Single-use gloves made from synthetic materials such as latex, nitrile, and vinyl have financial, environmental, and health impacts. While gloves are essential in some clinical situations, they are often used when hand hygiene alone would be more appropriate. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, unnecessary glove use has increased significantly, despite evidence showing that hand hygiene remains the safest and most effective infection prevention measure.
The environmental impact of glove use is substantial. The carbon footprint of a single nitrile glove is nearly four times greater than that of a 20-second handwash and ten times greater than using 3 mL of alcohol-based hand rub. Inappropriate glove use can also create a false sense of security, increasing the risk of cross-contamination for patients and healthcare workers.
CASCADES offers evidence-based resources on this webpage to support healthcare teams in implementing appropriate glove use practices and other sustainable healthcare change ideas that promote safe, high-quality care while reducing environmental impact.
Slide deck: Gloves Off Campaign Presentation (Slide deck)
Launched in fall 2023 in collaboration with the Réseau d’Action pour la Santé Durable du Québec (RASDQ), the Association québécoise des médecins pour l’environnement (AQME), Synergie Santé Environnement (SSE) and CASCADES, and with the support of the Association des médecins d’urgence du Québec (AMUQ) and Choisir avec soin, the “Les Gants, pas tout le temps” campaign aims to raise awareness among healthcare personnel of the appropriate use of gloves, as proposed by the WHO in the information sheet on glove use.
Suggested Citation:
Cruz, A, Simms, N, Ritcey, G, MacNeill, A, Miller, F. Sustainability Embedded Quality Improvement (SE-QI). Version 1.0. [Internet]. CASCADES; 2026 [cited DATE]. Available from: https://cascadescanada.ca/.
WHO is calling on all civil society organizations and other partner organizations to engage with the campaign and accelerate progress at achieving effective hand hygiene at point of care!
The Lead Nurse for Infection Prevention and Control and two Lead Practice Educators at Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (GOSH) addressed the over-use of non-sterile gloves through education and training. This has improved patient safety and experience and staff are now following evidence-based practice rather than wearing gloves out of habit.
This webinar, hosted by CASCADES and the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, explored approaches used by organizations to address unnecessary glove use. Manufactured from synthetic materials such as latex, nitrile, or vinyl, single-use gloves carry financial costs as well as environmental and health impacts. During the session, representatives from the NHS, British Columbia, and Quebec provided an in-depth overview of the development of their initiatives to promote appropriate glove use in health care settings.
This video is shared by the Royal College of Nursing as part of the Quebec campaign “les Gants, pas tout le temps!” In 2022, the UK’s Royal College of Nursing (RCN) launched the Glove Awareness Week with the aim of raising awareness among healthcare workers of the environmental impact of unnecessary glove use, and offering tips and tricks to limit unnecessary glove consumption and thus contribute to a more sustainable health
Ecovamed publishes a first comparative study on the carbon footprint of nitrile gloves depending on the production country, and the correlation with its Environmental Label of Origin
Launched in fall 2023 in collaboration with the Réseau d’Action pour la Santé Durable du Québec (RASDQ), the Association québécoise des médecins pour l’environnement (AQME), Synergie Santé Environnement (SSE) and CASCADES, and with the support of the Association des médecins d’urgence du Québec (AMUQ) and Choisir avec soin, the “Les Gants, pas tout le temps” campaign aims to raise awareness among healthcare personnel of the appropriate use of gloves, as proposed by the WHO in the information sheet on glove use.
