Watson Gloves is working to limit how much waste we emit and resources we use by closely monitoring our waste stream, implementing comprehensive recycling and composting programs, transitioning our company vehicles to EV\'s , and improving our packaging so that our tags are made from 100% recycled paper. We are on a journey to continually improve.
Watson Gloves is committed to using sustainable materials and working towards a circular economy. We will do this through innovations such as our WasteNot™ eco-conscious yarn made from plastic bottles, Reclaim™ additive which accelerates landfill biodegradation, and environmentally-friendly packaging materials.
In spring 2020, we launched our WasteNot™ eco-conscious gloves, which are gloves made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. Our initial goal was to divert over 1 million water bottles by 2023. We smashed that goal! In fact, by 2023 we diverted over 3 million water bottles from landfill.
Watson Gloves encourages employees to engage with the community by providing one day off to volunteer per year. In addition, we are organizing at least one opportunity for staff to volunteer for a community cause, on a work day, in each branch. In 2023, a group of volunteers helped out on the Coldest Night of the Year in BC. In Alberta, a team from our Calgary branch did a clean up along a riverway. In Ontario, Watson team members volunteered with a Girl Guide community clean up. We are striving to lead our communities in making the world a better place.
In under 4 years of production with our WasteNot™ eco-conscious yarn, we\'ve prevented over 3,000,000 plastic bottles from ending up in the landfill and ocean. While our team is ecstatic about this accomplishment, it is only the \"tip of the iceberg\" for the impact this innovative material will have. Our WasteNot™ product line has expanded to 65 glove styles since the initial debut in 2020.
To encourage our employees to make the switch from gas to electric vehicles, we installed two electric vehicle chargers at our Burnaby, BC branch. More chargers are planned to be installed as demand for electric vehicles rises. Update: As of February 2024, due to increased demand, we now have 8 EV Chargers available for staff usage.
Watson Gloves is proud to give employees, as well as local wildlife, the space they need to thrive. The Pollinator Patio at our Burnaby branch features seven planters and a couple of picnic tables. Given the popularity of the patio (amongst employees and local bees), there is talk of setting up patios at other branches as well!
Two years after installing our first electric chargers, Watson Gloves doubled-down on its commitment to electrification by adding an EV to our company fleet.
By implementing this program in our offices and factories in 2018, we have been able to divert the following, as of January 2023: 1) 10,034 lbs of food scraps; 2) 39,917 lbs of leather scraps; 3) 6,473 lbs of plastic strapping; and 4) 12,358 lbs of plastic wrap.
Watson Gloves partnered with 3M™ Thinsulate™ to release a new line of industrial gloves made with sustainable insulation. Available fall 2023 in 15 styles, the new line features 3M Thinsulate Type EC, containing 78% fibres made from post-consumer recycled plastic water bottles. The insulation is Global Recycled Standard certified and produced in mills that are Bluesign and Oeko-Tex certified.
Continuing from the success of our Green Monkey™ biodegradable disposable gloves, we have been able to add Reclaim™ additive, the compound that accelerates biodegradability in landfill conditions, into two new nylon glove styles, Jade and Zero. This move makes Watson the first in the market to release landfill biodegradable nylon gloves. Instead of 50+ years it takes for regular seamless knit gloves to decompose, it takes 5 years for our biodegradable nylon gloves to degrade (ASTM D5511). Like Green Monkey™ disposables, the new biodegradable nylon gloves go through a process of decomposition when disposed of in landfills—microbes turn the gloves into organic matter and then biogas, which is harnessed in modern landfills to generate clean renewable energy.
Green Monkey™ gloves are Watson Gloves\' first foray in developing landfill biodegradable gloves. Green Monkey™ biodegradable disposable gloves are made with Reclaim™ additive, a compound that boosts biodegradation in landfills. Thanks to this revolutionary compound, Green Monkey™ gloves biodegrade in 10 years (ASTM D5526), compared to the 200+ years it takes for regular disposable gloves. Additionally, the gloves are not just broken down into smaller pieces—the Reclaim™ additive attracts microbes that turn the material into biogas, which is then converted into clean energy. Green Monkey™ gloves was initially released in 4 mil thickness—the Green Monkey™ collection has now expanded with a variety of thicknesses, including 5 mil, 6 mil, and 8 mil.
A major milestone in our sustainability journey is being the first company to release gloves made from recycled plastic bottles, thanks to WasteNot™ yarn, which uses post-consumer plastic bottles as material. By using RPET in our WasteNot™ gloves, we not only divert bottles from landfills but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and resources in our glove production. Gloves made of WasteNot™ yarn use up to three bottles per pair. Through our WasteNot™ eco-conscious line of products, over 800,000 plastic bottles have been diverted from landfills and oceans, as of April 2021. Since the initial debut, the WasteNot™ product line has now expanded to 10 glove styles and 4 slipper styles.
Watson Gloves proudly supports Critter Care Wildlife Society™, an organization that specializes in the treatment, care, and release of sick, injured, and orphaned native mammal species in BC. We donate a variety of gloves to Critter Care Wildlife Society™ so that their staff can safely perform their important care-giving duties.
A company-wide program was implemented to make everything in our office kitchens either reusable or compostable. This involved supplying reusable dishes, cutlery and cups and replacing trash-bound coffee pods with fully compostable, Fairtrade® pods from OneCoffee™.