Plastic surge: the expanding role of medical plastics in global healthcare
The global medical plastics market is currently valued at US $22.26 billion, accounting for 2% of total plastics production by value, with an annual growth rate of 6.1%. The United States is responsible for approximately 40% of the consumption of global medical devices, followed by Europe and Japan. Growth in this sector is expected to be driven by increasing healthcare demand in developing countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, with the highest compound annual growth rate (6.9%) in the Asia-Pacific region.
The volume of plastics used in healthcare is substantial. In their study, Chantelle Rizan, Clinical Lecturer in Sustainable Healthcare at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, and colleagues ‘found that a single adenotonsillectomy operation in a UK hospital generated 101 separate pieces of single-use plastics.’ Studies from various countries estimate that plastics account for 30% of all healthcare waste, and about one-third of waste in intensive care and anaesthetics.
Since the US produces around 5.9 million tonnes of medical waste annually, this suggests that it creates around 1.7 million tonnes of plastic waste. ‘The UK National Health Service is estimated to dispose of 133,000 tonnes of plastic each year,’ added Rizan. The proportion of hospital waste made up of plastics varies between countries, from 12% in Peru to 27% in Jordan and 46% in Italy, likely reflecting different levels of single-use plastic consumption.
The environmental equation
The use of bioplastics in medical devices enhances their environmental sustainability in several ways:
- Reducing dependence on non-renewable fossil resources. Bioplastics are derived from renewable resources such as plant biomass (corn, sugarcane, vegetable oils, etc.) rather than non-renewable fossil resources such as petroleum. This reduces the consumption of unsustainable raw materials in the manufacturing of medical devices.
- Shrinking the carbon footprint. The production of certain bioplastics, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), is considered carbon-neutral, resulting in lower CO2 emissions compared to conventional petroleum-based plastics. This contributes to a reduction in the overall carbon footprint of medical device production.
- Enhancing biodegradability. Unlike conventional plastics, bioplastics such as polylactic acid (PLA), PHA and regenerated cellulose are biodegradable. This helps tackle the problem of leftover plastic waste at the end of the lifecycle of disposable medical devices.
Bioplastics production by region
Bioplastics production is unevenly distributed across the world. According to the industry association European Bioplastics, Asia remains the major production hub, with 46% of all bioplastics made in the region. This is followed by Europe, North America and South America, which account for 26%, 17% and 10% of global production respectively. Australia ranks last, with just 1% of the world’s bioplastics volumes. Asia is expected to see a significant increase in its share, potentially reaching 66% by 2027, largely at the expense of Europe.