Innovative Sustainable Masks

The development of a high-tech mask was announced by the mask manufacturing company AirPop during the CES 2021 consumer electronics trade show. AirPop’s new product and companion app track the breath, the air quality, and the mask filter's effectiveness. The AirPop company’s reusable mask comes with replaceable filters.

In mid-2020 another innovation was reported - a new self-sanitizing medical face mask that deactivates viruses on contact. The project that developed the mask, which aims to reduce the number and activity of viruses, is led by Professor Jiaxing Huang of Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering. Professor Huang’s research team will investigate anti-viral chemicals that can be safely built into masks to self-sanitize passing respiratory droplets.

Environmental activist and entrepreneur Mr. Jai Dhar Gupta believes in the importance of nanotech and nano-fibers in designing masks for the future. His company, Nirvana Being, has come up with the Airific Anti-Viral Mask, which offers extra protection with an electro-spun nano-fiber filter.

The French industrial company Geochanvre produces masks made of hemp as a way to reduce plastic waste. Regarding the masks, President of Geochanvre Mr. Frédéric Roure, says, "This is a natural product and will go back into the soil."

We’ll next make a trip to Singapore where local scientists have developed an integrated monitoring system that can be attached to face masks to monitor the wearer for health indicators associated with COVID-19. Also at CES 2021, a company called Razer revealed what they call “the world’s smartest and most socially friendly face mask” called Project Hazel. This smart mask not only uses an N95 filter capable of filtering out 95 percent of airborne particles, but it also has some cool features.

We thank all the innovative designers, engineers, and scientists for their idealistic desire to make the world a safer place for everyone.