11/10 -There’s nothing worse than facing a huge pile of dishes without something to protect the delicate skin on your hands – which is exactly why you need a pair of eco friendly rubber gloves! While cheap synthetic rubber gloves might be tempting, the effects of synthetic rubber on the earth simply isn’t worth it. A pair of natural rubber gloves work just as well – minus all the gross materials!
Why Switch to Eco Friendly Rubber Gloves?
Synthetic rubber is no better for the environment than plastic. About 60% of all the rubber in the world is synthetic, with petroleum as the main ingredient. When we create synthetic rubber, we release harmful soot into the atmosphere.
Beyond production, when synthetic rubber decomposes it leaches hazardous materials into the earth and nearby environment. The materials can even kill nearby aquatic life, like algae, fish, and snails.
Although the negative impacts of synthetic rubber are awful, it’s also important to be thoughtful about how natural rubber is sourced. To grow rubber trees, the environment must be hot and damp. Southeast Asia produces the vast majority of rubber trees, and the production of natural rubber is expected to become the main cause of deforestation on the continent.
Per the World Wildlife Fund, more responsible natural rubber production comes from trees grown on low-quality, degraded land. This is the best alternative to what is currently the norm, where high-quality natural forests are being cleared for natural rubber tree growing. While it can be hard to find out exactly where companies source their natural rubber, it’s beginning to be more commonly discussed.
The Best Eco Friendly Rubber Gloves
If You Care Latex Gloves
These gloves have an ethically sourced, fair trade natural rubber exterior and 100% cotton interior, keeping your hands dry without getting clammy. They come in a paper box that you can recycle. At end of useful life, you can compost the gloves entirely – just cut them up into small pieces and add them to your backyard compost bin. Since they’re coming from Package Free Shop, they will also ship entirely plastic free.
Full Circle Home Splash Patrol Natural Latex Gloves
These heavy-duty gloves are perfect for any size clean-up job. They have a 100% natural latex exterior and an interior lining that is a blend of plant-based nylon and rayon. They also include 100% cotton cuffs which keep any excess water away from your arms. Full Circle Home is a certified B Corp, which means they pass intensive standards to show their commitment to the environment. They are also an entirely plastic neutral company as they work with Plastic Bank to reduce, reuse, and offset what plastic they do use.
Have you tried eco friendly rubber gloves before? Let me know what brands you recommend in the comments below! You can learn to make your own DIY cleaning spray to use with your natural rubber gloves here.
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