2025 PPE Buying Trends in Canada: What Canadian Businesses Are Really Purchasing
2025 PPE Buying Trends: What Canadians Are Really Purchasing From PPE Suppliers
By PPEOnline.ca
As we move into a post-pandemic era, PPE (personal protective equipment) remains a frontline necessity across healthcare, foodservice, janitorial, education, and industrial sectors. But how exactly is Canada’s PPE landscape evolving in 2025?
Wholesale PPE is readily available for various sectors, emphasizing the efficiency of ordering in bulk for both commercial and personal use.
We’ve combined:
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Internal sales data from PPEOnline.ca (Q1 2025)
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Google Trends insights
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Government procurement records
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Health Canada regulatory updates
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Environmental and market research
This is the most comprehensive, data-driven look at PPE buying habits in Canada today.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
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Nitrile gloves continue to dominate PPE purchases, especially in healthcare, janitorial, and institutional sectors
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Vinyl gloves are growing rapidly in food handling and cost-conscious industries
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Zytec hand sanitizer remains a top-seller across most provinces
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Ontario, Alberta, and Manitoba are leading in regional PPE demand
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Google searches for “nitrile gloves,” “PPE supplier near me,” and “disinfectant wipes bulk” remain strong in Canada
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Health Canada’s new Biocides Regulations (2024) and Ontario’s PPE fit mandate are reshaping buyer expectations
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Public procurement totals over 1.56B gloves and 20.6M liters of sanitizer since 2020
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Sustainability is becoming a key driver in PPE decisions, with recycling programs and biodegradable gloves gaining traction
Overview of PPE Market in Canada
The personal protective equipment (PPE) market in Canada is experiencing rapid growth, driven by increasing demand across various sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, and construction. This upward trend is expected to continue as industries prioritize the safety and well-being of their workforce. High-quality products that meet the stringent standards of Health Canada are in high demand, ensuring that both public and private sectors are well-equipped to handle safety requirements. As a leading provider of PPE in Canada, understanding the current market landscape and the key factors driving demand is crucial for staying ahead in this competitive industry.
Top-Selling PPE Products (Q1 2025)
|
Rank |
Product Name |
Category |
Units Sold |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Nitrile Gloves |
86 |
|
|
2 |
Vinyl Gloves |
84 |
|
|
3 |
Vinyl Gloves |
66 |
|
|
4 |
Sanitizer |
62 |
|
|
5 |
Nitrile Gloves |
52 |
Our purchasing behavior mirrors national trends — gloves and sanitizers remain core staples for personal and professional safety. Click the links to see!
Glove Material Breakdown: Nitrile Gloves Lead, Vinyl Grows
Our internal data shows:
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Nitrile Gloves: 464 units sold in Q1 — most popular for their strength, durability, and latex-free safety
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Vinyl Gloves: 332 units — growing use in foodservice and general protection due to affordability
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Polyurethane-Coated Gloves: Niche but relevant for industrial and textured grip applications
National data backs this up:
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Nitrile gloves now make up ~49% of Canada’s medical glove market
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Vinyl is resurging for non-medical applications
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Google searches for both "nitrile gloves" and "vinyl gloves" remain above pre-pandemic levels
Key Features and Certifications
When it comes to PPE, certifications and features are paramount in ensuring the safety and well-being of users. Here are some of the key features and certifications to look out for:
Food-Grade and Medical-Grade Certifications
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Food-Grade Certifications: Products with food-grade certifications, such as those from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), ensure that PPE meets the highest standards of safety and hygiene for use in food handling and preparation. This is crucial for maintaining public health and preventing contamination.
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Medical-Grade Certifications: PPE products with medical-grade certifications from Health Canada meet stringent standards of safety and efficacy for use in medical settings. These certifications are essential for protecting healthcare professionals and patients from infectious diseases and other hazards.
Where Canadians Buy PPE (By Province)
Based on Shopify shipping data:
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Ontario has the highest volume of glove and sanitizer orders
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Alberta and Manitoba show rapid PPE demand growth
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BC and Quebec display steady institutional ordering patterns
StatCan confirms Ontario leads in medical PPE imports, while Alberta’s growth aligns with public procurement data.
Industries Driving PPE Demand
Several industries are driving the demand for PPE in Canada, including:
Healthcare and Medical
The healthcare and medical industry is one of the largest consumers of PPE in Canada. There is a high demand for products such as nitrile gloves, latex gloves, and vinyl gloves, which are essential for protecting healthcare professionals and their patients from infectious diseases and other hazards. High-quality PPE is crucial in these settings to ensure safety and hygiene. Additionally, the food service industry also requires PPE products that meet food-grade and medical-grade certifications to maintain safety and hygiene standards. As a leading provider of PPE in Canada, offering a wide selection of high-quality products that meet the stringent standards of Health Canada and other regulatory bodies is essential to keep customers safe and well-protected.
What Canadians Are Googling in 2025
Search data from Google Trends (Canada) shows strong ongoing demand for PPE-related terms:
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🔍 “Nitrile gloves Canada”
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🔍 “PPE supplier near me”
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🔍 “Disinfectant wipes bulk”
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🔍 “Hand sanitizer 70% alcohol”
Interest has stabilized since the pandemic peak but remains 2–3x higher than 2019 — indicating PPE is now part of routine buying behavior.
What the Public Sector Is Buying
According to federal records:
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1.56 billion gloves and 20.6 million liters of hand sanitizer were procured since 2020
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Items most in demand include nitrile gloves, KN95 masks, and disinfectant products
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Long-term investments in domestic production (e.g. nitrile glove plants, Medicom masks) are reshaping supply chains
The Essential Services Contingency Reserve (ESCR) still stocks high volumes of PPE to support public institutions and healthcare.
Regulatory Updates You Should Know
Health Canada (2023–2025):
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Ended all interim sanitizer exemptions (April 2023)
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New Biocides Regulations (2024) streamline disinfectant approval
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Actively recalls non-compliant PPE (e.g. gloves with improper labeling)
Ontario PPE Mandate:
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Employers must provide PPE that fits the worker properly
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Affects glove sizing, mask fit, and overall comfort requirements
If you sell or distribute PPE, compliance is now more critical than ever.
Sustainability & Waste Management in PPE
Canada’s Zero Plastic Waste agenda is influencing PPE manufacturers and buyers alike.
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Programs like Vitacore’s mask recycling have diverted millions of items from landfills
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Biodegradable nitrile gloves are entering the market
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ESG-conscious buyers (especially in healthcare and education) now factor environmental impact into purchasing decisions
PPE Imports and Usage Data (StatCan & UN Comtrade)
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Canada imported over $60M in gloves in May 2020 alone — a 37% YoY increase
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Disinfectant imports rose 25% compared to pre-pandemic norms
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Sanitizer sales were 8x higher than in 2019, and still 300%+ elevated by 2023
PPE remains a high-volume import and use item across public and private sectors.
Outlook for PPE in Canada (2025–2026)
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Nitrile gloves will continue to dominate in regulated industries
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Vinyl gloves will rise in budget-conscious B2B applications
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Sanitizer and disinfectant wipes are now “normal” facility supplies
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Demand will stay stable as regulations and ESG commitments grow
Get the Full Report (PDF)
We’ve made this blog version easy to read — but if you want the full printable PDF (with charts and sourcing), download it here:
👉 Download the 2025 PPE Trends in Canada Report
👉 Explore Our PPE Products Collection
FAQs
Q: What gloves are best for foodservice in 2025?
A: Vinyl gloves are popular due to their affordability and latex-free properties.
Q: Are nitrile gloves better than vinyl?
A: Yes, for durability and chemical resistance — especially in healthcare and janitorial use.
Q: Can I recycle PPE products in Canada?
A: Some manufacturers (like Vitacore) offer mask and glove recycling programs. Biodegradable options are also emerging.
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