How we are drastically reducing our plastic use: Sustainable packaging for OXXA® work gloves

Reducing plastic use is a focus point at many companies. Also at OXXA®. We are aware of the impact of plastic on the environment and are therefore switching to using renewable alternatives. To achieve this, we are constantly rethinking our production processes and revising our packaging. We aim to completely minimize our plastic packaging and plastic waste. One of the ways we are doing this is by phasing in all of our work gloves with our new, more sustainable packaging.

(On the road to) plastic-free packaging
We are moving away from the plastic bag and individual instructions for use per pair of gloves. This will be replaced by a header card made of FSC-certified, recycled paper. Only the textile pin used to attach the header card to the glove is still made of plastic (for now). The challenge here is that it is mandatory to include an instruction manual with certified PPE. We solved this by printing the instruction manual in 4 languages on the inside of the header card.

We use a paper bundle wrap to hold the gloves together, where there are 6 or 12 pairs of gloves per bundle. A full instruction manual is included in each bundle, available in multiple languages. 

For every 10,000 pairs of gloves, we reduce our plastic consumption by 60 kg of plastic and our paper consumption by 100 kg.

Thanks to these modifications, we save significantly on waste. For every 10,000 pairs of gloves, we reduce consumption by 60 kg of plastic and 100 kg of paper. When you consider that we produce millions of pairs of gloves every year, the impact of this change is truly enormous.

Transition
Starting in June, the first items with the new header card will be available. We will then convert all relevant items to this more sustainable packaging in phases. Due to the already existing stock that has not yet been fitted with the new packaging, our customers may receive a mix of packaging types in the coming months. We are counting on the understanding of our customers to make this phased transition possible.

We believe it is important to take responsibility for our impact on the environment and contribute to a more sustainable future. Drastically reducing our plastic consumption is a big step in this. Launching a new, innovative line of items to further reduce our environmental impact is the next step.

Wondering how much you can save?
We would like to give you insight into the positive impact our new packaging has on the amount of plastic and paper you consume. We can accurately calculate how much paper and plastic you will save with these header cards!