Medical device packaging materials can be roughly divided into two categories: flexible packaging materials and rigid packaging materials. In terms of function, medical device packaging materials can be subdivided into protective packaging materials, packaging materials for storage/transportation, aseptic packaging materials and packaging materials for other purposes.

According to a report in a US magazine in the field of packaging materials, currently, the global market for packaging materials for medical devices is developing rapidly. From 2012 to 2018, the average annual compound growth rate of this market is 5.4%, only one time dedicated to medical devices. The sales of sexual plastic packaging materials in 2018 exceeded 60 million US dollars.

In the past few years, the development of the global medical device packaging materials industry has shown some new trends.

New anti-counterfeiting packaging materials

In recent years, the development of new materials for medical device anti-counterfeiting packaging is in full swing. This is because the unique outer packaging is easier to identify by users, thereby greatly reducing the chance of counterfeit products competing for the market and users. Therefore, the development of novel anti-counterfeiting packaging materials is becoming a new hot spot in the international medical device industry.

Aseptic packaging materials

Since a considerable part of medical device products are products that are in close contact with the human body (such as disposable syringes, catheters, etc.), the outer packaging materials of sterile medical devices and drugs are an important part of the medical packaging material market. In view of the serious environmental pollution in many countries, medical products that are in close contact with the human body must also be able to resist the erosion of environmental pollutants.

According to data recently disclosed by DataBridge Consulting, the global medical (including pharmaceuticals and medical devices) sterile packaging materials market sales in 2017 were US$6.975 billion, and in 2018 this figure was US$8.780 billion. According to the company's forecast, by 2026, the total sales of the global medical sterile packaging materials market will reach more than 13 billion US dollars.

Flexible packaging materials

Flexible packaging materials have also grown faster in the past five years. According to the relevant explanation of DataBridge, flexible packaging materials include various plastic bags (processed with polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene and high-density polyethylene, etc.), flexible bottles or other containers (with polyethylene terephthalate). Alcohol ester or polypropylene, etc.), foamed polystyrene sponge gasket materials, and packaging supplies of paper, aluminum foil, roll plastic film (coated with self-adhesive) materials, etc.

Among the above flexible packaging materials, plastic products processed from polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) account for about 70% of all flexible materials. The raw materials of PE and PP are cheap and have good processing performance. According to DataBridge, in 2018, the United States alone consumed more than US$30 million of flexible packaging materials, and the market share of this product is growing rapidly.