22.5 billion pairs of disposable gloves are used each year in the global food industry (BMA 2016), and after use is disposed of into a landfill. Many food handling companies now have sustainability goals in place, with a focus on waste reduction, or indeed a "zero waste" policy, and reducing their disposable glove usage and waste is of utmost importance. Through the correct type of glove used to handle food, and a focus on the quality of raw materials used in glove manufacturing, it is possible for food handling companies to reduce their environmental footprint while improving their food safety standards.
FOOD HANDLING COMPANIES CAN IMPROVE THEIR FOOD SAFETY STANDARDS WHILE REDUCING THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT.
WHY IS GLOVE TYPE & RAW MATERIAL CONTENT IMPORTANT IN REDUCING WASTE?
- Glove manufacturers can reduce costs by using cheap raw materials which lower glove strength, flexibility, and durability, increasing the rate of glove failure, and waste.
- Because glove strength is highly proportional to the quality and choice of raw materials, thinner quality gloves are often stronger and more resistant to tearing compared to a thicker glove, reducing the waste produced.
- Vinyl gloves have poor resistance to stretch and elongation leading to poorer fitting gloves with more holes occurring during use.
- Nitrile’s molecular structure is formulated for improved strength, and high chemical and tear resistance, reducing glove failure and subsequent waste production. Read more about why nitrile gloves are preferred for food safety.
HOW CAN EAGLE PROTECT HELP REDUCE YOUR WASTE?
- The raw material “ingredients” of Eagle disposable gloves are Fingerprint Checked* (FPC), to ensure manufacturing and product consistency and ultimately glove quality. Improved quality reduces glove failure rate during food handling.
- Eagle Disposable Gloves meet or exceed medical examination grade standards, with an AQL of 1.5. The lower the AQL, the less defective gloves per box. In contrast, there is no AQL requirement for food service gloves, meaning there are no guidelines for maximum pinhole defects - no guidelines for the number of failures per box. Read why examination grade standard gloves are important for food safety.
- With improved strength and elongation tests (due to an improved quality of raw material), Eagle gloves are thinner and stronger than other thicker food service gloves.
- A reduction in glove failure rate with subsequent reduced glove changes also reduces worker downtime and improves worker productivity - financially benefitting any business. Worker efficiency is also improved with a quality glove due to optimal fit and a reduction in skin irritation and hand injuries, reducing sick leave and worker's comp claims.
We will help you reduce your environmental footprint, improve sustainability goals, while improving your Food Safety procedures - ultimately lowering your associated business risk. Read more about how Eagle Protect supplies environmentally better disposable gloves, and how we helped our customers save 5,000 tons of waste last year by switching our customers from vinyl gloves to our Light & Tough nitrile gloves.
WE HELPED OUR CUSTOMERS SAVE 5,000 TONS OF WASTE LAST YEAR.
Check out Eagle Protect’s disposable food safe nitrile gloves that can support your company’s sustainability efforts.
*Vinyl gloves are recommended to be worn for short periods only, and for intermittent or non-food contact areas. Read more about the potential adverse health effects of cheap vinyl gloves.