António Moreira Gonçalves
Made entirely in organic cotton and completely free of harmful chemicals, the mask created by the textile company Paula Borges incorporates a coffee filter, place in an internal pocket, which must be replaced every day, making the mask reusable and accessible to all. The idea has been successfully tested and is now awaiting CITEVE’s certification.
“We invented an air filtering system that literally consists of a coffee filter because it’s very cheap and contributes to people’s protection”, describes Paulo Faria, sales manager of Paula Borges. The mask is designed for 50 uses, in which it should be washed and the filter replaced every day. “We did the math, and each filter costs around 1.5 to 2 cents each. That will be the replacement cost”, he adds.
After the certification, the goal of Paula Borges is to kickstart production en masse. The company is counting on making around 20 to 30 thousand masks every week, and their main customers are already being notified. “Right now, the masks we have produced are under our own brand, but once it’s certified we can make them in private label for our customers”, explains the sales manager, while shunning the possibility of including prints of changing raw materials, in order to keep the product free from chemicals.
Although the project is still under development, the orders are already coming in full force. Not only for masks, but also for other personal protection equipment like gowns and hospital garments. “For Paula Borges this is a new war, we are evaluating our chances”, underlines Paulo Faria.