Biodegradable Nitrile Glove Briefing

Do you know what happens with your single-use gloves after you have worn and disposed of them? Maybe you don’t care, but here’s the deal folks, every year 200 billion disposable gloves are thrown away where they take centuries to fully decompose.  This means the very first nitrile gloves ever produced (including those worn by you) are still out there somewhere.

Changing the Future of Single-Use Gloves

The inventor of the world's first nitrile gloves, SHOWA® first launched biodegradable nitrile gloves back in 2012 in response to the overwhelming amount of plastic waste and the growing climate crisis. 

Growing in popularity, single-use latex-free biodegradable gloves are made with the same rigid quality controls and manufacturing standards as conventional nitrile gloves but feature proprietary additives that allow them to quickly breakdown in landfills. This means the overall performance, protection and durability of the glove stays exactly the same with reduced impact on the environment.

ASTM Testing Methods for Biodegradable Claims & Validating Sustainability

To ensure consumers they’re buying sustainable hand protection with verified product claims, there are two accepted and respected methods for testing biodegradability. ASTM D5511 and ASTM D5526 certifications were established to determine the anaerobic biodegradation (the degradation of compounds by microorganisms in the absence of oxygen) of plastics in accelerated landfill conditions. The major difference between the two ASTM International test methods revolves around the length of time and accuracy.

Biodegradation should be validated by third party testing. Biodegradable technologies such as Eco Best Technology® (EBT) and EcoTek® are third party validated by GreenCircle. GreenCircle® Certified is an internationally recognized third-party certification entity whose thorough evaluation process provides independent verification that sustainability claims related to an organization’s products and operations are honest, valid, and verified. It was developed after encountering many false and unsubstantiated biodegradability claims in the marketplace to ensure consumers that they’re buying legitimate sustainable products with verified product claims.

Biodegradable technologies are making a difference to the environment without compromising protection or performance. Thanks to special compositions, sustainable single-use nitrile gloves will decompose within 1 to 5 years in active landfills where conventional nitrile gloves take 200+ years.

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