With the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of disposable gloves has become more essential. The increase in the usage of disposable gloves has caused them to be one of the world’s largest pollutants.
In healthcare environments, disposable gloves made out of latex, vinyl and nitrile are used by healthcare providers. Gloves made out of vinyl and nitrile are non-biodegradable. Latex is biodegradable, but a lot of people develop allergic reactions to it so they turn to nitrile and vinyl gloves.
Plastic gloves are another type of gloves. They are used in handling food, and they are mostly available in most households. Among the four glove materials, plastic is the most harmful to our environment.
Non-biodegradable disposable gloves impact our environment negatively. They often end up in the waterways and eventually in the ocean, harming marine wildlife or even ending up on our plates.
The best alternative to plastic disposable gloves is compostable gloves. In this article, you are going to learn about compostable gloves and their positive environmental impacts
Compostable Gloves: What Are They?
Compostable gloves are an environmentally friendly alternative to non-biodegradable disposable gloves. They serve the same purpose as traditional disposable gloves but in a sustainable way.
Even if compostable gloves end up in the ocean or waterways or fill landfills, they are not harmful to animals, plants and humans because their material is safe and natural.
In Australia, compostable gloves are made following the Australian Standard (AS) 5810. It means that the bags have minimum biodegradation of 90% and can be naturally decomposed in home composts.
What Are Compostable Gloves Made of?
Compostable gloves are disposable gloves made out of natural and organic materials such as potato starch, cassava starch and cornstarch. These materials are biodegradable and break down easily and safely without releasing any toxins into the environment.
How Do Compostable Gloves Affect the Environment?
The use of compostable gloves positively affects the environment. Manufacturing compostable gloves does not include chemicals or other harmful materials and processes.
Compostable gloves are also easy to dispose of. They can easily break down into compost which is beneficial to the environment. Lastly, compostable gloves do not contribute to the world’s growing numbers of pollutants.
Benefits of Compostable Gloves
Some of the benefits of compostable gloves are:
- They are sustainable.
- They protect you from contaminants.
- They can be used in many ways, such as:
- Food handling
- Healthcare industry
- Cleaning and maintenance
- Pet care
- Grooming
- Laundry
- Automotive maintenance
- Painting
- Gardening
- Dishwashing
- They are durable and reliable for any task.
- Safe for human use, free from toxins and allergens.
- Once compostable gloves turn into composts, they can be used as natural fertilisers that can enrich the soil and encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria and fungi.
How Do You Dispose of Compostable Gloves?
Compostable gloves can easily be disposed of. Firstly, you need to segregate them along with your other compostable wastes, from biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes. Once segregated, you can then proceed to compost.
At home, you can create a compost bin or a compost pit where all your compostable wastes can go. Leave your compost bins covered but with holes around them for the air to enter and help in the composting process.
You can also take your compostable wastes to the nearest industrial or commercial composting facilities in your area where they have special equipment that can speed up the composting process.
How Long Does It Take for Compostable Gloves to Decompose?
In a home compost, compostable gloves can disintegrate after 180 days and biodegrade after 12 months. In composting facilities, the process takes a shorter time. Compostable gloves can disintegrate as early as 12 weeks and fully biodegrade after 6 months.
Home composts take a longer time to decompose the materials because they are in a natural and uncontrolled environment. Industrial or commercial compost facilities contain special equipment that can control the factors involved in the decomposition process such as the temperature and the air supplies.
Compostable items, such as compostable gloves, can quickly decompose with the help of bacteria and other microorganisms, as well as exposure to oxygen, heat and UV light.
After the decomposition process, compostable wastes are turned into inorganic nutrients that are very beneficial to the soil as a natural fertiliser.
Where Can You Get Compostable Gloves?
You can find compostable gloves in many supermarkets or online shops, but only a few are reliable and sell 100% compostable gloves. Therefore, you need to find the right seller of compostable products.
Bonnie Bio is Australia’s leading manufacturer and supplier of compostable gloves and other compostable items, such as garbage bags in various sizes, drinking straws, cutlery and more for both home use and business and commercial applications.
Our compostable items are mostly made of cornstarch which is one the most sustainable materials that are a better alternative to plastic materials. It is our goal to make a difference and make our environment plastic free by creating compostable alternatives.
We believe that we can partner with individuals like you in making this world a better and safe place to live. By using our products, you are contributing to making this dream possible.
Make the big switch from plastic or non-biodegradable gloves to compostable gloves now. Contact us and let us help you make your first step towards sustainability.
