Use of hemp 'face-masks' to combat coronavirus pandemic

 

Masks play a key role in protecting people during the coronavirus pandemic. Many people around the world have quickly adopted the use of plastics-based surgical face masks to combat the spread of coronavirus. An estimated 129 billion single-use face masks have been used every month. These masks are important for their ability to filter fluid particles from the air that may have bacteria or other germs. However, these masks are quickly pilling up in landfills and oceans around the world. The UN has estimated that about 75% of used masks will end up in landfills or the oceans and it may take an estimated 450 years to decompose creating a potential future ecological crisis. Due to this problem, a factory in France is making what they say are Europe's first biodegradable face masks using locally grown natural 'hemp fibres.' 

Geochanvre, a French company, claims they have created a face mask that can filter the air and compost quickly. "For me there is a real logic to use plant fibres, as we can answer the many needs of nature with nature itself. We can of course make fabrics from hemp which are used in the navy. But our company is able to improve those fabrics into filtration fabric in order to make respiratory filtration cloth", said Frederic Roure, Founding President of Geochanvre.

 

"Hemp has properties that make it unnecessary to add any other products, neither glue nor binder. It means that filtration and breathability is achieved without any added product", said Stephanie Gauvenet, director of the Geochanvre factory.

The factory manufactures about 5,000 hemp masks a day.

                         

                         

"We can clearly see that when our masks go into the compost, they are going back to nature, and they will deteriorate quickly. Put the hemp in the ground. 3months, 6 months later, there is nothing left. It is food for the earthworms. But we don't see that with the plastic-based surgical masks. We are left with pieces of the blue plastic.", said Roure.

The UN has also urged governments to promote recyclable face masks. 

"Our masks attracts a lot of interest not only from companies but also from communities and towns because of the way it is composted. We are the only bio-compostable masks manufacturers in France and in Europe. We have customers in Belgium, Switzerland in particular and Italy", said Gerald Bayette, sales director of factory.

The masks are sold for around 1 Euro each and about 1.5 million hemp masks have been sold since March.