In a bid to keep up with the consumer's demand for innovative, eco-friendly solutions, the apparel and PPE industry has been on an innovative journey to create products that serve their purpose, while also contributing to environmental sustainability.
A prime example of this is our Skytec Eco range of work gloves, each one being made from recycled plastic bottles.
The Journey: From Bottle To Glove
The process of turning the humble discarded plastic bottle into a glove is one of innovation and transformation.
To begin, the discarded PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles are collected and cleaned, before being processed into find threads. These threads are then spun into yarns, which possess similar qualities to the more traditional material, polyester.
We’ll explore this process in a little more detail below.
Plastic bottle > Eco Gloves: How does it work?
It is actually fairly simple! The process of turning plastic bottles into sustainable gloves consists of five simple steps.
Collect > Shred > Melt > Spin > Wear
- Plastic bottles are collected from homes, businesses and other sites, before being directed from landfill and sent to a recycling facility
- The collected bottles are then shredded to make pellets
- These shredded pellets are melted, ready to be formed into a new material
- Once melted down, the material is spun onto reels, this thread is then used to create Skytec hand protection
- The final stage is the simplest, the finished gloves then just need to be worn to complete the journey!
Our eco-friendly gloves made from recycled plastic bottles include:
Skytec Eco Copper - Excellent dexterity, fit and comfort
Skytec Eco Bronze - Secure grip with excellent abrasion resistance
Skytec Eco Rhodium - Good abrasion and tear resistance, with a secure grip
Skytec Eco Nickel - Excellent freedom of movement and reduction of hand fatigue
Skytec Eco Chrome - Flexible, robust thermal work gloves
Skytec Eco Iridium - Nitrile foam-coated gloves with touchscreen capabilities
Unsure which of our eco-friendly work gloves best suits your needs?
Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
Environmental Benefits
The environmental advantages of turning discarded plastic bottles into a functional pair of work gloves are fairly self-explanatory.
Giving plastic waste a second life prevents it from ending up in landfills and oceans around the world. Given that it takes somewhere in the region of 450 years for a single plastic bottle to decompose in a landfill, every bottle converted into a pair of gloves and given a second life can be counted as an environmental win.
Additionally, the process of converting plastic bottles into workable yarn is typically more energy-efficient than creating virgin polyester. While this may be surprising to some, it means that gloves made in this way will usually have a lower carbon footprint than those made from virgin materials.
Benefits for the Consumer
Aside from the environmental considerations, the functionality of the final product must also be considered, and our range of Skytec Eco gloves does not disappoint!
From enhanced durability, and cut/tear resistance, to outstanding comfort and dexterity, there is something for everyone in this range. Please follow the links to the individual products above for full details.
Proud to be an Innovator
Here at Mstore, we’re proud to be able to offer our customers innovative and environmentally conscious hand protection solutions.
We hope that you will join us in supporting a sustainable approach to PPE. Small steps like these will eventually make a difference as we all strive towards a greener future.
For further information or advice, please do not hesitate to contact us.