Of all the types of disposable gloves, the pricing for poly gloves offers arguably the best value for money. In addition to complete protection, poly gloves offer you benefits like quality material and easy usage.
Usually, poly gloves are best for people whose jobs require only a short period of protection. For instance, poly gloves are a common fixture in the food industry.
For food workers, using poly gloves prevents hand contact with food items. Hence, they do not contaminate food items. Poly gloves are also a cost-effective option to latex disposable gloves.
Latex gloves often contain powder to help reduce friction. But, some people develop allergies to this kind of powder. As a result, they will suffer irritations after using latex gloves. This is not the case with poly gloves. Poly gloves are clear and powder-free. Not only do poly gloves prevent allergic reactions, but they are also easy to use.
Although they are mostly affordable, the pricing for poly gloves has seen an upturn over the past few years. This increase in the cost of poly gloves is due to manufacturing and environmental factors. However, there are other factors that affect the cost of poly gloves.
In this article, we will extensively discuss the factors that affect the cost of poly gloves. Also, we discuss everything that you need to know about poly gloves.
What are Poly Gloves?
In 1898, a German scientist, Hans von Pechmann, mistakenly created a polymer from ethylene. Likewise, in 1993, Eric Fawcett and Reginald Gibson created the same type of polymer.
This polymer is polyethylene, a very important material in producing poly gloves. Polyethylene is a polymer of ethylene and a thermoplastic that forms various shapes after cooling.
In fact, polyethylene is useful for making food wraps, shopping bags and detergent bottles. Also, some producers spin polyethylene into synthetic fibres to give it elastic properties like rubber.
Thanks to the composition of polyethylene present, poly gloves can offer unique benefits. For instance, when comparing polyethylene(P.E) to polyurethane (P.U), polyethylene offers good moisture resistance. It is why polyethylene is important in producing analytical instrumentation,
cable jacketing and pneumatic controls.
Also, polyethylene pipes are chemical resistant, corrosion-resistant and exhibit high strength. The same goes for poly gloves. Usually, these gloves can come in different densities:
Low-density polythene
In 1939, low-density polyethylene was first used during world war II as radar cable and insulators. But today, low-density polyethylene is used in making dispensing bottles, plastic grocery and disposable gloves.
Furthermore, low-density polyethylene has non-leaching properties. It means that it does not release harmful chemicals into foods. It is for this reason that food services use them more.
High-Density Polyethylene
High-density polyethylene is harder, more opaque and of tougher materials. Whether low density or high-density poly gloves, they are both highly durable.
Related Article: How To Protect Yourself with Disposable Gloves in Miami
Why Do I Need Poly Gloves?
Although the pricing of poly gloves may be very affordable, it does not mean it is of low quality. In fact, poly gloves have the best quality-pricing ratio.
That said, working with poly gloves is easier as your fingers have enough space to manoeuvre. Also, you can use poly gloves for dirty tasks as you can easily do away with them after usage. Hence, they are easily replaceable.
The Cost of Poly Gloves
The cost of poly gloves can range from $5 to $10 per unit. However, there are several factors that can affect the pricing of poly gloves.
They vary from location, cost of material and season of the year. Not to worry too much, we shall look at each factor that can affect the pricing of poly gloves.
Supply and demand
It is not news that since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, disposing gloves have been in high demand. According to a report by the Wexner Medical Centre in Ohio State University, wearing gloves can help reduce the spread of Coronavirus.
This is because contact with infected surfaces can spread the virus. But, wearing gloves will greatly prevent contact with infected surfaces.
This in turn has increased the high demand for gloves worldwide. Hence, the current high price of poly gloves.
According to GlobeNewsWire, the global disposable gloves market was capped at $6,858 million in 2019. Most experts also expect this number to triple by 2027.
With this, lots of manufacturers have been selling greatly and at a high cost and gaining profits significantly. Likewise, if there is a decline in the number of COVID-19 infected people, the pricing for poly gloves will reduce.
Production cost and capacity
Another factor that can affect poly gloves pricing is production cost and capacity. Recently, there has been an increase in the price of ethylene. This may be attributed to the high upturn in the usage of gloves by medical practitioners.
But then, manufacturers will have to keep up with the high demand and still purchase ethylene. This will definitely increase the pricing for poly gloves too.
On the other hand, health and societal restrictions allow only a few workers in the manufacturing companies. Also, companies must procure COVID testing kits to avoid the spread of the infection in their facility.
You will expect that the cost of poly gloves too will increase. Similarly, the cost of poly gloves may reduce with the proper circulation of gloves.
Raw materials
So far, there has been a shortage of raw materials that are used to produce gloves. Experts think that this scarcity of raw materials will last for two or more years, depending on how we tackle it.
To balance up, manufacturers have been installing more facilities to process raw material. Although, this is not an immediate solution. It will take around 18 months for them to be functional.
Nevertheless, these industries will spend more on raw materials and installing facilities. This in turn will affect the pricing of poly gloves.
Frequently Asked Questions on Poly Gloves
Below are answers to some common questions in relation to poly gloves:
Are poly gloves reusable?
No, they are not reusable. Once you use poly gloves, ensure you do away with them immediately. This is why they are light and often come in a pack.
How many pieces are there in a pack of poly gloves?
The number of pieces differs. Some packs have 200 pieces while others may contain up to 1000 pieces.
What makes a glove food-safe?
Poly gloves have non-leaching properties. It means that they do not shed harmful chemicals into food. Not only that, when food workers use poly gloves, there is no contact with food items. It is why you can eat healthy foods.
What does the AQL mean?
The Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) is an internationally accepted quality standard that all poly gloves must meet. It assesses the quality control of products and as such ensures 100% quality, every time.
When you see a batch of gloves with low AQL, there are chances that there are defects. For example, AQL 1.5 means there are 1.5% chances of a defect in a batch of gloves.
Do doctors use poly gloves?
No, doctors do not use poly gloves.
Are there allergic reactions when using poly gloves?
No, there are no allergic reactions. This is because poly gloves are powder-free. It is the powder in gloves that causes allergic reactions.
Can heavy metal workers use poly gloves?
No, poly gloves are not designed for this kind of work. There are other gloves that are designed for heavy metalworkers. Using poly gloves as a heavy metal worker may cause the glove to tear exposing your hands to injuries.
Related Article: Latex Disposable Gloves: Features, Efficacy, Benefits
To Sum It Up
The pricing of poly gloves is worth it seeing that it presents plenty of benefits. Depending on the manufacturer, the pricing of poly gloves can range from $5-$10 per unit.
Poly gloves are made from ethylene that offers plenty of water and chemical resistance. In light of that, your hands are totally safe when using poly gloves. Also, poly gloves offer you two types so you can choose from. They are the light-density poly gloves and the high-density poly gloves.
Here at Buy Gloves, we offer high-quality gloves that offer 100% safety every time. Check through our collections today!
