Carbon versus Environmental Impact: Which helps you make a better sustainable choice between a natural rubber latex (NRL) and synthetic glove?
Far too often, decisions about which glove is the most sustainable choice for a healthcare facility are overly simplified, focusing mainly on biodegradability and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions referencing the product's carbon footprint. This narrow focus can lead to carbon tunnel vision, where broader environmental impacts are overlooked.
Choosing a glove based on its full environmental impact goes beyond just carbon or GHG emissions. Making sustainable glove choices requires considering the entire cradle-to-grave lifecycle—from material extraction and production (factoring in land occupation, marine ecotoxicity, and fossil fuel depletion for example) to manufacturing (water and energy use) and ultimately to packaging, distribution, and disposal. This 360-degree view captures a glove's comprehensive environmental footprint, not just its carbon emissions.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies will provide you with quantifiable outputs of a glove’s true environmental impact (see figure below). By comparing the LCAs of natural rubber latex and synthetic gloves, you can make more informed, sustainable decisions without compromising safety. LCA offers a powerful platform to balance performance, safety, and sustainability, ensuring a glove’s total environmental burden is considered.
LCA goes beyond a product’s carbon footprint (GHG emissions), covering 18 indicators of a glove’s environmental impact from cradle to grave.
A medical glove’s primary function is to protect both patients and healthcare workers. The evaluation of a glove's barrier properties and allergenic profiles must always be prioritized. Ensuring safety, health, and staff satisfaction should never be compromised when aligning with a hospital’s sustainability initiatives.
Don’t be caught with tunnel vision when sustainability is part of your decision making. Download this free white paper to get an evidence-based perspective of the true environmental impact of NRL vs synthetic gloves.