ReWorks brings recyclable face masks to Switzerland
Horw LU - Face masks created by the brand EcoBreathe are fully recyclable. ReWorks, based in the canton of Lucerne, plans to bring the masks that have been developed in England to Switzerland. As a first step, they will be offered to corporate customers together with collection systems.
Every day, around 3.5 million face masks are thrown away in Switzerland, ReWorks writes in a press release. Most are not suitable for recycling as the masks consist of a mixture of fabric, metal, and rubber. In contrast, the IIR face masks developed by EcoBreathe in England are completely made out of polypropylene plastic and for this reason can be fully recycled.
ReWorks plans to bring EcoBreathe to Switzerland. The recyclable product is just the first step in this according to Co-Founder of ReWorks Walter Küpfer. “The major challenge is in handling, collection and logistics in such a way that a clean recycling loop is created.”
To overcome this challenge, the Lucerne-based startup is working together with Swiss Post and Recoplast. The masks must not be sorted by hand to prevent the risk of infection, so they have to be sent for recycling already sorted by type as far as possible. “Our customers play an essential role in the entire recycling process as they must separate the EcoBreathe masks from conventional face masks and other waste,” Küpfer explains.
For this reason, the masks are to be offered exclusively to corporate customers as a first step. According to the press release, separate collection by category is easier to organize there than in private households. Additionally, ReWorks plans to advise its customers accordingly and provide them with special collection boxes.
Another advantage of EcoBreathe stated by ReWorks is the production location for the masks. While most face masks are manufactured in China, the EcoBreathe masks are produced in Turkey, which is nearer to the market. ReWorks writes that this results in shorter transport distances and thus lower CO2 emissions.
