Sylwia Bronkowska
The world is changing, and the challenges of protecting the planet are also posing new tasks for glove manufacturers. More and more solutions are appearing on the market, which have ‘eco’, ‘recycled’, ‘climate friendly’ in their names – how to catch up with these solutions and not be fooled by those that are environmentally friendly in name only?
An idea to reduce the negative impact on the environment is to use recycled materials in products. In the case of gloves, the most popular currently are liners made from recycled polyester. In this case, it is worth checking whether the product is certified by independent auditors, or whether the use of recycled materials is just a manufacturer’s claim. The Recycled Claim Standard is an independent, voluntary standard that aims to verify products containing recycled materials. The system is based on verification of the production process (from the purchase of materials, through production, to the sale of the finished product) by external auditors. The standard specifies both a minimum acceptable share of recycled materials, but also a unified definition of “recycled material” and provides consumers with a tool for making informed purchasing decisions.
In the case of gloves, the share of recycled material in the liner cannot be 100% – it is necessary to add fibers that improve flexibility like nylon or spandex. It is also worth remembering that in the case of anti-cutting gloves, the share of recycled fibers will always be lower – due to the need to use cut-protecting fibers. If a manufacturer declares 90% recycled materials in a glove with the CUT parameter – it is certainly practicing ‘green-washing’ and it is worth looking for the ‘fine print’ test to be sure what the product is really made of.
All Nitrex models in the RPET collection are certified to the Recycled Claim Standard and are an environmentally friendlier alternative to standard assembly and anti-cut gloves.
