
Sometimes oil spills and other workplace accidents happen in industrial facilities. That’s why you have industrial absorbents and safety equipment on hand. The more prepared you are for these situations, the safer all your employees will be. When you choose the types of industrial safety equipment and absorbents you keep in your facility, you have two main choices: disposable or reusable personal protective equipment (PPE) and absorbents. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each option to help you determine which one meets your needs.
Disposable vs. Reusable Types of Absorbents
What types of absorbents can you use in your industrial facility? The most common types are absorbent mats, absorbent socks, shop towels, and T-rags. If you use disposable types of these products, you can set them down, let them absorb oil or other spilled materials, and throw them away. That sounds easy enough, right? Yes, but such quick convenience has its costs.
This cycle of using disposable products can become expensive very quickly. Also, throwing disposable absorbent products away is not good for the environment because those products end up in landfills, and those products may also be covered in harsh chemicals that can harm the environment around them. Overall, disposable absorbents may seem like the easy choice, but they can create trouble and complications down the road once you start using them.
On the other hand, reusable absorbents are cost-effective because you can use them again and again. They’re also often made of stronger materials than disposable absorbents are because they’re meant for multiple uses. For example, reusable shop towels can absorb more spilled materials than disposable ones because they’re thicker and have more surface area to absorb oil, among other materials. Because of these capabilities, reusable towels, mats, and other products are often the best oil absorbents for industrial facilities.
Additionally, if you have your absorbent products cleaned by professionals who know how to take care of them, like the professionals at Closed Loop Recycling, you can help them last a long time. We know how to clean them so the chemicals they absorb don’t spread to other surfaces or environments.
How Does Closed Loop Help You Manage Your Reusable Absorbents?
We provide industrial businesses with reusable absorbents to contain oil spills, hydraulic fluid leaks, and other potential spills. For example, we provide absorbent socks that can absorb oil and water-based liquids across multiple uses to keep your facility safe and clean. These socks have anti-trip designs, so you can lay them on the ground for extended periods of time. When we provide these items to your business, we also perform laundry services to keep them clean after they absorb spills. Overall, we provide and clean the products that absorb spills when they occur in your facility.
Reach out to us today to begin cleaning and recycling your reusable absorbent and PPE. Our cleaning processes help them last as long as possible.
Disposable vs. Reusable PPE
As with absorbents, it may seem easy to choose disposable PPE, including gloves and masks, for your facility. After all, your employees can just throw the PPE away when they’re done with it. However, not all disposable PPE can stand up to industrial processes. For example, disposable gloves protect people’s hands from germs and chemicals, but they don’t stand up to heat or fire. Reusable gloves, on the other hand, are made with thick materials and are designed to protect workers’ hands from extreme temperatures, including heat and freezing temperatures. If your workers have to touch materials that are dangerous to touch without protection, reusable gloves and other safety products can protect your employees effectively.
Additionally, disposable PPE racks up a lot of extra costs for your business since you have to continually order more. If your workforce constantly needs personal protective equipment to perform their jobs, it’s best to invest in reusable PPE to ensure they always have the protection they need. Learn more about reusable PPE through this video.
How Does Closed Loop Take Care of Your Reusable PPE?
We provide industrial companies with a thorough laundry process that takes care of their PPE, including gloves, aprons, jackets, sleeves, and safety vests. Our laundry process consists of the following seven steps:
- Weigh: We weigh each laundry drum to calculate waste diversion.
- Sort: We perform single stream collection and sort the PPE during this step.
- Clean: We use the recommended cleaning instructions for each piece of PPE to clean them properly.
- Metal Detection: We inspect each piece of PPE by running it through our state-of-the-art metal detector.
- Quality Check: We visually inspect all PPE for tears, burns, and other signs of damage to ensure they’re still in excellent shape.
- Bundle: We repackage the PPE to return it to you.
- Report: We generate a PPE report to show you how much of each item was laundered or scrapped during the previous steps.
These steps launder your PPE effectively and keep track of every item you send us. We keep your PPE clean, so your employees can use them safely to complete their daily tasks.
Access and Clean Your Reusable Spill Absorbents and PPE Through Closed Loop Recycling
If you want reusable products to protect your employees and provide spill control, reach out to Closed Loop Recycling today. We specialize in cleaning and maintaining reusable absorbents and PPE to help our clients maintain safe, smooth industrial processes. We’re ready to clean your PPE and absorbents to keep your workforce and facility clean and safe.