How to Save Money When Buying vinyl or nitrile gloves

In the realm of single-use personal protective equipment (PPE), cost is often a primary consideration. However, focusing solely on the price of disposable gloves can lead to significant hidden costs and risks. 

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A recently published article in the Journal of Food Protection emphasises that choosing gloves based on low cost is a risky procurement strategy. Glove contamination from cost-cutting manufacturing steps has been shown to contaminate food, endanger consumers, and cause product recalls.

This blog explores why the true value of disposable gloves extends beyond their price tag, underscoring the potential hazards of opting for cheaper alternatives and the advantages of prioritising quality and ethical sourcing. 

 

How Can Gloves Be So Cheap?

With raw materials and factory expenses accounting for 70% of the total cost of a glove, substantial cost savings can only be made in these two areas. It's crucial to understand the full risks and true cost implications of cheap gloves when making informed purchasing decisions.

Key Factors Affecting Glove Costs & Areas of Cost-Cutting: Raw Materials and Factory Expenses

Cheap Raw Materials

1. Ripped Gloves:

   Cheap raw materials and fillers

   added during manufacturing will reduce cost and increase glove thickness, but also make gloves weaker and prone to frequent tearing. Read more about the 

   risks of ripped gloves

   .  

2. 40% Usage Increase

   : Due to rips, holes, and the need to double glove, cheaply made gloves immediately

   negate any short-term cost savings

   . 

3. Reduced Worker Efficiency

   : Time is wasted swapping ripped gloves, and production lines are affected by foreign material (glove pieces) contaminants.

4. Food Safety Implications

   : Cheap gloves can contain toxic compounds that can contaminate food (such as phthalates, BPA, and PFAS). Combined with poor hand hygiene and glove juice,

   a ripped glove can risk microbial and chemical contamination

   & a major product recall.

5. Skin issues and muscle injury.

   Cheap toxic compounds

   can cause skin irritation to glove wearers

   , who can also suffer from muscle damage as gloves are made thicker and less elastic from filler use, increasing muscle strain. 

Poor Factory Standards

 

1. Food Safety Implications from Contaminated Water

   : Glove manufacturing uses significant amounts of hot water which is costly. To reduce cost, cheap water sources contaminated with animal and human sewage, fertilisers, pesticides and industrial wastewater can be used, heated insufficiently to kill microbes, risking pathogen contamination.

2. Energy

   : Dirty wash tanks and poor environmental practices are other ways to save costs. Additionally, insufficient drying methods save money but can cause mould and fungus to form.

3. Labour

   : Glove manufacturing is notorious for labour violations, poor wages and poor living standards.

4. Gloves per box:

   A well-known method by manufacturers of reducing costs is to include up to 5-10 fewer gloves per box, and/or include several defective gloves. 

Read more for a detailed explanation of the cost-cutting manufacturing steps at the critical control points of glove production.

 

What Can You Do?!

Cheap gloves might seem like a cost-saving option, but they can ultimately be a poor investment. Protect your business by sourcing gloves from reputable suppliers with robust quality assurance and responsible sourcing certifications. Before purchasing, consider these factors:

• Supplier Reputation

  : Do they have a strong history and experience in glove sourcing?

• Online Presence

  : Is there a well-established website, including a blog, published articles, and active social media?

• Customer Feedback

  : Are testimonials and references readily available?

  For more vinyl or nitrile glovesinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

• Educational Resources

  : Are there online resources for learning about glove quality and safety?

• Quality Assurance

  : Request factory audits and HACCP compliance certifications.

• Product Trials

  : Ensure you can trial glove samples before committing to a purchase.

• Glove Type

  : Be cautious of vinyl/nitrile mixed gloves marketed as nitrile&#;sample before buying. Consider the food safety, wearer comfort, and environmental impact of vinyl gloves before purchasing.

 

More about Eagle Protect 

Since certifying as a B Corporation&#; in , Eagle Protect has remained committed to responsible sourcing and a transparent supply chain, ensuring environmental and social impacts are thoroughly assessed.

We partner with businesses that prioritise quality, reputation, staff, and customers by sourcing disposable gloves and clothing responsibly.

Our high-quality products make us the perfect match for your needs. Contact our Eagle experts today for more information about our ethically sourced products or for assistance in selecting the best PPE for your food or medical business.

Learn more about the advantages of sourcing from Eagle Protect and how we set the industry standard with our five points of difference, including our proprietary Delta Zero&#;, a third-party glove quality verification system that ensures our range of Eagle gloves consistently meets high-quality specifications and safety standards.

These are some suggestions to save money on Disposable Gloves because of the high-prices created by the Covid-19 virus crisis.

Thousands of companies and millions of workers have had to not only search for new sources of disposable gloves due to shortages but have had to spend limitless time to search for better prices. This was caused by the new unexpected demand for disposable gloves to help prevent and contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus droplets. This virus is also known as: Coronavirus Disease .

First, a little background on disposable gloves and why the shortage and prices of these gloves have become problematic.

I should first explain that I developed a few types of gloves to help combat problems due to wearing gloves because of the glove problems created in the late &#;s by the HIV AIDS virus issue. At that time, people including millions of healthcare workers had to wear gloves that they never had to wear before this blood-borne pathogen became a problem. That&#;s when problems associated with wearing gloves arose. It was because of this HIV Virus also known as: Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

The first glove I developed due to my medical device background was a high-performance polyurethane glove that was totally bio-compatible, hypoallergenic, and exceptionally thin (1.2 mil) for a glove at this time.

The next glove that I developed was a special protective nylon glove liner which created a barrier to latex (proteins), rubber and plastic gloves. The glove liners, still popular to this day, serve to help many glove users who have problems with wearing gloves for long periods. You can view them at this link for those who need some relief when using disposable gloves. I will cover the liners in a new post.

Why Disposable Glove prices have dramatically increased.

The answer is simple. Unmet demand from the glove factories in Asia due to the factory shut downs caused by the virus coupled with the lack of raw materials for the same reason. This has led to prices increases over 1,000 percent.

Nitrile vs. Latex:

Nitrile gloves have become the most common disposable gloves principally used in healthcare settings due to the problems with latex allergens. Nitrile gloves are also more effective against common chemicals unlike latex and they are much stronger than latex rubber gloves. However, nitrile gloves have been more unpredictable in regards to availability and pricing recently due to raw material issues.

Vinyl (PVC) Gloves

Vinyl Gloves are very popular but not used in healthcare settings due to the stringent FDA requirements. However, they are generally considered safe for most all applications since they are form fitting like Nitrile and Latex gloves.

PE (Polyethylene) Gloves

PE Gloves which are commonly used in food service are also known as cafeteria gloves. They are not form fitting like Nitrile or Latex Gloves but they are very thin and some versions even come with an embossed surface for better gripping.

Costs:

To give everyone a general idea about costs, see these examples by Case (Best) pricing:

Nitrile: ~ $0.51/Pair

Latex: ~$0.31/Pair

Vinyl: ~ $0.21/Pair

PE Gloves: Less than $0.01/Pair

Conclusion:

Most users rarely think about looking for alternate choices in a Disposable Glove and I hope this brief gives you some help and insight on some options. Therefore, depending on your application and use, you can easily switch to an alternate model while keeping safety in mind and reduce your costs while accessing more purchasing options.

Link: Disposable Gloves

Thank you for subscribing,

Joe McGarry

The Glove Guru

For more information, please visit 9 mil black nitrile gloves.