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| Disposable gloves made of M∙VERA® for film applications |
Safety and hygiene generally have a high priority in modern society and are increasingly demanded in these times. When we go shopping, for example, we wear mouth and nose protectors, but many also want to protect their hands from contact with viruses. Disposable gloves would be a solution – but where to put all the waste? The company Plast-Farb Sp. Z.o.o. Sp. K. from Toruń, Poland, has given this matter some thought.
The company produces packaging materials such as security and courier envelopes, bags and security tapes, both in conventional quality and in environment-friendly, compostable versions. Disposable gloves were previously not part of the manufacturer’s portfolio, but the global demand for protective equipment for personal use gave the company the idea of also making a contribution here. The machine fleet was expanded at short notice with a new machine that can produce disposable gloves. But instead of the polyethylene commonly selected, the company wanted to use a material that is industrially compostable, because more and more consumers want alternatives to conventional plastic products, as the processor has come to know.
That is why the Cologne-based company BIO-FED was contacted. As a branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH, BIO-FED is the specialist for innovative and application-oriented biocompounds. Depending on the requirements profile, its compounds are either biodegradable in various environments or suitable for long-term use – and completely or partially made from renewable raw materials. Dr. Stanislaw Haftka, Head of Sales at BIO-FED, was able to recommend a film grade from the M∙VERA® portfolio which is not only industrially compostable but also has the necessary flexibility and strength for use as disposable gloves.
“Even after the situation returns to normal, we see numerous application possibilities for these gloves in a wide range of segments of the retail trade or in the home and garden sector,” says Agnieszka Kończal, a specialist for the distribution of the compostable packaging segment at Plast-Farb. “In this way, we can combine the requirements of hygiene and protection with environmental protection and thus considerably reduce the emission of greenhouse gases as well as the consumption of energy and resources.”
