The disposal of face masks and medical waste during the Covid-19 pandemic is putting increasing pressure on the environment. In mainland China, 116 million masks are produced every day, and during the peak of the outbreak, hospitals in Wuhan released about 240 tons of medical waste daily.
To address both the issue of waste and Covid-19, the ShoeX team has launched AirX, the ‘world’s first’ coffee mask made from Vietnamese coffee that is antibacterial, reusable and biodegradable.
“The idea of making the mask came to me at the end of 2019 when Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh were recognised as some of the highest polluted cities in the world,” says Le.
“I started to see more people wearing masks every day, but these are only for single use, so the team and I thought that we could use the coffee yarn to make a reusable mask.”
The idea was eventually put on the back burner though, as the company was very busy with the year end. However, in February when the world started to see the serious impacts of Covid-19, Le decided to quickly turn back to the masks to meet demand.
“We did some homework before the pandemic, so we were able to launch the product very quickly,” he explains.
The AirX face mask is antibacterial and comprises two layers of protection. The first layer is knitted from the coffee yarn using PowerKnit technology, which means it can be knitted in one piece. This provides a comfortable fit and the material is soft on the skin.
“It’s a light and breathable mask,” says Le. “I have a buddy at Stoll in Vietnam and so the company uses Stoll knitting machines to manufacture the masks.”
Inside the face mask is a biodegradable filter, which is developed using silver nanotechnology and coffee. This filter needs to be replaced around every 30 days, but the shell of the mask is able to be washed and reused.
“The best thing about AirX is being able to deliver a healthy solution that everyone can buy. It is not too difficult or expensive to start being mindful of our consumption habits for environmentally friendly, natural and green products,” says Le.
The company has obtained the AATCC 100 certification (the textile industry’s standard for antimicrobial fabric performance in the US) from QUATEST 3, and with current resources it can produce up to 10,000 masks daily.
To make the coffee yarn, the company collects coffee grounds from coffee shops and directly from the factories in Vietnam. The country is one of the top coffee exporting countries in the world with a total of US$2.41bn in coffee exports in 2019, so finding the coffee isn’t too difficult.
“We are working with the top coffee producing companies in Vietnam to get the coffee. Before the pandemic, I already collected the grounds from these brands and tested it for the masks,” he explains.
Once the coffee has been collected, it is then ground down into small particles. This is then mixed together with recycled plastic bottle particles to make small pellets. These are then used to produce the yarn which can then be manipulated into a material.
Apart form being antimicrobial, the coffee yarn is also good for odour control as it can lock in smell. It can also block UV rays and is quick drying.
At the moment, the AirX mask is a similar option to the normal surgical masks; however, the company is also working on a N95 model.
“The current mask isn’t a medical mask, but in about 10 days from now (28 April), we will insert an N95 filter into the mask,” Le explains.
“The N95 filter works quite well against the virus. We have sent the filter to Taiwan for it to be tested and certified, and the Vietnamese army chemical division has also conducted tests on it. They found that the filter is 99.88% effective, but we’re waiting for the Taiwan company to certify it for commercial use.”
In Vietnam, the country is already starting to get back to normal. But Le thinks the demand for the masks will still be there after coronavirus as a precaution and also because the air pollution is getting worse and worse. He says that lately the air pollution index has been the lowest it’s been in a long time because of the virus; however, it is already creeping back up.
“The main purpose of the mask is to give people the option to wear a face mask without hurting the environment,” he says.
Founded in 2013 in Canada, Veritas Bespoke invented a new approach to the traditional shoe-making method by using 3D-scanning technology used in orthopaedic footwear. Since 2019, ShoeX followed its sibling to unleash the ‘environment hero’ coffee shoes, named ShoeX. Following the success, AirX is now introduced as the ‘world’s first’ ever coffee mask with consistent qualities, including eco-friendliness, fashion-tech, antibacterial and economic, ready to supply to Vietnam and the rest of the world.
Source: https://www.wtin.com