic
    • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
    • Polypropylene (PP)
    • Polyethylene (PE)
  • Glass
    • Borosilicate
    • Soda-Lime-Silica Glass
  • Metal
    • Tin
    • Aluminum
    • Lead
  • Paper and Paperboard
• By Sterilization Method
  • Chemical
    • Ethylene Oxide
    • Hydrogen Peroxide
    • Formaldehyde
    • Others
  • Radiation
    • Ionization radiation
    • Non-Ionization radiation
  • High Temperature/Pressure
    • Autoclaves
    • Plasma gas Sterilizers
    • Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Sterilizers
• By Application
  • Surgical Instruments
  • Pharmaceutical and Biological
  • Others
• By Geography
  • North America
    • USA
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • UK
    • Germany
    • France
    • Spain
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • Saudi Arabia
    • UAE
    • Israel
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • Japan
    • China
    • India
    • South Korea
    • Indonesia
    • Taiwan
    • Others

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What is the size of the sterile medical packaging market?
A1. Sterile Medical Packaging Market was valued at US$29.210 billion in the year 2020.

Q2. What will be the sterile medical packaging market size by 2027?
A2. The sterile medical packaging market is estimated to reach a market size of US$46.247 billion by 2027.

Q3. What are the growth prospects for the sterile medical packaging market?
A3. The global sterile medical packaging market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.78% over the forecast period.

Q4. How is the sterile medical packaging market segmented?
A4. The sterile medical packaging market has been segmented by product type, material type, sterilization method, application, and geography.

Q5. Which region holds the largest market share in the sterile medical packaging market?
A5. The North American region holds a considerable share of the sterile medical packaging market over the forecast period.