From medical use to good old-fashioned cleaning around the house, latex gloves are ubiquitous - and damaging.
Surely something as simple as latex gloves can't be bad right? Unfortunately any synthetic product runs the risk of doing damage to the environment.
Synthetic gloves are generally considered more hygienic than those with natural components as they do not absorb moisture and sweat from your skin, making them last longer. However, there has been a lot of controversy regarding their health effects, particularly when they contain chemicals such as formaldehyde and phthalates (found in vinyl). Not only can these materials be harmful to you after sustained use, when disposed and leaked into the environment they can do serious harm to local ecosystems and water supplies.
Latex gloves can be bad for the environment in several ways:
Latex gloves may do the trick to keep your hands clean when doing dirty work around the house, but they can have a serious impact on the planet in their disposal and production.
- Waste: Single-use latex gloves are often used in medical facilities, food handling, and other industries where hygiene is critical. They are typically used for only a few minutes and then discarded, contributing to waste.
- Pollution: If latex gloves are not disposed of properly, they can end up in landfills, oceans, and other natural habitats, harming wildlife and polluting the environment.
- Resource depletion: The production of latex gloves requires natural resources such as rubber, water, and energy. The increasing demand for latex gloves can lead to overuse and depletion of these resources.
- Chemical pollution: The manufacturing of latex gloves often involves the use of chemicals, including ammonia, sulfur, and carbon dioxide, which can contribute to air and water pollution.
What kind of alternatives are there to latex gloves?
- Switching to biodegradable gloves: Biodegradable gloves are made from materials that can decompose more quickly and harmlessly in the environment, reducing waste and pollution.
- Using reusable gloves: Reusable gloves made of materials such as rubber or silicone can be washed and reused multiple times, reducing waste.
- Recycling latex gloves: Some companies offer recycling programs for latex gloves, where used gloves are collected and recycled into other products, reducing waste and pollution.
By adopting these alternatives, you can reduce your environmental impact and help protect the planet.
The best eco-friendly latex glove alternatives
1) EcoGloves Biodegradable Nitrile Gloves
Price: $13.97 (pack of 100)
Materials: Made from their own "Advanced Biodegrading Technology." EcoGloves are designed to biodegrade faster in a landfill environment, while traditional latex/plastic gloves can stick around for centuries.
Brand ethics: EcoGloves is committed to reducing plastic waste and helping the planet. They are part of "1% for the planet" and dedicate 1% to human causes, and they are a certified member of the California Green Business Network. EcoGloves plants a tree with every order and partners with GreenSpark to support carbon offset shipping.
These gloves are designed to biodegrade faster in a landfill environment, while traditional gloves can stick around for centuries and leach toxic chemicals into the environment. Get the snug fit, high quality and durable protection you need while doing better for the planet with Eco Gloves Biodegradable Nitrile Gloves.
