Guide: Responsibility and Quality in Disposable Gloves
Price is often the deciding factor in glove procurement. However, choosing based solely on price increases the risk for users, compliance, and your organization. This guide explains where responsibility and quality make a difference.
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Responsibility has no finish line
Watch as our in-house expert and Global Category Manager, Andreas Kjær Bisgaard, explains why disposable gloves cannot be described as sustainable and where responsibility can realistically be improved in glove production.
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Why glove procurement is more complex than it looks
Comparing disposable gloves can be challenging. Many look identical, and the most important quality differences are not visible at first glance. But those hidden factors matter in daily use. Materials, production processes, quality control, and compliance with standards affect fit, comfort, barrier protection, and reliability. In healthcare and other hygiene-critical environments, gloves are not interchangeable. Consistent performance and documented compliance help reduce risk and support safer, more predictable workflows.
- Quality is proven by documentation, not appearance
- Consistency between batches impacts real-world use
- Standards and testing help confirm the right protection level
Better procurement starts with proof
In our whitepaper, you will find a comprehensive nine-step checklist to guide you towards better glove procurement.
Protect users with the right standards
Reduce audit and documentation risk
Understand responsible production
Uncover total cost, not just unit price
"Cheap gloves are a good idea short-term, and a very bad idea long-term."
- Line Callesen, Product Manager at ABENA"The central message remains simple. Prices are easy to compare. Protection, ethics, and reliability require deeper attention."
- Andreas Kjær Bisgaard, Global Category Manager at ABENAPrice alone does not define value
After COVID-19, disposable gloves became widely available as consumer products. That shift increased price pressure and has contributed to greater variation in quality across the market. However, consumer-grade gloves are not designed to meet the same requirements as gloves used in clinical or controlled environments. Therefore, procurement decisions should be based on verified performance and documentation, not unit price alone.
In healthcare and food production, disposable gloves are purchased in high volumes, making unit price the easiest metric for comparison. The problem is that the most important quality factors are not visible during a quick check. You usually notice the problems later, when gloves tear, feel inconsistent, don’t fit well, or when documentation is missing during an audit.
What you get in the guide
You will get practical guidance to support a shift from price-based to value-based procurement, and learn:
- Why gloves should not be treated as simple commodities
- How to start value-based procurement with our nine-step checklist
- How AQL, EN, and ISO standards work - and what they don't tell you
- What responsible glove production looks like in practice
- How quality affects consumption, waste, and total cost
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