Polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl) is one of the most widely used plastics in healthcare, holding nearly 30% market share for single-use medical devices and serving as the dominant material in pharmaceutical blister packaging. Its unique technical properties make it essential for a wide range of medical and emergency healthcare applications, from hospital infrastructure to rescue gear and field hospitals.
Vinyl’s inherent recyclability makes it an ideal material for circular economy initiatives in healthcare. Medical-grade vinyl is already being collected and mechanically recycled through projects such as VinylPlus® Med, proving that disposable medical devices can be used for durable hospital wall coverings and other infrastructure.
In the pharmaceutical sector, pre-consumer vinyl blister packaging is already being recycled, while the VinylPlus® PharmPack initiative is advancing physical recycling technologies to improve post-consumer recycling.
Key Benefits of Vinyl in Healthcare
Proven Safety
Vinyl is an inert, non-toxic material that has been safely used in disposable medical devices, pharmaceutical packaging, and other healthcare applications for decades. It complies with pharmacopoeia monographs and stringent regulatory standards in many regions, ensuring its safety across the healthcare sector.
Additionally, high-frequency (HF) welding enables strong, seamless seals, making vinyl the preferred material for fluid-tight medical bags and emergency equipment, ensuring reliability in critical situations.
Extensive Versatility
Vinyl is used in a wide variety of medical applications, including tubing, oxygen masks, and blood bags. It is also widely used in pharmaceutical blister packaging, mattress covers, prosthetics, rehabilitation aids, flooring, ceiling and wall coverings, pipes, windows, cables, and food wrap in healthcare facilities. Beyond hospitals and clinics, vinyl plays a critical role in rescue gear, ambulances, and emergency structures, ensuring reliability in high-risk environments.
High Compatibility
Vinyl is characterised by high biocompatibility, which can be further enhanced through surface modifications. It is also compatible with virtually all pharmaceutical products used in healthcare today.
Widest Range of Benefits
Vinyl’s technical properties, including anti-kinking, transparency, chemical resistance, and sterilisation, make it essential for medical and pharmaceutical applications. Seamless vinyl coverings for flooring, walls, and ceilings contribute to hygienic, infection-resistant environments in healthcare facilities.
Cost-Effective
No alternative to vinyl in healthcare offers the same price-performance ratio. Switching to other materials could lead to a 30% increase in medical device costs, impacting healthcare affordability and accessibility.
Continuous Innovation
Ongoing industry research is continuously expanding the range of plasticisers and other additives for medical applications, enhancing performance, safety, and sustainability.
Recyclability
VinylPlus Med® demonstrates that disposable vinyl-based medical devices can be collected and mechanically recycled into durable healthcare products. VinylPlus PharmPack® extends this approach to pharmaceutical blister packaging, using dissolution (physical recycling) to improve the recyclability.
Design Freedom
Vinyl gives architects, designers, and artists endless possibilities for healthcare environments, creating safe, functional, and welcoming spaces.
Low-Carbon Material
Vinyl is composed of 57% salt, reducing reliance on fossil resources and offering a lower carbon footprint than other polymers. Bio-attributed and bio-circular PVC resins, along with non-fossil-based additives, further improve vinyl’s environmental efficiency.
Ease of Processing
Vinyl is easy to process using all common plastic converting technologies, ensuring efficient manufacturing.