Sterile Packaging Market Share, Opportunities, Industry 2031

Report Description

Sterile Packaging Market Outlook 2031

The global sterile packaging market size was valued at around USD 47.38 Billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 90.08 Billion by 2031, expanding at a CAGR of around 7.4% during the forecast period, 2023-2031. The market growth is attributed to the increasing demand for packaging equipment for healthcare items and products.

Sterile packaging is a type of packaging that is designed to control the spread of bacteria and other microorganisms to the contents of the package. It is mainly used for packaging food, medical supplies, utensils, and any other material that can be affected by germs. Sterile medical packaging has successfully provided protection, prevented diseases, and maintained sterility of sterilized medical packaging products until the product is used. It is widely adopted in different countries around the world.

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The technique of sterile packaging is widely adopted in the industrial process to seal, sterilize, and pack various products. Sterilization primarily acts as a barrier and protects drugs, medical devices, and devices from getting contaminated. Sterile packaging provides tear-resistance, clean peel, is durable, breathable, and has a superior microbial barrier, making the packaging sterile and safe throughout the shelf life.

Good quality, high strength, and cost-effective performance of the sterile barrier improves the reliability and efficiency of the packaging. Sterile packaging is available in different types such as thermoformed, trays, sterile bottles and containers, sterile closures, pre-fillable inhalers, pre-fillable syringes, vials and ampoules, blister and clamshells, bags and pouches, blister packs, boxes, tubes, clamshell, containers & bags, sterile lid, pouches, die-cut baker cards, guided wire hoops, sterile wraps, and others.

Packaging materials include plastic (PP, Polyester, PS, PVC, HDPE), glass, metal, paper and paperboard, aluminum foil, stainless foil, non-woven, and foam sheets that are primarily designed to allow penetration of the sterilizing agent and maintain sterility of the processed item.

The sterile packaging market registered considerate rapid growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, owing to the surging demand for cost-effective and efficient products and equipment from healthcare and manufacturing industries across the globe. Key manufacturers and governments began investing and researching to produce quality care products and systems to increase the level of infection control. Such factors favor the rapid growth of the healthcare systems worldwide, which led to the sterile medical packaging market growth globally.

Moreover, the growing geriatric population and increasing cases of respiratory as well as chronic diseases around the world are expected to boost the sterile packaging market, offering tremendous opportunities for market players. Rising awareness about sterilized medical packaging devices and growing number of health-conscious people are contributing to the market growth.

COVID-19 Impact:

The recent COVID-19 pandemic affected the overall healthcare system and drastically strained the entities involved in the health systems. The outbreak of COVID-19 had a positive impact on the market growth. The increasing outbreak of various infectious and communicable diseases and viruses such as COVID-19, flu, tuberculosis, and SARS has led to improved hygiene during the manufacture of medical devices, to prevent any contamination or spread of disease in patients.

This leads to an increase in the demand for sterile medical packaging in the healthcare sector. The demand for medical supplies, masks, devices, and syringes is rising, leading to an increased demand for their primary and secondary packaging.

Sterile Packaging Market Dynamics

The global sterile packaging market report presents a complete overview of market dynamics by focusing on the current market trends, existing drivers, growth opportunities, and emerging challenges that shape the outcome or overall performance of the market during the forecast period, 2022 to 2030.

Major Trends:

Eco-friendly packaging products are an emerging trend in the sterile medical packaging industry. With rising concern over the hazards of growing waste and plastic pollution of the oceans, medical product manufacturing companies are switching to eco-friendly sterile packaging products and solutions to meet sustainability and maintain high sterile barrier performance of the packaged products.

Key Drivers:

Growing healthcare and pharmaceutical industry to drive the global sterile packaging market

Increasing population and surging prevalence of communicable and non-communicable diseases led to high growth of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industry across the world. Governments and healthcare organizations initiated welfare programs to monitor the spread of communicable diseases and the healthcare manufacturing companies are encouraged to adopt favorable nonreaction packed instruments and devices.

Key market players are collaborating for exploring new technologies and trends for the manufacture of medical devices and their packaging and are opting for sterile packaging solutions. With the rapid growth of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, the demand for convenient and efficient pharmaceutical and medical device packaging solutions rose, especially in the healthcare sector.

The sterile medical packaging market registered tremendous growth and is anticipated to expand in the forecast period. The outbreak of COVID-19 contributed to the sterile packaging market growth, through the surging demand for sterile packaging solutions.

High adoption of sterile packaging solutions to boost the market

Sterilizing plays a vital role in packaging, as it maintains the sterility of shelf contents until the courier is unsealed for usage, and acts as a superior microbial barrier. Sterile packaging solutions control the transmission of microorganisms during the transport of products and prevent infection and damage to the products. It seals and protects the packaged drugs, medicine, vaccines, syringes, and other medical devices. These factors drive the demand for sterile packaging solutions and boost the sterile packaging industry.

Growing geriatric population to propel the sterile packaging market

The geriatric population is highly vulnerable to various diseases and infections, which, in turn, is expected to boost the demand for medical disposable supplies. This factor contributes to the growth of the sterile medical packaging market. The growing demand for medicines, syringes, drugs, surgical devices, catheters, electrosurgical accessories, vaccines, pre-packaged medical supplies, and medical equipment from the geriatric population boosts the sterile packaging market.

Moreover, the growing healthcare industry and the rising demand for rigid, safe, as well as flexible packaging solutions are contributing to the expansion of the sterile packaging market. Sterile medical packaging has several applications in the constantly developing pharmaceutical industry, including medical devices, pharmaceutical products, and other products such as thermoformed trays, sterile syringes, sterile closures, clamshell packaging products, and pharmaceutical packaging products.

Existing Challenges:

Maintaining device sterility during industrial procedures poses challenges for the manufacturers and hampers the market growth

Factors such as exposure to environmental conditions, humidity, and aging are taken into account by manufacturing companies while evaluating the risk for damage and maintaining the sterility of products for high shelf life. Maintaining device sterility is important during the entire industrial procedure.

Maintaining the integrity of sterile medical packages while storing, transporting, and distributing them poses challenges for the manufacturing companies, which limits the market growth. Damage or vibrations to the sterile medical packages during the transportation, handling, and storage process of medical packages poses concerns to the manufacturing companies.

Stringent standards for sterile packaging to restrain market growth

Sterile packages require a variety of resources and high control over moisture, light barriers, and childproofing. A small defect damages the product and can be risky for a patient. Compliance with stringent standards such as radiation validation, consensus standard, specialized skills, time, and resources reduces the quality and functionality of the packages. These factors restrain market growth.

Emerging Opportunities:

The COVID-19 pandemic situation offers tremendous opportunities and growth prospects to the players in the sterile packaging market

Rising cases of COVID-19 is increasing the demand and supply of pharmaceutical drugs, vaccines, syringes, masks, medical supplies, and others. With increasing consumer awareness and continuous demand for medical products from the hospitals, healthcare industry and pharmaceutical industries, and pharmaceutical and biological industries, the demand for sterile packaging solutions is increasing to maintain sterility of the contents.

Development of sustainable, recyclable, and environment-friendly packaging products offers lucrative opportunities for growth

Players in the sterile medical packaging market are encouraged to develop cost-effective and sustainable packaging products that provide high protection, due to growth prospects in the market. Technological changes including the development of sustainable, recyclable, and environment-friendly packaging products offer lucrative opportunities to key players in the global sterile packaging market.

For example, Amcor had invested over USD 11 million to manufacture 11-layers cast extrusion technology that helps meet ever-increasing regulatory demands such as safe, durable, and cost-efficient films for packaging of medical devices.

Scope of The Sterile Packaging Market Report

The report on the global sterile packaging market includes an assessment of the market, trends, segments, and regional markets. Overview and dynamics have also been included in the report.

Sterile Packaging Market Segment Insights

Thermoformed trays segment held a major market share

Based on product types, the global sterile packaging market has been segmented into sterile bottles & containers, sterile closures, thermoformed trays, pre-fillable inhalers, pre-fillable syringes, vials & ampoules, blister packs & clamshells, bags & pouches, boxes, tubes, sterile lid, pouches, die-cut baker cards, guided wire hoops, sterile wraps, and others.

The thermoformed trays segment held a major market share at a CAGR of around 5.62% and is anticipated to expand during the forecast period, owing to its increasing use in sterile medical packaging systems. Thermoformed packaging has a multi-compartment to support the medical equipment and helps in maintaining the integrity of the product items.

It is widely utilized in a variety of applications such as food & beverages, pharmaceutical, healthcare industry, electronics, and cosmetic industries to extend the shelf life of packaged items. Moreover, these trays are useful in packaging sutures, implants, testing kits, and sensitive surgical items in the healthcare industry. The pre-filled syringes segment is expected to constitute a large share of the market in 2021. These ready-to-fill syringes are lightweight, transparent, and break-resistant.

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Plastic segment accounted for high market revenue

In terms of material types, the global sterile packaging market is divided into plastic [polyester, PS, PP, PVC, HDPE], metal, glass, paper & paperboard, aluminum foil, non-woven, and foam sheets. The plastic segment accounted for a high market share in 2021 and is projected to have growth prospects in the coming years, due to its cost-effective properties.

Plastics are highly preferred in the packaging market, as they offer unbreakable, high barrier, cost-effective, and protective properties. They protect the packed drugs, devices, and medical instruments from damage and contamination.

Plastic has high adaptability, high resistance to leakage and corrosion, and can be easily molded and remolded into various shapes and sizes, which makes it suitable for sterile medical packaging in the healthcare industry. Plastic polymers, such as polyester, HDPE, and polypropylene are widely used for manufacturing bottles, vials & ampoules, and pre-filled syringes in the global sterile medical packaging market.

Pharmaceutical & biological segment held a major share of the global sterile medical packaging market in 2021

On the basis of applications, the global sterile medical packaging market is classified as pharmaceutical & biological, in-vitro diagnostic products, medical implants, medical disposable supplies [surgical preparation kits, sutures & catheters, and pre-packaged medical supplies], and medical equipment [cardiovascular, neurovascular, ophthalmology, orthopedic, endoscopic, electrosurgical accessories, injection system, and others].

The pharmaceutical & biological segment held a major share of the global sterile medical packaging market in 2021. This is attributed to the growing number of medications and blood tests. Increasing cases of contagious and non-contagious illnesses among people across the world led to increasing need for operations and surgeries, which, in turn, boosted the demand for sterile packaging in pharmaceutical & biological applications.

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High adoption of chemical sterilization to drive the market

Based on sterilization methods, the market is fragmented into chemical sterilization, radiation sterilization, ethylene oxide (ETO), hydrogen peroxide, gamma radiation, steam autoclave, high temperature/pressure sterilization, e-beam, dry heat, and others. The chemical sterilization segment is highly adopted, as it is relatively simple and intolerable or inconducive to heat and high pressure.

This method helps in preventing germs and microbes that contaminate the packaged product. Moreover, this method is used to sterilize a variety of packing materials such as plastics and glass in the healthcare industry.

North America registered significant growth in 2021

In terms of regions, the global sterile packaging market is segmented into Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa. The market in North America registered significant growth in 2021 and is expected to expand at a high CAGR during the forecast period, 2022-2030. This is attributed to the presence of many key pharmaceutical industries and rising expenditure on healthcare services among consumers in the region.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 had a positive effect on the sterile packaging market in North America, owing to the influx of many COVID-19 patients in the region. This led to high demand for sterile packaging, which acts as a barrier against contamination by germs and microbes. Stringent regulations imposed by the FDA and the US government for the manufacture of safe, hygienic, high-quality products are boosting the sterile packaging market in the region.

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