Sustainable infection control – gloves off

Disposable gloves are an important contributor to the carbon footprint

A UK study found that the carbon footprint of personal protective equipment (PPE) is considerable (4). Disposable gloves comprised the largest proportion of this.

We estimate that the Norwegian healthcare services have an unnecessary consumption of between 70 and 175 million disposable gloves each year

Based on procurement figures, it was estimated that 300 million latex and nitrile gloves were used in the Norwegian healthcare services in 2019 (5). International studies and a small observational study carried out at Norwegian nursing homes found that in 24–58 % of the situations where gloves were used, there were no indications for glove use (6–9). Given a total consumption of 300 million disposable gloves, we estimate that the Norwegian healthcare services have an unnecessary consumption of between 70 and 175 million disposable gloves each year. This is equivalent to up to 1225 tons of superfluous waste annually.

We can also make a rough estimate based on procurement figures for hospitals in the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority that the total procurement of gloves for the primary and specialist health services rose from 300 million in 2019 to 400 million in 2023. We assume that this post-pandemic increase entails even greater over-consumption, as it cannot be explained by changes in guidelines.

Studies also show that overuse of gloves leads to reduced compliance with hand hygiene and consequently a decline in patient safety

PPE must be used when necessary to prevent the transfer of infection. However, the overuse of PPE such as gloves constitutes unnecessary use of resources and is an environmental burden. Studies also show that the overuse of gloves leads to reduced compliance with hand hygiene and consequently a decline in patient safety (6, 10). As well as focusing on the over-consumption of gloves in relation to current guidelines, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health is planning to conduct a critical review of indications for all PPE. The goal is to identify the potential for reducing use without increasing the infection risk.