Taking Circularity into Our Own Hands
Every day, thousands of disposable gloves are used across universities for cleaning, laboratory work, and catering. At Maastricht University (UM), those gloves now leave a much smaller footprint. Thanks to a collaboration with Asito, the cleaning company responsible for UM’s facilities, the university has switched to recyclable circular gloves developed by Gloovy.
By adopting circular gloves, UM takes another concrete step in its Sustainable UM 2030 roadmap, reducing emissions and embedding circularity into daily operations.
Closing the Loop on Waste
Traditional nitrile gloves are designed for single use and disposal, generating significant waste. Circular gloves change that story. After being used, they are collected separately on campus, returned to Asito’s recycling partner, and processed into granules. These granules then serve as raw material for new gloves, closing the loop and saving resources.
According to Asito, producing circular gloves generates 50% fewer emissions compared to traditional nitrile gloves. Across its operations in the Netherlands, switching to circular gloves can save around 83 tons of CO₂ each year. With full collection and recycling, the environmental benefit could rise to a 75% reduction in CO₂ emissions related to glove use.
Collaboration for Impact
The gloves were developed in collaboration with several major cleaning companies, including CSU and GOM. Asito emphasizes that true change happens when the entire sector moves forward together. At UM, the transition was supported by facility managers, staff, and students in laboratories and medical faculties, ensuring smooth collection and proper recycling of the gloves.
“Meaningful change often starts with small steps that grow into significant impact,” says Bianca Mulkens, Project Leader for Asito at UM.
A Step Towards a Circular University
Sustainability at UM is not only part of its education and research but also embedded in daily operations. The introduction of circular gloves by Asito is a practical example of this approach in action.
By reducing waste, lowering emissions, and implementing circular solutions into everyday routines, UM demonstrates how operational choices can advance its broader ambition: becoming a climate-neutral and fully circular university.
This initiative also shows that sustainable action can take place anywhere and by everyone at UM, whether in laboratories, classrooms, offices, or cleaning services. Every small step contributes to a larger impact.
At UM, a greener future starts with everyday choices, one glove at a time.
