Widespread use of non-sterile gloves in health care raises environmental concerns

The indiscriminate use of non-sterile gloves in hospitals and clinics is significantly adding to environmental pollution, with little evidence to prove that there are substantial benefits.

New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has highlighted the lack of evidence-based guidelines for the use of non-sterile gloves in health care nursing and other medical fields, which could be impacting patient outcomes, health care costs, and environmental sustainability in health care. The work is published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Lead author Dr. Natasya Raja Azlan noted that while non-sterile gloves are necessary when there is a risk of touching body fluids that could carry viruses or bacteria or hazardous medications, there is no evidence to support the use of gloves for activities like moving patients, feeding, or basic washing or preparing many medications.

“In fact, unnecessary glove use can be harmful. Staff are less likely to wash their hands, even though handwashing remains the best way to stop infections spreading. The result can be increased spread of harmful disease between vulnerable patients as well as health care staff,” Dr. Raja Azlan said.

Co-author Dr. Lesley Andrew added that the abundant use of non-sterile gloves was also contributing to the cost of health care, pointing out that one New South Wales hospital’s decision to cut back on the use of these gloves had saved $155,000 in a single year and reduced medical waste by 8 metric tons.

“The disposal of health care products represents 7% of Australia’s national total carbon emissions, only slightly less than the 10% attributed to all road vehicles. Manufacturing these gloves consumes fossil fuels, water, and energy, while their disposal, through incineration, can degrade air quality and release harmful chemicals. If sent to landfill, they may leach microparticles and heavy metals into soil and water systems, posing risks to both human health and the environment,” she added.

Dr. Raja Azlan noted that, despite non-sterile glove use being a common and routinely taught practice during intravenous antimicrobial preparation and administration, there are currently no evidence-based guidelines or protocols in place to support or standardize this aspect of nursing care.

This lack of evidence-based protocols has resulted in co-author Dr. Carol Crevacore calling for a review into this practice.

A new collaboration led by ECU across all Western Australian universities, TAFE institutions, and health care providers is re-evaluating how we educate future nurses and midwives, ensuring they are prepared to deliver evidence-based care in an environmentally sustainable way.