Disposable Face Mask Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Disposable Face Mask Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The disposable face mask market is expected to register a CAGR of 22.7% during the forecast period.

The Official United Kingdom guidance released in February 2020 claimed that standard and respirator masks provide 80% protection against SARS-CoV-2. By March 2020, Public Health England, among other significant associations worldwide, issued guidance on when to use the different kinds of masks and for different situations. Such factors are likely to have a positive impact on the market studied. Furthermore, in March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 89 million medical masks are required for the COVID-19 response each month, along with 76 million examination gloves and 1.6 million medical goggles. The WHO also estimates that the industry must increase manufacturing by 40% and urges governments to act quickly to boost supply, which is expected to fuel the disposable face mask market.

The major factors driving the market's growth are rising pollution levels, increasing adoption by the general population, and rising awareness about health and wellness. In addition, the growing number of surgeries being performed daily, with the unprecedented spread of coronavirus, is promoting the adoption of disposable face masks. According to the WHO’s Global Air Quality Guidelines released in September 2021, global estimates of ambient air pollution show that hundreds of millions of healthy life years have been lost, and low and middle-income countries have the highest disease burden related to pollution. Individuals with chronic diseases (such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and heart disease) and the elderly, children, and pregnant women are more affected by air pollution. This factor may further lead to higher adoption of disposable face masks.

Furthermore, the growing number of airborne diseases, increasing consumption of masks for personnel use, and increasing cases of hospital-acquired infections may create a lucrative opportunity for disposable face masks. On the other hand, issues related to local production and supply chain are expected to hinder the market’s growth.

A non-woven face mask protects the user's respiratory tract and filters the air that the user breathes in, thus providing protection from various diseases that may arise due to virus transmission. The mask covers the whole face and protects the face from dust or microorganisms, which may harm the skin. Fibers can be modified with an additive during extrusion before undergoing an electret charging process to add better particle blocking capabilities to this layer. The charged fibers are more effective in keeping particles out.

Non-woven disposable face masks are cheaper to make and cleaner due to their disposable nature. They are made with three or four layers, thus positively impacting the segment's growth.​Non-woven masks are manufactured using plastic variants, such as polypropylene, to protect against infections at workplaces. These masks do not contain latex, polyvinyl chloride, and DEPH (di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) material. Non-woven face covers are principally used in the hospital industry and are manufactured using two to three layers of protection. Users prefer these masks for the superior protection they offer against allergic reactions to consumers with sensitive skin.

According to a study published in PLoS One, titled ' Selection of homemade mask materials for preventing transmission of COVID-19: A laboratory study', in October 2020, three double-layer materials, including double-layer medical non-woven fabric, medical non-woven fabric plus non-woven shopping bag, and medical non-woven fabric plus granular tea towel, met all of the pressure difference, particle filtration efficiency, and surface wetting resistance standards and were close to the bacterial filtration efficiency standard. The importance of non-woven masks in bacterial filtration will lead to increased adoption, thereby driving the segment’s growth.

There have been several product launches in the market, augmenting the segment's growth. For instance, in March 2020, China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec) built a new melt-blown non-woven fabric production line in eastern China's Jiangsu Province to bolster the raw material supply of face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Such increasing production lines and the significance of the non-woven face masks are augmenting the segment’s growth.

In North America, the demand for medical safety equipment like face masks has increased, primarily due to growing outpatient visits and the rising geriatric population. Other factors like the COVID-19 outbreak, also seem to impact the market positively in the short term.

In United States, the number of hospital admissions has continuously increased over the years. For instance, as per the American Hospital Association (AHA) 2021 report, there were around 36,241,815 total admissions in US hospitals in 2019, with 34,078,100 admissions in community hospitals.​ Furthermore, as per the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), in 2019–2020, there were around 3 million acute inpatient hospitalizations in Canada, and the hospitalization rate was 7,699 per 100,000 in 2019–2020.

Moreover, United States has been severely affected by COVID-19. As a result, government and regulatory bodies are taking measures to prevent the further spread of the disease. Companies are also taking the initiative to develop and provide masks to healthcare professionals and others. For instance, in May 2020, SpiderTech launched a disposable face mask, “DIY kinesiology tape masks”, which helps in reducing the contaminants caused due to continuous use of the masks. Hence, these factors are expected to boost the growth of the market.

The disposable face mask market is fragmented and consists of several major players. The market players are focusing on novel product development and product launches to increase their sales and expand their services. Some of the companies currently dominating the market are Uvex group, 3M, Honeywell International Inc., Moldex-Metric Inc., Kowa Company Ltd, The Gerson Company, SAS Safety Corp., and Kimberly-Clark.

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