A global pandemic is a sure-fire way to show the world the importance of PPE. That is exactly what happened through the COVID-19 pandemic, and the aftereffect of this is that PPE quality was brought into the spotlight.
Goggles are just one part of the cog in this machine, and Atif Sarfraz is one of the people trying to address this world need. With 15 years of experience behind him, Sarfraz is now CEO of cleanroom goggle start-up, Klaritex Cleanroom Solutions.
Being an industry veteran with years of experience at 3M, Johnson & Johnson and Univet, in 2023, Sarfraz decided it was time for a new challenge. Together with Shariq Suri, the two founded Klaritex in January 2024. Sarfraz and Suri now operate as Directors, with Sarfraz as CEO and Suri as Chief Strategy Officer.
So from his base in Canada, Sarfraz has seen first hand what is happening in the cleanroom goggle market in recent years and into 2025 and now he talks to Cleanroom Technology about exactly what he is seeing.
Atif Sarfraz
Sustainability
“One major trend is the increasing interest in sustainability,” Sarfraz says. “Traditionally, many products have been single-use, but now we’re seeing more conversations around reusables, recycling, and bio-based materials.”
Currently, very few products on the market use these types of materials. Most goggles are made from polycarbonate or TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), which are high-performance polymers that are not typically recycled due to purity and performance control issues.
“Discussions are underway about how to introduce recycled polymers into eyewear or garments without compromising performance. It’s not a solved issue yet, but the momentum is there. Customers are increasingly asking not just about technical performance but also environmental impact.”
If some of these issues were to be resolved, then the cleanroom goggles market might be able to follow the same trend as other cleanroom apparel markets, such as garments that use recycled polyester and recycled PET.
Sarfraz thinks that in lieu of this, the market will continue to see pressure to reduce waste, both in the production process and in final product use.
Innovation in production
When looking at what is creating the competitive advantage for suppliers, comfort and safety are also key consumer drivers for this market in 2025.
Sarfraz mentions that innovations like advanced anti-fog coatings on goggles are something that industry is looking into. This innovation would help both comfort and safety.
There is the obvious factor in this that people do not like when there vision is reduced or the fact that there is an uncomfortable level of humidity. This reduces their comfort. However, fog in goggles can be a negative contributing factor in areas with high levels of contamination control, such as high level cleanroom class rooms.
This discomfort can encourage behaviours that increase the particles emitted to the environment, such as increased movement and fiddling with this protective equipment. This heightens risk and is just one way the negatives of fogged goggles is not limited to just the discomfort to the wearer with reduced vision.
Regulatory fragmentation in the market
Sarfraz also points to the issue of regulatory fragmentation across the world as one of the main issue affecting the cleanroom goggle market in 2025. “North America, Europe, the Middle East — they all have different requirements,” he says.
As such, these varying regulations can shape the respective markets.
In North America, compliance with FDA and ISO standards drives much of the market.
“The challenge is that regulatory requirements can differ not only from region to region but even from industry to industry within North America. For cleanroom suppliers, this means balancing flexibility with standardisation — ensuring that products meet rigorous quality controls while remaining versatile enough for different end users.”
Tariffs and global supply chain issues
For cleanroom goggle products, the price of polycarbonate or TPU can obviously make a huge difference to business operations. Fluctuations in these prices happen over time, and these fluctuations can be influenced hugely by global comings and goings, such as the US tariffs happening in 2025.
Supply chain dynamics play a major role. Raw material costs, tariff fluctuations, and logistics all affect pricing and availability. While North America remains a strong and stable market, companies are exploring localised assembly or regional hubs to mitigate risks. It’s about building resilience and ensuring continuity of supply for customers.
Sarfraz says that manufacturing location is one place to focus, but target markets also need to be considered. “So far, we have not encountered any trouble, so to speak, in terms of tariffs. But within North America and Europe, the debate is still unsettled, so we are monitoring that situation.”
Due to the fluid nature of these situations, as well as sharp changes over a short window of time, Sarfraz like many, is unsure as to where things will fall when the dust settles, but he and the team are as well prepared as you can be.
In general, Sarfraz thinks the the outlook is very positive. He thinks demand from life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and microelectronics will keep growing. “We’ll also see more integration of digital technologies, such as smart monitoring systems, and continued innovation in sustainable materials. The key will be balancing performance, compliance, and cost in a way that supports both industry needs and environmental goals.”