Biodegradable disposable gloves ‘a growing trend’ in PPE

The poster is available to download in English in both PNG and PDF formats here

Compostable and biodegradable PPE are said to be rapidly growing trends internationally, lead by brands like Showa and HaPPE Earth.

The nova-Institut für politische und ökologische Innovation GmbH in Hürth, Germany, has published an updated version of its poster, 'Biodegradable Polymers in Various Environments', and project manager Kristijan Mršić told S&V Protect that several of these polymers have potential applications in footwear and PPE, depending on the performance requirements.

'PBS, PBSA, PLA, PCL, and cellulose-based materials are the most plausible candidates, while PBAT and starch blends are often more useful as flexible or compostable components rather than stand-alone high-performance PPE materials. Current commercial adoption is clearest in PPE, especially biodegradable disposable gloves, while footwear use exists but is still mostly niche or component-based, with examples such as biodegradable toe puffs, heel counters, and experimental or early-stage biodegradable insoles.'

FoamPrint3D is an example of biodegradable polymer use in industrial applications: https://www.foamprint3d.com/ (Custom bio-foams for inlays in shoes)

Balena uses biomaterials for high-performance materials in sneakers: https://renewable-carbon.eu/news/balenas-biocir-flex-debuts-in-stella-mccartneys-s-wave/

In research an example is the TU Graz, they try to replace fossil foam with one made from cellulose: https://renewable-carbon.eu/news/cellulose-instead-of-crude-oil-team-with-participation-of-tu-graz-develops-sustainable-foams/

EBT biodegradable gloves https://www.showagroup.com/us-en/technologies/ebt-biodegradable-technology/