A Scuba Diving Group Makes Face Masks from Recycled Ocean Plastic

Face masks are in very high demand given the circumstances created by the current coronavirus pandemic. While companies are trying to meet the rising demand for face masks, one company has taken an eco-friendlier approach to supply the public with this protective equipment. This scuba diving group makes face masks from recycled ocean plastic for people to protect themselves against the coronavirus.

The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) has partnered with sustainable sportswear company Rash’r to make face masks out of recycled ocean plastic. The masks are sold with five replacement filters at the cost of $20.40 each, which is easy enough to cover the manufacturing costs.

Lisa Nicklin, vice president of consumer marketing at PADI Worldwide, said,

 We are not profiting from this product. We’re very much a heart-and-soul organization. We care about the ocean and our diver community, so we wanted to be able to put our hands on our hearts and say that we’re not profiting off this difficult time.

After the CDC’s recommendations that people wear cloth face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus while in public places, PADI’s masks offer a sustainable choice to the limited supplies of N95 respirator masks that are being reserved for healthcare workers on the front lines of the pandemic.

Besides the masks featuring a number of ocean-themed designs, PADI has even developed a children’s mask for kids aged 4 to 10. All the masks are machine-washable and produced with dual-polyester layers to support the replaceable filters.

Also Read: People are Turning Recycled Plastic Bottles into Face Shields

Since this initiative, the company has received more than 15,000 masks pre-orders within a few weeks. It has helped recycle more than 1,300 pounds of plastic recovered from oceans. The company is now ramping up the manufacturing process to accommodate more orders.

Via: Now This News