At a time when personal protective equipment is in short supply, people are buying or creating their own non-medical, reusable face masks. While many of the products that can be purchased or made from scratch are crafted out of some sort of fabric material, GIR created a reusable, non-medical mask out of platinum-cured silicone.
The masks made with medical-grade, FDA/LFGB-approved silicone are fitted with a filter. Thanks to the materials used, the masks are easy to sterilize thoroughly by using an autoclave, dishwasher or oven, as well as even soap and hot water in a pinch. To support essential workers, GIR sells its reusable masks in kits with five filters, and offers bulk purchases for all.
Image Credit: GIR
What's Driving This Trend
- Reusable Face Masks
- The trend of purchasing or creating non-medical, reusable face masks has increased during a shortage of personal protective equipment.
- Silicone Masks
- GIR's platinum-cured silicone masks provide an innovative alternative to fabric masks, offering easy sterilization methods.
- Autoclave Sterilization
- The use of autoclaves for thoroughly sterilizing reusable face masks is a disruptive innovation opportunity in the personal protective equipment industry.
Who This Affects Most
- Personal Protective Equipment
- The shortage of PPE has led to the rise in demand for reusable face masks, creating opportunities for innovation in the industry.
- Silicone Manufacturing
- The use of platinum-cured silicone in mask production presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the silicone manufacturing industry.
- Sterilization Services
- The increased need for thorough sterilization methods for reusable face masks opens up opportunities for disruptive innovation in the sterilization services industry.
