Antimicrobial Plastics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Commodity, Engineering, High Performance), By End Use (Building & Construction, Automotive & Transportation), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028

Report Overview

The global antimicrobial plastics market size was valued at USD 25.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.9% from 2020 to 2028. The increasing penetration in the food and beverages, packaging, and healthcare end-use industry is expected to be the major driver of the market over the forecast period. Moreover, the rising consumer awareness related to personal hygiene due to increasing cases of epidemic outbreaks such as COVID- 19, H5N1 Avian influenza, and H1N1 Swine flu in recent times, has led to a rise in demand for antimicrobial plastic in consumer goods in recent years. Antimicrobial plastics are now being increasingly used as a substitute for conventional material in the healthcare sector for manufacturing medical instruments such as ventilators and anesthetic machines owing to their pathogens inhibiting properties.

These plastics help in minimizing the growth of pathogenic microorganisms like algae, bacteria, and fungi and have excellent moisture resistance which also raises their acceptability for effective food packaging solutions in the food and beverage industry. Antimicrobial additives help in increasing the functional lifetime of the plastic and inhibit the growth of bacteria that can cause the plastic to degrade quicker, hence makes it more durable, stainless, odorless, and highly suitable for application in medical devices.

Antimicrobial plastics are manufactured using a combination of plastic resins and antimicrobial additives hence many antimicrobial additive manufacturers invest in research & development for developing advanced technologies adding an edge in sustaining the rising competitive environment. For instance, in April 2020, Polyfuze Graphics Corp. introduced a new proprietary line of polymer fusion products with antimicrobial blocking agents.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has drastically raised the demand for antimicrobial plastics in the health care sector. The constantly rising ill patient population on account of the pandemic outbreak at the community level is propelling the need for various medical equipment such as ventilators, beds, gloves, masks, and others, thereby, boosting the demand for antimicrobial plastics in the healthcare sector.

Product Insights

Commodity plastic led the market and accounted for a 67.9% share of the global revenue in 2020. The rising application of commodity plastic in packaging, consumer products, healthcare, and the food and beverage industry is expected to drive the market over the forecast period of time. The product growth in these end-use industries is primarily driven by rising consumer awareness related to personal hygiene and the changing lifestyle of consumers across the world.

Polyethylene and polypropylene antimicrobial plastics are the major contributors in driving the demand for commodity plastic owing to their better biocompatibility, high impact strength, moisture resistance, chemical resistance, and wide range of applications in various end-use industries.

The spread of coronavirus disease across the world has positively impacted the demand for these antimicrobial plastics in consumer goods applications. Consumer buying behavior is shifting toward products that are healthy, trustworthy, and environmentally sensitive. This shift in consumer buying behavior and structural change in the consumer goods industry is expected to augment the demand for commodity plastics with antimicrobial properties in consumer goods applications over the forecast period.

End-use Insights

Healthcare end-use segment led the market and accounted for more than 31.0% share of the global revenue in 2020. The growth of the home healthcare sector on account of the low costs involved as compared to hospital care and the rising demand for intensive care medical devices is expected to increase the antimicrobial plastics demand in the healthcare sector in the coming years.

The high demand for advanced healthcare services owing to the availability of well-developed healthcare infrastructure, increasing incidences of cardiovascular diseases, and rising aging population across the world is anticipated to drive the demand for medical devices. This, in turn, is expected to have a positive impact on the demand for antimicrobial plastic in healthcare applications.

Further, the recent outbreak of COVID-19 across the globe is fueling the demand for medical components such as masks, gloves, testing equipment, and ventilators. This, in turn, is positively propelling the growth of the antimicrobial plastics market. The increasing number of positive cases in countries, such as the U.S., Italy, Spain, France, Germany, the U.K., and Iran, are triggering the demand for medical components, thereby creating lucrative growth opportunities for the antimicrobial plastic market.

Antimicrobial plastic packaging is widely utilized in the food & beverage industry as it is preservative-free, requires minimal processing, and inhibits the growth of microorganisms and thus, extends the shelf life of perishable products. Rising health awareness among consumers and the ascending need for products with a longer shelf life have resulted in increased utilization of antimicrobial plastic packaging in the recent past and the trend is expected to continue over the forecast period.

Regional Insights

The Asia Pacific dominated the market and accounted for a 40.0% share of global revenue in 2020. Growing demand for antimicrobial plastic from the healthcare and packaging sector, especially in countries such as India, China, and Japan is expected to drive the market growth in the region. Further, the rising healthcare expenditure, driven by the rising prevalence of chronic diseases coupled with the expansion of the insurance coverage in countries such as India, China, and Japan is expected to emerge as a major factor driving government investment in healthcare infrastructure.

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 in countries such as India, U.S, China, Italy, France, and others are anticipated to hamper the product demand majorly in construction, automotive, electrical and electronics, and consumer goods applications. The outbreak has resulted in the slowdown or halts in manufacturing operations, restrictions on supply and transport, and infrastructure slowdown, which is expected to negatively impact the demand for antimicrobial plastics in the aforementioned applications in the region in the third and fourth quarters of 2020.

However, the growing number of COVID-19 positive cases across the globe is positively influencing the demand for antimicrobial plastics in the medical industry for various applications such as testing equipment, medical bags, gloves, masks, medical containers, and ventilators.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is characterized by the presence of various small- and medium-scale companies catering to global and local demands. It is characterized by forward integration through raw material production, manufacture, and distribution to various application industries. Integration across the stages of the value chain results in continuous raw material supply, as well as low manufacturing costs. R&D initiatives by a few companies to enhance their product specifications and market reach are expected to further augment the product demand in the years to come. Some of the prominent players in this industry include:

• BASF SE

• Parx Materials N.V

• Ray Products Company Inc.

• Covestro AG

• King Plastic Corporation

• Palram Industries Ltd.

• Clariant AG

• Sanitized AG

• Dow Inc.

• Lonza 

Antimicrobial Plastics Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2017 to 2028. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global antimicrobial plastic market report on the basis of product, end use, and region:

• Product Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • Commodity Plastics

    • Polyethylene (PE)

    • Polypropylene (PP)

    • Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

    • Polystyrene (PS)

    • Acrylonitrile Butadiene Systems (ABS)

    • Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

  • Engineering Plastics

    • Polyamide (PA)

    • Polycarbonate (PC)

    • Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)

    • Others

  • High Performance Plastics

• End-use Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • Building & Construction

  • Automotive & transportation

  • Healthcare

  • Packaging

  • Food & Beverage

  • Textile

  • Consumer Goods

  • Others

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2017 - 2028)

  • North America

    • U.S

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • U.K.

    • France

    • Italy

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

  • Central and South America

    • Brazil

    • Argentina

  • Middle East and Africa

    • GCC Countries

    • South Africa