Help improve the environment with GloveOn Avalon biodegradable gloves. Designed to break down normal nitrile gloves in landfill settings, these gloves will take years rather than decades to completely biodegrade. Our unique formulation maintains the high levels of strength and flexibility you’d expect in a nitrile glove, while only allowing the biodegradation process to start once in landfill conditions. Feel confident that GloveOn Avalon will give you the protection you need and help you do your bit for the environment.
- Biodegrades in landfill conditions
- Fingertip textured
- Powder free
- Not made with natural rubber latex
- Chemo drugs tested
- Lab chemical tested
- Ambidextrous
- Standard cuff
- Violet blue colour
Temperature, moisture, pH levels and oxygen content are all important environmental factors to consider when looking at the biodegradation of plastics (Emadian et al. 2017). GloveOn Avalon has been specially formulated to include an organic additive which attracts microbes found exclusively in landfill and anaerobic digester environments that break down their polymers naturally through mineralisation.
GloveOn Avalon gloves will not biodegrade prior to disposal. Our unique formulation has been created so that the biodegradation process only begins once the gloves are surrounded by microbes present in landfill environments. This ensures GloveOn Avalon gloves have a shelf life of up to 3 years.
GloveOn Avalon has also been created and tested to well exceed international standards for tensile strength and force at break, making them versatile for a range of applications. They have also been certified for food handling and proven to be non-irritating and non-sensitising on skin.
1. How does Gloveon Avalon biodegrade
The organic additive in GloveOn Avalon attracts microorganisms present in landfills onto the glove and facilitates the production of enzymes which together with the microbes metabolise the glove. This mineralisation process converts nutrients (i.e. carbon) in the glove into CO2, H2O, CH4 (methane) and other inorganics.
2. Where is the organic additive applied to the gloves
As the additive has been incorporated into the formulation of GloveOn Avalon, it is present throughout the entire glove. This ensures that microorganisms are attracted to mineralise all parts of the glove, not just the outer layer, which would be the case if the additive was only applied to the surface.
3. How is the biodegradation process measured
Using the international standards ASTM D5511 and ASTM D5526, the conversion of carbon within the glove into biogas is used to measure the rate of biodegradation. ASTM D5511 shows the level at which the biodegradation process would happen in ideal anaerobic conditions. ASTM D5526 shows the biodegradation level in more real-world circumstances (i.e. landfill). As microbes will use carbon for growth and reproduction, the biodegradation rates shown in tests for both standards will not reach 100%, even though the material is fully biodegraded.
4. Does Gloveon Avalon have a shorter shelf life
No, GloveOn Avalon has the same shelf life as other conventional nitrile gloves. These gloves will only start to biodegrade in an active microbial landfill environment.
5. What’s the best way to dispose of Gloveon Avalon when I’ve finished using them
When using GloveOn Avalon for a clinical purpose, these gloves should be disposed of with all other clinical waste. If you have used them for any other purpose, they should be put in with the general waste stream.
6. Can they be composted
As GloveOn Avalon is still made from synthetic polymer (nitrile), they are not able to be composted at home or in an industrial composter. Like recycling, if they are placed in a compost bin they will act as a contaminant to the end product (compost).
7. Are they safe
Yes! GloveOn Avalon has been biocompatibility tested to show they are safe for use against various contacts, such as skin and oral, in clinical and non-clinical environments. It is also safer for the environment as no toxic residue is left after the biodegradation process.
8. Is GloveOn Avalon safe to use with food
Yes, GloveOn Avalon has been deemed food safe in compliance with European regulations and HACCP Australia.
9. What are the determinants for a faster or slower biodegradation
Actual rate of biodegradation will vary dependent upon environmental conditions and the biological activity of microorganisms surrounding the synthetic polymer.
10. What is mineralisation
This process decomposes organic compounds to release nutrients (i.e. carbon) in the glove into CO2, H2O, and other inorganics.
11. Will these gloves breakdown while in stock
No, GloveOn Avalon has been designed to only attract microbes from an active microbial environment (such as a landfill) for biodegradation. Warehouses, offices and store shelves are not considered such environments.
12. Do synthetic polymers biodegrade
Although carbon is a great nutrient source for microorganisms, the long chains in synthetic polymers make it difficult for them to be metabolised by microorganisms. Biodegradation of these polymers can be accelerated through the use of organic additives which attract certain microbes in landfill environments.
13. What is the difference between biodegradable plastic, compostable plastic and degradable plastic
Biodegradable Plastic: When plastic (or any other material) degrades from the action of naturally occurring microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi and algae. Biodegradation can occur in either aerobic (with oxygen) or anaerobic (without oxygen) environments.
Compostable Plastic: Capable of undergoing biological decomposition in an industrial compost environment to the point that the plastic is not visually distinguishable and breaks down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass in a time frame similar to other organic materials.
Degradable Plastic: A plastic designed to undergo a significant change in its chemical structure under specific environmental conditions resulting in a loss of physical properties. This degradation can be initiated by oxygen, ultra-violet light or heat. In many cases these products begin to degrade the moment they are manufactured which leads to a shortened useful life.