CITGO tests disposable gloves at the pump

CITGO Petroleum Corp. is partnering with disposable glove company U-GLOVE to test a method intended to make its gas pumps safer and cleaner.

With glove dispensers easily accessible at the pump the system will try to make dispensers as clean as possible. The disposable gloves themselves are made of polyethylene, a hypoallergenic plastic that prevents the transfer of germs and fuel odor during the fueling experience. The gloves are also recyclable, according to the company.

CITGO is the first national petroleum company to partner with Florida-based U-Glove Inc. The consumer test is currently in progress, and pending the results, CITGO will look at opportunities to make U-Glove available to the approximately 6,000 stations within its national footprint beginning later this year.

Developed in 2014, the inspiration for U-Glove came when founder Antonio Lyon observed that sanitary gloves are common things at European gas pumps. Lyon brought the concept to the United States with the goal of preventing the transmission of germs and also avoiding the dirt, grease and fuel smell from direct hand-contact with the pump.

Independent CITGO-branded marketers sell motor fuels through nearly 6,000 gas stations and convenience stores in 30 states. The company is owned by CITGO Holding Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

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