Today we discuss the exciting subject of environmentally friendly disposable gloves. Ok, maybe not too exciting, but this is a short article so it shouldn’t be too painful.
First, we will discuss traditional disposal gloves and then we will get into environmentally friendly options (if they exist, ok, they do…well one does…read further for more information…)
Are disposable gloves bad for the environment?
Yes. Disposable gloves are unrecyclable and millions end up in our landfills every year. These disposable gloves can take decades to break down. Even gloves made from latex (a natural rubber) take a long time to biodegrade because other chemicals are added to the gloves.
Conclusion: Disposable gloves are bad for the environment.
Are nitrile gloves eco-friendly?
Heck no. Nitrile gloves are unrecyclable and take decades to biodegrade.
Are latex gloves eco-friendly?
My first reaction when I hear this question is no, but it’s not quite that cut and dry. Allow me to explain. Latex itself is made from natural rubber trees which are in fact biodegradable. Latex does, however, take at least 5 years to biodegrade.
You can actually compost latex gloves as long as they are not contaminated with whatever it was you were using them for.
There is also synthetic latex which is not biodegradable, so just make sure you buy the natural latex version if you are so inclined.
So, I guess the answer to this question is kinda. I know that’s a bit wishy-washy, but with such few options available for environmentally friendly disposable gloves, we’re not in a position to be too picky at this point.
Environmental impact of Nitrile Gloves
From the raw materials used to make nitrile gloves, to the disposal after use, nitrile gloves negatively impact the environment.
Here’s a quick overview of the lifecycle of nitrile gloves.
Raw Materials
Acrylonitrile and Butadiene that are used to make nitrile gloves, are both released in the air. Acrylonitrile is also released into the water and toxic only if released at high levels.
Manufacturing/Transportation
C02 emissions are released as a result of fossil fuel use from heating/production.
As well as C02 emissions from transportation of raw materials to the manufacturing facility, there are emissions via transportation of the finished nitrile gloves to their various locations.
Disposal
If gloves end up in the landfill, they take a heck of a long time to decompose- we’re talking decades here.
This is a very basic overview of the environmental impact of nitrile glove production and disposal.
Are there biodegradable gloves?
Yes, lucky enough, there is. Literally ONE brand of disposable gloves are biodegradable. Let’s explore.
Showa Biodegradable Nitrile Gloves
SHOWA uses Eco Best Technology (EBT) that allows nitrile and other synthetic fibers within gloves to biodegrade in landfills.
Features:
- Gloves fully biodegrade in 5 years
- EBT is made of organic material that attracts microbial activity in landfills
- 100% biodegradable
- When disposed of in landfills, microorganisms consume, metabolize and break down EBT materials into three natural compounds— organic soil, methane, and carbon dioxide. This creates fertilizer, leaving zero waste behind
- High performance of protection
- Zero natural rubber latex proteins
- Powder-free
Here’s an infographic for those that prefer pictures and words:
Bottom Line
While you probably won’t run out to grab the only biodegradable nitrile gloves for your at-home use, hopefully, this article brings to light the environmental issues associated with disposable gloves.
One can only hope that in the future more environmentally friendly disposable gloves will be available at big box stores for the general public to use.
Until then, consider going glove-free at home or reusing your disposable gloves over and over and over again to get as much out of them as possible, before they hit the landfill.
Do you use disposable gloves at home? If so, what kind do you use? Let me know in the comments below.
Cheers, and have an awesome day.
Hi this is a very important subject thanks for your I interest. I re-use disposable gloves all the time but as they get thinner am now worried that the chemicals are getting into the water. I the future I will only use biodegradable gloves but that may not overcome my concern. Any ideas?
Thanks for your comment! I wrote this article pre-pandemic, so things have changed. At this point in time, I would reuse the disposable gloves as much as you feel comfortable doing so. There are definitely chemicals associated with using and reusing disposable gloves but you have to weigh the cost against not wearing them, which probably isn’t an option right now. Honestly, just do the best you can. I don’t think anyone is going to fault you for using disposable gloves when you need to during this time. In the future, I would definitely research more on biodegradable gloves but there are not a whole lot of options for those either. I hope this helped somewhat. Stay safe!
we are all concerned about virus but i am also concerned about use of these gloves
these cannot be reused and in fact medical experts advise you cannot wash these or use sanitizer on them as it may affect the integrity of the gloves
so until such times as the experts tell us to reuse, or shops start stocking biodegradable ones. Landfills across the world will have billions of these gloves.
Unfortunately, this is true.
This article is super helpful. I work in an industry in which we use lots of gloves daily. We have experimented with companies that recycle gloves but have found them cost prohibitive, so this is great information. My questions are: 1) Showa claims on its website that the gloves degrade in a lab in 386 days whereas you indicate 5 years, which approximates, from my understanding, the time latex gloves take to degrade. Are their claims a bit disingenuous in that lab results are different than what happens out in the environment? Which is the more reliable figure?; 2) Also, claims of biodegradability seem to center on landfills; what about in salt- and fresh-water sources (oceans, lakes, rivers); 3) Assuming that each of these two glove types take ~5 years to biodegrade (which, in my opinion, isn’t an acceptable length of time to claim “biodegradable”; that’s a lot of time for a glove to sit around just waiting for an animal to digest it), which will leach fewer chemicals into the environment while degrading, and which of the two production methods is more environmentally friendly? Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Your article is misleading. While it’s great that the gloves break down, they breakdown into the GREENHOUSE GASES CO2 and methane (a much more powerful GHG than CO2). GHGs are the main source of our climate crisis, so these gloves aren’t good for the environment either. I think you should be clear about that in your narrative. Calling methane and CO2 bio gases is greenwashing.
So you know what other gloves on the market eventually break down into? That would be a helpful comparison.
I meant “do you know what other…into?”
Sorry you think my article is misleading. I always try to be as transparent as possible and provide accurate information. I was under the impression from my research that Showa biodegradable disposable gloves broke down into organic soil, methane, and carbon dioxide – creating fertilizer, not creating additional harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Since microorganisms break down the gloves through consumption, I would hazard a guess that any greenhouse gas emissions would be kept to a minimum.
Traditional latex and nitrile gloves do not break down at all for decades, and when they do, they release harmful chemicals such as acrylonitrile and butadiene into the air. There is no perfect solution for eco-friendly disposable gloves currently, so it is your own personal choice as to which kind is right for you. Thank-you for your insight.
Hey Kathy could you please reach out to me by my email. kiran.kushal13@gmail.com
I am an industrialist setting up a plant for nitrile glove manufacturing. I would like your input in creating a environment friendly product
Sure!
I am currently writing a patent for an additive that biodegrades nitrile products in landfills and home compost facilities. Biodegrading recalcitrant to biodegradation organic substances is my specialty. See http://earthnurture.com .
That’s amazing! Please keep us updated!
Personally I appreciate your effort and feel sure you didnt intend to mislead. The person’s choice of words wasnt the best.
Thank-you!
The “SHOWA biodegradable gloves” seem a bit of a con – if they only break down quickly in landfill (as per the infographic, and their website) that doesn’t really bring any benefits. They can’t be composted or anaerobically digested, and the solid & liquid contents of a landfill is (theoretically) sealed so there’s no particular benefit to the rest of the biosphere as to whether they break down or not. In fact, by breaking down into methane, which does tend to escape landfills, they are releasing a potent greenhouse gases (as another commenter has observed). For gloves to be truly biodegradable and environmentally friendly they would need to be digestable/compostable; if they aren’t then they’re probably better to be inert so the hydrocarbon content is sequestered without releasing methane. Unfortunately the word “biodegradable” can be slapped on a product to make it sound green without needing to consider the wider picture – this approach seems to work for a lot of single-use things that are inherently unsustainable.
Thank you for your comment! Very useful information there. I agree that they are not a great option, and one could argue no better than a disposable nitrile glove. I mentioned them because I liked the fact that they were not going to be hanging around in landfills indefinitely, but as you mentioned, they do not break down into anything particularly useful and could be harmful (methane). Thanks for bringing this to our attention! I very much appreciate educational comments, we all have much to learn!
rICHARD does not fully understand biodegradation environments and processes. For more information, see http://earthnurture.com , with special reference to the article on landfill biodegradation. Click the dump truck logo to see that article.
Thanks for the info!
Hi Kathy, I’m trying to find biodegradable gloves for washing dishes at home. Any suggestions? Thanks very much for your service.
Nina
Thanks for your question! I wish I had better news, but unfortunately I have not found any biodegradable gloves that are suitable for washing dishes at home. Sorry I couldn’t be of any help. Good luck on your quest, and please let me know if you find any.
according to the If You Care company, their gloves can be cut into strips and buried in dirt/yard compost, but I’m not sure about how quickly they break down and such. I use these gloves all the time and they last a LONG time provided they aren’t punctured.
https://buyifyoucare.com/products/fsc-certified-household-gloves-medium
I am involved in the manufacture of Nitrile & latex products and believe that although their are biodegradable products coming onto the market (and their is a big push by all of the manufactures to make a more sustainable product) the best way is currently recycle these products through cryo-milling, the resulting product can then be used for roads and playgrounds etc.
Of course medical or toxic gloves must be incinerated but the vast majority of these gloves can be stored in bulk until there is enough to transport to a recycle centre……
Thanks for your comment!
I just saw this and wonder if you or anyone here knows much about them?
Bonnie Bio XL Compostable Gloves 100/pack on amazon.
This is unbelievable. People, do your homework. Most of this article is a blatant lie, to bias you and get you to buy the brand they are selling. Many companies use EBT in their gloves to make them biodegrade faster, just as the gloves they are trying to sell you do. This site owner should be ashamed of himself. You should be sued for false advertising.
I am not selling anything in this article. I have no affiliate link for any product mentioned. I was simply trying to bring the most recent information to light. If you read the article you would see that I do not feel that environmentally friendly disposable gloves actually exist. I don’t feel that there are any available to the general public, and any gloves that may exist are still not great for the environment. I do agree with one statement of your comment and that is to do your homework. It is absolutely up to the consumer to do their due diligence when deciding what product to buy. At the end of the day, it’s up to you where you put your money.
Jason is correct, this article by Kathy is spreading misinformation. The author wrote in the third paragraph: “Even gloves made from latex (a natural rubber) take a long time to biodegrade because other chemicals are added to the gloves.” Later in the piece, the author flipped position writing: “Despite being made from natural rubber trees, other chemicals are mixed in to form the gloves which renders them basically unbiodegradable.” Basic two minute Google shows latex gloves being biodegradable: https://www.homedepot.com/c/ab/latex-vs.-nitrile-gloves/9ba683603be9fa5395fab901f1b48f4f
Thanks for bringing this to my attention again. I have updated this article to help provide a little more insight on latex gloves.