U.K Disposable Gloves (Natural Rubber Latex, Vinyl, Nitrile, and Others) Market

Global Disposable Gloves Market - An Overview

Awareness and action regarding employee safety and protection, coupled with need to prevent skin diseases from exposure in certain industries is driving the global disposable gloves market forward over the forecast period of 2015 to 2023. As per Transparency Market Research, the global disposable gloves market is set to chart a steady compound annual growth rate in the stated assessment period and would ensure that the market reaches a higher valuation by the end of the same. Additionally, it is worth noting that a multitude of profitable opportunities would arise in the market for players to tap into.

Significant factors that are marking the global disposable gloves market over the forecast period are spelled out below:

• Customized variants and improvement in technology will be major boosters of growth over the forecast period. As utility of disposable gloves increases across varied industry verticals, demand is generated by a significant magnitude. Some of the industries that will be massive consumers of these gloves are oil and gas industry, chemical industry, pharmaceutical industry, medical and healthcare industry, and automotive.
• Hygiene is gaining serious prominence in beauty and food care industry, especially as awareness regarding viral and bacterial infections is quickly catching on with people across the globe. Here, it is worth noting that the cost of disposable gloves hugely contribute to their popularity and work in their favor. This factor would present players with a number of growth opportunities over the forecast period.
• Government policies regarding safety of employees is also a major factor underscoring growth in a number of regional market for disposable gloves over the forecast period. It will help the market chat a significant trajectory.

U.K Disposable Gloves Market: Snapshot

The demand for protective apparatus and apparel has been constant in the healthcare industry. Most healthcare organizations, especially from developed regions, follow a very high standard of cleanliness and a set of precautions against infections and/or outbreaks. With communicable diseases such as Zika, SARS, Ebola, and swine flu doing the rounds in the past few years, the demand for all medical protective gear has gone up considerably. This includes disposable gloves, an item that is expected to be perpetual demand. With the number of infectious disease on the rise, the demand for disposable gloves is expected to climb even higher.

Another driver for the sales of disposable gloves is the growing proportion of non-healthcare usage of protective apparel. Disposable gloves are widely used in hospitality, laboratories, consumer goods, automobile construction and repair, and food service. These industries require the use of disposable gloves to protect the wearers in accordance with the industry’s safety regulations. In the case of the food service industry, disposable gloves are also mandatory so as to prevent food from getting contaminated. The growth in all these industries is expected to boost the demand for disposable gloves over the coming years.

However, the U.K. market for disposable gloves is facing the increasingly serious restraint of avoiding the use of natural rubber latex in the gloves. Firstly, natural rubber latex can be allergic to many users, or even cause them to develop allergies over time with constant use. Secondly, the supply of rubber is seasonal and therefore subject to price fluctuations.

All in all, the U.K. market for disposable gloves is expected to reach US$298.6 mn by the end of 2016 and US$481.5 mn by the end of 2023. This revenue is forecasted to expand at a CAGR of 7.0% from 2015 to 2023.

Vinyl and Nitrile Disposable Gloves Steadily Gain Share in Demand

The four key product segments that disposable gloves found in the U.K. are made of are natural rubber latex, vinyl disposable, nitrile disposable, and a collective segment of minor usage materials. By the end of 2023, 37.9% of the U.K. disposable gloves market is expected to be taken up by natural rubber latex disposable gloves, which will likely be the leading product segment at the time. Rubber latex disposable gloves have been the more commonly used ones in the U.K. over a long time but are expected to lose share to the other product types. Despite losing share over time, natural rubber latex disposable gloves are still expected to continue leading the market in terms of volume till 2023.

Rubber latex disposable gloves pose the problem of causing allergic reactions among users and has therefore seen a reduction in popularity. On the other hand, vinyl disposable gloves, commonly used in the food and beverage industry, are not prone to causing allergic reactions. They are also cheaper and more popular in industries where long-term durability of the gloves is not necessary.

Healthcare Industry Continues to Dominate Disposable Gloves Demand

By the end of 2023, an estimated 81.8% of the total volume of disposable gloves in the U.K. is expected to be taken up by the healthcare industry. The healthcare industry was and will continue to be the leading application segment for disposable gloves, owing to the vast number of medical applications that require the medical personnel to wear gloves. These functions include surgeries, examinations, and sterilization of equipment.

On the other hand, the application of disposable gloves in non-medical applications within the U.K. is expected to grow, due to the booming industries of food and beverage, and automotive.

The key manufacturers of disposable gloves in the U.K. today, include Top Glove, Supermax Corporation Bhd, Semperit AG Holding, Kossan Rubber Industries Bhd, Hartalega Holdings Berhad, Smart Glove, and Unigloves.