‘World’s first’ plastic-free coronavirus visor that can be composted in your garden goes on sale at 50p per mask
- Kit is made from responsibly-sourced paper and cellulose from woodpulp
- It will be priced at 50p an item when it goes on sale to businesses this week
- A Plastic Planet, Reelbrands and Transcend Packaging have developed the PPE
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
The ‘world’s first’ plastic-free coronavirus visor that can be composted in your back-garden has gone on sale at 50p a mask.
The Plastic Free PPE REELshield, sold in cases of 150 for £75, consists of an adjustable headband made from responsibly-sourced paper and a transparent visor made of cellulose extracted from woodpulp.
Once used, the designer’s say it can be disposed of with organic waste.
The US Composting Council adds there is ‘no risk’ of compost spreading coronavirus as it will decay in the heat and humidity within three days.
International campaign group A Plastic Planet and packaging experts Reelbrands and Transcend Packaging developed the PPE to reduce plastic pollution.
Plastic Free PPE REELshield is available to consumers at £75 for 150. It has been developed by A Plastic Planet and packaging experts Reelbrands and Transcend Packaging
The mask is made from responsibly-sourced paper, for the headband, and cellulose extracted from woodpulp, for the transparent visor
‘No one wants to compromise the safety of employees and the public, but the plastic PPE visors are used once and then exist for centuries’, said Sian Sutherland, the campaign group’s co-founder.
‘We wanted to lead by example and show that we can protect ourselves and protect our planet.
‘We can no longer sacrifice nature without consequence. The public back a green recovery from the pandemic because, quite simply, we cannot self-isolate or vaccinate against the climate crisis.’
The PPE has been CE-certified by the European Economic Area, meaning it has been extensively tested to ensure it meets the same standards as the plastic alternative.
It has also received a Plastic Free Trust Mark from one of its designers, A Plastic Planet.
The kit is priced at 50p for one. The designers said it can be composted after use
The mask comes in response to millions of items of plastic that are feared to be polluting the ocean. PPE masks are pictured above washing up on the northern beaches of Sydney, May 27
The PPE will be made available to businesses this week. Some have already been snapped up by delivery company Yodel and fish product business Three Oceans.
It can be purchased either by individuals, or by companies looking to make larger orders, a spokesman said.
For those concerned about composting, there will be a dedicated service where used PPE can be taken away in a specialist bin.
The stock will be collected by Terracycle and taken to a site where it will be recycled or composted.
Factories stand ready to produce more than a million plastic free PPE kits every week, with plans to start manufacturing more in the US and distribute it across Eastern and Southern Africa.
PPE masks were also found on Newport and Bigola beaches near Sydney, Australia
Discarded face masks pictured washed up on Soko Islands in Hong Kong, China
The US Composting Council says there is ‘essentially no risk of transmitting the disease through composting.
‘The virus is not a living organism, but a protein molecule covered by a protective layer of lipid (fat),’ they said.
‘Since the virus is not a living organism, it is not killed but decays. The disintegration time depends on the temperature, humidity and type of material where it lies: Between three hours (airborne droplets) to 24 hours (porous surfaces like fabrics or cardboard) to 72 hours (hard smooth surfaces like plastic).
‘In any case, it will definitely not survive the weeks or months in your compost pile, even a not-very-active one.’
An estimated 761 million pieces of PPE have been distributed across the UK since February 2020.