Our Sustainability Commitments:
Protect. Prove. Progress.
Protection is at the heart of SHIELD Scientific: protecting people, products and processes. We also recognise the environmental and social challenges facing the single-use protective glove industry. Our approach is to take action, measure our impact and share both our progress and the challenges that remain. This includes developing a decarbonisation roadmap, which we plan to publish in early 2027.
Protecting what matters. Facing what needs to change.
Our commitment to protection also means looking honestly at the impact of our industry. Manufacturing single-use protective gloves has a serious environmental impact. For example, in our 2023 product carbon footprint study, energy represented 37 to 63% of cradle-to-gate emissions across the gloves. We believe the responsible approach is to understand these impacts, act where we can and be transparent about our progress.
Measuring to understand. Understanding to progress.
Since 2022, we have used external assessments to better understand and improve our environmental and social practices, including how we manage our supply chain. These include EcoVadis assessments, as well as SMETA audits alongside our Sedex membership.
EcoVadis: assessing our sustainability management
EcoVadis assesses a company’s sustainability management system across four themes: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. After several Silver Medals, SHIELD Scientific achieved Gold in 2026 with an overall score of 81/100, up from 69/100 in 2025. This places us in the top 5% of companies assessed by EcoVadis over the previous 12 months, across all industries and not specifically within the glove industry. As a reminder, the EcoVadis Sustainability Rating is not a certification or product endorsement, and our scorecard is available on the EcoVadis platform and/or upon request.
Sedex and SMETA: assessing practices across our supply chain
We have been a Sedex member and have used SMETA audits since 2023 to better understand social, ethical and environmental practices within our supply chain. Our latest SMETA audit, completed in December 2025, used the SMETA 7.0 methodology, which introduced more detailed requirements and a stronger focus on management systems and the identification of potential risks. SMETA audits assess Labour Standards and Health and Safety and, in the four-pillar format, Environment and Business Ethics. Our latest SMETA audit report is available on request.
What our EcoVadis assessment tells us.
Our 2026 EcoVadis scorecard highlights areas where our sustainability management has strengthened, as well as opportunities for further improvement. Both matter: understanding our strengths and our gaps helps us decide where to focus next.
- Where our assessment highlights strengths
- Environmental management: stronger reporting on energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and waste, supported by measures addressing energy efficiency, waste management and carbon emissions.
- Sustainable procurement: more comprehensive policies covering environmental and social factors, supported by supplier communication and checks on suppliers’ sustainability management practices.
- Ethics: comprehensive policies covering ethics, corruption and information security, supported by whistleblowing procedures and awareness measures.
- Where we can improve further
- Environmental policy: formalise and document how our environmental policy is reviewed and updated.
- Environmental documentation and reporting: strengthen documentation and reporting in some areas of our environmental approach.
- Ethics: further document how our ethics policy is acknowledged and enforced internally.
Measuring the carbon footprint of our gloves
The same principle applies to our products: before we can identify where improvements may be possible, we need to measure. In 2023, EcovaMed assessed the Product Carbon Footprint of SHIELD Scientific gloves, using a cradle-to-gate approach and the GHG Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard.
What does the assessment tell us?
- Material matters, but it is not the only factor: The assessment confirms that there is no single carbon footprint for a protective glove. Material, glove weight, manufacturing energy, formulation and, where applicable, sterilisation all influence the result. In the study, the emission factor used for natural rubber latex was three times lower than that used for nitrile rubber, but material alone does not determine the footprint of a finished glove.
- Across the gloves assessed, raw materials and manufacturing energy are major contributors to the cradle-to-gate carbon footprint, although their relative contribution varies from one glove to another.
- At our request, EcovaMed also modelled three possible end-of-life scenarios separately from the cradle-to-gate assessment: incineration with energy recovery, landfill and recycling by cryogrinding. The results vary according to glove material and the assumptions applied. Within the scenarios modelled, natural latex gloves showed lower end-of-life greenhouse gas emissions than the nitrile gloves assessed. For the nitrile gloves assessed, recycling by cryogrinding could reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared with incineration with energy recovery under the conditions modelled. However, end of life cannot be considered independently of local circumstances. Waste management policies, available treatment and recycling routes, transport distances and the possibility of collecting suitable non-contaminated gloves vary between countries. This means that no single end-of-life option can be presented as universally preferable.
Individual Product Carbon Footprint data are available for the glove references assessed. Customers can request the relevant Carbon Footprint Certificate from SHIELD Scientific.
How glove quality can contribute to waste reduction
Waste reduction involves different levers across the life cycle of a single-use glove. Product quality is one of them. Our priority as a manufacturer is to provide reliable protection for the intended task. Designing gloves to reduce the risk of defects and premature failure may also help avoid unnecessary replacement and the waste it can generate.
Why is AQL important for single-use gloves?
AQL, or Acceptable Quality Level, is a statistical measure used to assess defects such as pinholes in a production batch. Put simply, the lower the AQL, the stricter the acceptance criteria and the lower the tolerated level of defects. SHIELD Scientific offers single-use gloves with an AQL of 0.25 according to ISO 374-2:2019.
twinSHIELD™: two layers designed for barrier reliability
Our twinSHIELD™ technology uses a double-dipping process to create two layers within the glove. This construction contributes to the AQL 0.25 achieved by the relevant twinSHIELD™ gloves and is designed to reduce the risk of pinholes.
The primary purpose is protection. From a waste perspective, the intention is also straightforward: a glove designed to maintain its integrity is less likely to need premature replacement because of a defect or failure. This is a design principle, not a claim that a specific reduction in glove consumption has been demonstrated.
The right glove, only when it is needed
This is not about compromising protection or asking users to use fewer gloves where gloves are required. It is a principle we apply as a manufacturer: designing appropriate protection, providing clear information to support glove selection and avoiding the promotion of unnecessary use or overspecification. Our glove selection approach is based on matching characteristics such as material, thickness, length and AQL to the identified risk and application.
Addressing environmental impact at production level
Our Product Carbon Footprint assessment shows that raw materials and the energy used in manufacturing are major contributors to the carbon footprint of our gloves. This makes production an important area for action. For many years, we have worked with our manufacturing partners to address environmental impacts associated with glove production.
A structured approach to environmental management
Our manufacturing partners are required to comply with the environmental regulations applicable to their operations, including Malaysia's Environmental Quality Act 1974 and related regulations.
Since 2020, SHIELD Scientific Malaysia has operated an ISO 14001:2015-certified environmental management system covering the production and warehouse management. This provides a structured framework for managing environmental responsibilities and supporting continual improvement.
Actions implemented by our manufacturing partners
- Energy efficiency: heat recovery and the introduction of LED lighting in packing areas.
- Wastewater management: treatment and monitoring of wastewater before discharge.
- Waste management: segregation of waste streams, together with recycling and reuse initiatives for materials such as packaging, plastics, containers, scrap metal and wood.
Progress means facing the challenges ahead
We do not pretend that the environmental and social challenges facing the single-use protective glove industry have been solved. Our materiality assessment helps us identify where our efforts need to focus, from product stewardship, decarbonisation and sustainable procurement to climate risk, pollution prevention, resource efficiency and circularity.
Since early 2025, we have been working with external specialists to develop our decarbonisation roadmap. This work is helping us structure and assess potential actions before defining the commitments we will communicate publicly. We plan to publish the final report and roadmap in early 2027.
These challenges cannot be addressed by SHIELD Scientific alone. Progress depends on collaboration across our entire value chain. From manufacturing and sourcing to distribution, transport and end-of-life solutions, meaningful progress requires action from different partners at different stages. These priorities are shaping our sustainability roadmap.
Our approach remains the same: understand, act where we can, measure progress and substantiate what we communicate. Protect. Prove. Progress.
There is no single characteristic that makes a glove “sustainable”. A glove’s impacts depend on multiple factors across its life cycle, including raw materials, the amount of material used, manufacturing processes and energy sources, transport, packaging, working conditions and end of life. Safety, quality and performance must also remain appropriate for the intended application. Rather than looking for a “sustainable glove”, buyers should compare specific, measurable information, such as product carbon footprint data, material and manufacturing characteristics, relevant environmental and social assessments, and realistic end-of-life options.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can assess several environmental impacts associated with a glove across its life cycle, such as climate change, resource use, eutrophication or impacts on ecosystems. A Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) focuses specifically on climate change by measuring greenhouse gas emissions in CO₂ equivalent (CO₂e). A PCF follows a life-cycle approach, but it should not be considered a full LCA.
A decarbonisation roadmap for the glove industry is a structured plan for identifying where greenhouse gas emissions occur across the value chain, defining priorities for reducing them and determining where action can be taken. For glove manufacturers, this may include raw materials, energy-intensive manufacturing, packaging and transport, as well as emissions associated with activities outside their direct operational control. A decarbonisation roadmap helps turn carbon footprint measurements into priorities and actions to support measurable progress over time.
Cradle-to-gate measures the greenhouse gas emissions associated with a glove from raw material production through manufacturing to the defined “gate”, excluding subsequent stages outside that boundary. Cradle-to-grave extends the assessment to later life-cycle stages, including end of life. Understanding the assessment boundary is essential when comparing Carbon Footprint data for different gloves.
Biogenic carbon is carbon originating from biological sources. In natural rubber latex, the carbon comes from atmospheric CO₂ captured by rubber trees during growth. This differs from the fossil carbon associated with petrochemical-based materials such as nitrile and can influence greenhouse gas calculations, particularly in some end-of-life scenarios.
Scope 3 covers indirect greenhouse gas emissions generated across a company’s value chain, rather than emissions produced directly by its own operations or from the energy it purchases. For a glove company, this may include emissions associated with raw materials, manufacturing carried out by production partners, transport and other upstream or downstream activities. This is why reducing Scope 3 emissions often requires collaboration across the value chain.
ANY QUESTIONS?
FAQ
Looking for answers about cleanroom gloves or laboratory gloves? This FAQ section covers key topics such as disposable glove usage, contamination control, hand protection and glove selection. Explore practical guidance or contact SHIELD Scientific to identify the most suitable solution for your cleanroom or laboratory application.
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