How to Save Money When Buying latex vs nitrile gloves
Suggestions to Save Money on Disposable Gloves
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These are some suggestions to save money on Disposable Gloves because of the high-prices created by the Covid-19 virus crisis.
Thousands of companies and millions of workers have had to not only search for new sources of disposable gloves due to shortages but have had to spend limitless time to search for better prices. This was caused by the new unexpected demand for disposable gloves to help prevent and contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus droplets. This virus is also known as: Coronavirus Disease .
First, a little background on disposable gloves and why the shortage and prices of these gloves have become problematic.
I should first explain that I developed a few types of gloves to help combat problems due to wearing gloves because of the glove problems created in the late s by the HIV AIDS virus issue. At that time, people including millions of healthcare workers had to wear gloves that they never had to wear before this blood-borne pathogen became a problem. Thats when problems associated with wearing gloves arose. It was because of this HIV Virus also known as: Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
The first glove I developed due to my medical device background was a high-performance polyurethane glove that was totally bio-compatible, hypoallergenic, and exceptionally thin (1.2 mil) for a glove at this time.
The next glove that I developed was a special protective nylon glove liner which created a barrier to latex (proteins), rubber and plastic gloves. The glove liners, still popular to this day, serve to help many glove users who have problems with wearing gloves for long periods. You can view them at this link for those who need some relief when using disposable gloves. I will cover the liners in a new post.
Why Disposable Glove prices have dramatically increased.
The answer is simple. Unmet demand from the glove factories in Asia due to the factory shut downs caused by the virus coupled with the lack of raw materials for the same reason. This has led to prices increases over 1,000 percent.
Nitrile vs. Latex:
Nitrile gloves have become the most common disposable gloves principally used in healthcare settings due to the problems with latex allergens. Nitrile gloves are also more effective against common chemicals unlike latex and they are much stronger than latex rubber gloves. However, nitrile gloves have been more unpredictable in regards to availability and pricing recently due to raw material issues.
Vinyl (PVC) Gloves
Vinyl Gloves are very popular but not used in healthcare settings due to the stringent FDA requirements. However, they are generally considered safe for most all applications since they are form fitting like Nitrile and Latex gloves.
PE (Polyethylene) Gloves
PE Gloves which are commonly used in food service are also known as cafeteria gloves. They are not form fitting like Nitrile or Latex Gloves but they are very thin and some versions even come with an embossed surface for better gripping.
Costs:
To give everyone a general idea about costs, see these examples by Case (Best) pricing:
Nitrile: ~ $0.51/Pair
Contact us to discuss your requirements of latex vs nitrile gloves. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Latex: ~$0.31/Pair
Vinyl: ~ $0.21/Pair
PE Gloves: Less than $0.01/Pair
Conclusion:
Most users rarely think about looking for alternate choices in a Disposable Glove and I hope this brief gives you some help and insight on some options. Therefore, depending on your application and use, you can easily switch to an alternate model while keeping safety in mind and reduce your costs while accessing more purchasing options.
Link: Disposable Gloves
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Joe McGarry
The Glove Guru
How to Avoid the Price Explosion in Disposable Gloves
How to Avoid the Price Explosion in Disposable Gloves
In todays world, disposable gloves have become both increasingly scarce and expensive, making alternatives more necessary than ever.
We are living in unpredictable times, so you may need new solutions to keep workers safe without disrupting your companys bottom line. The price explosion in disposable gloves is a recent problem that could use some creative thinking.
Why Have Disposable Glove Prices Exploded?
The disposable glove market recently experienced what could be called a perfect storm of issues. Rubber trees are the source of materials that are used in disposable gloves, like latex and nitrile. These trees only grow in hot, tropical climates, so single-use latex and nitrile gloves are exported almost exclusively from the two countries with the majority of the rubber tradeMalaysia and China.
The sudden, extreme increase in disposable glove demand because of COVID-19 combined with high virus cases in China and Malaysia early in the pandemic initially caused shutdowns, then a slow return to production. As many countries are still struggling with the virus, these materials are less available than ever, causing prices to shoot up as much as 300 percent. In some cases, the prices have increased a whopping 1,200 percent. If buyers dont increase their bids and pay the higher prices, materials for disposable PPE go to higher bidders. There have even been reports of cash buyers jumping ahead of the line to buy large amounts of stock so they can resell it at inflated prices.
While the answer in normal times is to simply jump to another supplier who can offer a better price, in this case, all disposable glove suppliers are in the same situation. Prices are in a constant state of flux as buyers are forced to pay market price when their products are shipped rather than upon order. So, if the price is higher at shipment than it was when they originally placed the order, the buyers have to absorb the additional cost. Unfortunately, this situation is expected to persist through .
Disposable Gloves that Wont Break Your Budget
Fortunately, you do have options! To begin, review the disposable gloves and other items youre used to buying. Many companies switched to using nitrile gloves when latex allergies became common. However, nitrile glove prices have been more volatile recently because of raw material shortages. This is the area in which we have seen price increases of 1,000 percent or even higher. A solution to this issue is to review your nitrile glove applications to see if you can substitute another type of glove without impacting your safety or your processes.
This article originally appeared in the January/February issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
For more are vinyl gloves safeinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.