Open Door Mission Makes the Switch from Plastic Gloves to Eco Gloves 

Eco Gloves
Street view of a red brick building with large storefront windows, including signage for Open Door and GrazeSHOP DISPOSABLE GLOVES

While disposable glove use is common in the healthcare, hospitality and educational industries, one can’t forget the many uses it has for community care and public assistance organizations like Open Door Mission. Open Door Mission is a non-profit Rescue Shelter, Food Pantry, Code Blue Shelter, and Clothing Pantry that’s a source of life transportation to break the cycle of poverty for many down on their luck in Glens Falls, New York. For Open Door Mission the use of gloves brings about help in food preparation, handling of cleaning, and a myriad of other tasks that require contact with people or personal equipment. 

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A Conscious and Eco-Minded Non-Profit

Aside from caring for the immediate needs of their community, this shelter is doing its part to care for the environment. “We try to be conscious and mindful of our impact on the community as well as the environment.  We recycle, compost, use environmentally friendly products,” said Matthew, Director of Corporate Relations & Events at Open Door Mission. This non-profit has adopted eco-friendly practices like committing to only using eco-friendly laundry products, compostable dinnerware and flatware. They also have been working with a worm farm for composting since 2021 and have diverted 7,176.5 pounds of food waste from landfills. 

Making the Switch to Compostable Gloves

Child waiting at a food service counter as a volunteer wearing disposable gloves serves a sandwich, highlighting community care and hygiene.While the organization has tried to adopt as many eco-friendly practices as possible, they still had one area that they wanted to improve in–breaking away from the use of polluting plastic gloves and turning to compostable alternatives. “We want to help our guests and residents break the cycle of poverty and homelessness while creating the least environmental impact as possible through the use of composting and compostable products,” explained the Director. Open Door Mission was going through 500-700 gloves per month and they knew they had to make a change. “I’m sure it comes as no surprise that a mission uses a lot of gloves for food prep and handling of other personnel equipment, especially through the pandemic,” said the Director. That’s when they turned to Eco Gloves to make the switch to compostable gloves. 


An Eco-Friendly Future

Today Open Door Mission uses Eco Gloves for food preparation and handling, serving food, bag inspections, cleaning and special events. They have found the gloves have made a world of difference in their environmental impact since. But Open Door Mission’s work and care for the environment doesn’t stop there, they still have plans to do more. “We want to replace all disposable products with eco-friendly alternatives at all organizations with composting and renewable resources,” said Matthew. With organizations like Open Door Mission making eco-minded purchases and eco-friendly switches like this, there’s hope that all organizations may follow suit in years to come. 

To learn more about how you can support Open Door Mission, visit www.opendoor-ny.org.

 

Key Takeaways: Open Door Mission Makes the Switch from Plastic Gloves to Eco Gloves

  • Non-Profits Rely on Gloves Daily – From food prep to cleaning, disposable gloves are essential for community care organizations like Open Door Mission.
  • Commitment to Sustainability – The shelter actively recycles, composts, uses eco-friendly cleaning products, and partners with a worm farm to divert food waste from landfills.
  • Addressing Plastic Waste – Open Door Mission replaced traditional plastic gloves with compostable Eco Gloves to align with their environmental mission.
  • High Glove Usage – With 500–700 gloves used per month, the switch significantly reduced their environmental footprint.
  • Ongoing Eco Goals – The organization aims to replace all disposable products with eco-friendly alternatives and further integrate renewable resources.

👉 Choosing compostable gloves is a practical step for non-profits to protect both the community they serve and the planet they share.

Frequently Asked Questions About Compostable Gloves for Non-Profits

  1. Why did Open Door Mission switch from plastic gloves to Eco Gloves?
    To reduce environmental impact while maintaining hygiene and safety for food prep, cleaning, and community services.

  2. Are compostable gloves as durable as plastic gloves?
    Yes. Eco Gloves compostable gloves are designed to perform like traditional gloves while breaking down in composting environments.

  3. How many gloves does Open Door Mission use each month?
    They use approximately 500–700 gloves per month, making eco-friendly options an impactful choice.

  4. Where do used compostable gloves go?
    They can be processed in commercial composting facilities, turning into soil-enriching material instead of landfill waste.

  5. Can other non-profits benefit from switching to compostable gloves?
    Absolutely. Any organization with regular glove use can reduce waste and support sustainability by choosing compostable alternatives.

  6. Do compostable gloves cost more than plastic gloves?
    They may have a slightly higher upfront cost, but the environmental benefits and alignment with sustainability values can outweigh the difference.


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