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How PPE, Gloves, and Face Masks are Causing Pollution

by Eco Gloves

SHOP COMPOSTABLE GLOVES

Coronavirus waste such as single-use protective equipment PPE is overwhelming landfills with more trash, and also flooding the ocean with waste. It’s highlighting the bigger issue of massively used single use products that can be greatly improved with eco friendly alternatives. Both governments and businesses are acting now to ensure environmental sustainability and to lessen our impact on precious natural resources.

Hundreds of Billions of Gloves and Face Masks Are Globally Used Each Year

Where do these single use items go? They’re ending up in landfills and polluting our earth. Masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer bottles are already being found in seabeds and washed up on beaches, on top of the existing ocean pollution.

It’s happening from Europe to Hong Kong, large masses of masks are being found on islands.

In the UK, they estimated that if every person used a single-use face mask a day for a year, it would create 66,000 tons of waste and 57,000 tons of plastic packaging

Ocean health is needed to sustain ocean economies, tackle climate change, support biodiversity, and build sustainable livelihoods.

Some cities have halted recycling programs because of the pandemic, and other actions such as online delivery results in greater packaging waste from deliveries.

Medical, hospitality, and foodservice waste is at an all-time high. Gloves being one of the biggest culprits.

This pandemic is a wake up call for businesses and governments to find solutions to rebuild and renew for eco-friendly alternatives.

Eco-Friendly Gloves Are an Environmentally Sustainable Solution

EcoGloves is a direct replacement for plastic gloves that can take over 500 years to decompose in a landfill. Our gloves are designed with an advanced biopolymer material that is compostable and will turn to organic material in 90 days.


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Eco-Friendly Compostable Disposable Gloves


Key Takeaways: The Environmental Cost of PPE Waste

  • Billions of PPE Items Create Global Pollution – Masks, gloves, and other single-use items are ending up in oceans, on beaches, and in landfills.

  • COVID-19 Amplified the Waste Problem – Medical, hospitality, and foodservice industries have seen record-high disposable PPE usage.

  • Gloves Are a Major Contributor – Plastic gloves can take over 500 years to decompose in landfills.

  • PPE Waste Threatens Ocean Health – Harms biodiversity, marine life, and the sustainability of ocean economies.

  • Eco-Friendly Alternatives Exist – Compostable gloves from Eco Gloves break down into organic matter in about 90 days.

  • A Wake-Up Call for Action – Governments, businesses, and individuals must adopt sustainable PPE options to reduce environmental harm.

👉 Choosing compostable PPE solutions is a simple yet powerful way to protect both people and the planet.

 

FAQs About PPE Waste and Eco-Friendly Alternatives

  1. Why has PPE waste increased so much recently?
    The COVID-19 pandemic caused a surge in disposable PPE use across healthcare, foodservice, and hospitality industries.
  2. How long do traditional plastic gloves take to decompose?
    They can take over 500 years to break down in landfills, contributing to long-term pollution.

  3. What impact does PPE waste have on oceans?
    It harms marine life, disrupts ecosystems, and adds to the global plastic pollution crisis.

  4. Are eco-friendly gloves as effective as plastic gloves?
    Yes. Compostable gloves from Eco Gloves offer the same functionality while breaking down into organic material in about 90 days.

  5. Can compostable gloves help reduce plastic waste?
    Absolutely. They divert PPE waste from landfills and oceans, reducing the overall environmental footprint.

  6. What role can businesses play in reducing PPE pollution?
    By switching to certified compostable PPE, implementing sustainable procurement policies, and educating staff on eco-friendly disposal.


 

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