In today's conscientious business landscape, the conversation around sustainability commonly moves to the forefront.

We are Eagle Protect, the world’s first certified B Corp disposable glove and clothing supplier, and have been at the forefront of redefining sustainable glove practices, demonstrating that investing in higher quality gloves not only benefits businesses but also significantly reduces their environmental impact. Let us explain how.

Redefining Quality: A Commitment to Sustainability

In our industry, we deal with disposable products that are mandatory and necessary for safety but inherently not environmentally friendly. Many people want to know how we're addressing sustainability. From responsible environmental sourcing to groundbreaking technology in manufacturing, we are working to set new standards in glove production.

Responsible Sourcing

Disposable products, like all products, have an environmental impact throughout the entire supply chain - not just the final product. We are striving to raise awareness in our industry and encourage companies to ask questions. From factories’ environmental practices, including the use and disposal of chemicals, there are many areas where we can reduce a glove’s environmental impact. Common to many B Corps, environmental responsibility is included in our Supplier Code of Conduct, a practice we are working to make commonplace in our industry.

Creating a Sustainably Better Glove

But, what actually is a more sustainable disposable glove? An easy example is our thinnest glove, our FineTOUGH nitrile. It is manufactured for premium quality and durability and can reduce a company’s glove consumption by up to 30%. How? Let’s break down Eagle Protect’s sustainable glove philosophy:

Lighter Weight Gloves: Eagle gloves offer a unique balance of lightweight comfort and robust strength, reducing the weight of each glove by up to 50% compared to standard gloves. Simply put, if you use a 3g glove versus a 6g glove, the 3g glove will create 50% less waste upon disposal.
Stronger Gloves: By using high-quality ingredients we increase glove durability and reduce ripping, which reduces a business’s overall glove use. Basically, the gloves will actually work and not tear by simply putting them on. A stronger glove can reduce a company’s glove use by 30%.
Reduced Packaging: A lighter weight (thinner) glove enables more gloves to fit in each box, minimizing packaging and transport emissions. In some cases, there are twice the normal amount of gloves per box, reducing packaging waste, and aligning with eco-conscious packaging strategies.

Waste Reduction & Recycling

At Eagle Protect we prioritize sustainability through waste reduction initiatives. The combination of lightweight gloves, fewer failures, and minimized packaging leads to a significant decrease in our customers’ glove and packaging waste.

“Can disposable gloves be recycled?” is probably one of the most common questions we get asked in the realm of sustainability. Yes, but it’s a bit tricky.

Nitrile Glove Recycling

Nitrile disposable glove recycling is currently conducted by TerraCycle, but the process involves additional costs, sometimes doubling a company’s glove budget, which may not be feasible for some businesses.

Polyethylene Glove Recycling

Poly gloves, such as Eagle STRETCHPoly and TPE gloves, are 100% recyclable. The catch is that your municipality's recycling program has to have the capability to recycle this type of plastic. In our experience, we’ve been finding this to be a bit hit or miss. Poly gloves (and pallet wrap) can also be recycled through specific programs, like Revolution Bag, offering a closed-loop recycling process that transforms products into reusable items.

The Complexities of Compostable & Biodegradable Gloves

The quest for compostable and biodegradable gloves is complex.

Compostable gloves made from polylactic acid (PLA) need specific composting facilities, limiting their environmental benefit. It’s worth noting that compostable gloves are not FDA-compliant for food handling.
Biodegradable options, including nitrile gloves, pose challenges. While there is a growing trend in biodegradable gloves, they come with nuances in biodegradation speed and environmental impact, affecting both durability and performance.

We can't skip talking about vinyl gloves, which are still widely used in the US. These gloves, made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), come with serious risks to both human health and the environment. They are non-biodegradable and have long-term effects, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals and major food safety concerns. Due to these safety concerns, among others, we ceased supplying vinyl gloves in 2016.

At Eagle Protect, we are actively exploring biodegradable glove options, but we feel until the technology advances we will continue to focus on sustainable practices that reduce environmental impact throughout our company’s supply chain. Embracing the "reduce, reuse, and recycle" mantra, we aim to reduce waste primarily by offering gloves of higher quality that inherently cut glove usage and disposed glove material.

Striding Towards a Sustainable Future

At Eagle Protect, our emphasis on high-quality gloves reflects our commitment to sustainability. By reducing glove consumption, waste and environmental impact, Eagle’s gloves align with the global B Corp call for responsible business practices. We are continuously working to encourage companies to adopt a more sustainable mindset and take crucial steps toward a greener future. For further sustainable and company information, read our latest Impact Report.

We are always interested in hearing your experiences with disposable gloves or answering questions you may have. Feel free to contact me at tracey@eagleprotect.com or say hello at our next Colorado B Corp gathering.