Fourth Element has introduced a new line of protective face masks under its OceanPositive brand that are made in part from lost fishing nets.
Additionally, Fourth Element’s new face masks are made using off-cuts from their already recycled swimwear fabric, meaning waste is dramatically reduced. So wearers can keep themselves and others safe without adding to environmental damage.
Available in four color combinations, the masks are secured with a double cord and knotted around the back of the head to avoid discomfort on the ears, but can be easily converted to ear loops if needed. Each mask comes with three PM 2.5 filters which have five layers of filtration including an activated carbon core layer.
While disposable masks are a necessity for some, a reusable mask is a great option in order to reduce the amount of raw materials used and single-use products ending up in a landfill, or worse, the ocean. OceanPositive’s masks (minus the filter) can be machine-washed and reused indefinitely.
The face masks are made with ECONYL nylon, a significant percentage of which comes from fishing nets recovered from the sea. These “Ghost Nets” amount to over 600,000 tones of lost gear every year and continue to fish, long after they have been abandoned, accounting for the loss of many lives, from invertebrates to large marine mammals.
All over the world, dive teams are removing these ghost nets from the wrecks and reefs, often at great depths, and bringing them up to the surface where they can be recycled into yarn to be used in Fourth Element’s swimwear and facemasks.
The masks retail for US$16.79 (~14.27 Euros) and can be found on the company’s website at fourthelement.com.
