Masuku Reviews 50

Written by the company

More than 90% of the world’s population breathes air with levels of pollutants that exceed limits set by the World Health Organisation. Despite this fundamental human need for clean air, the face mask industry has failed to deliver an adequate solution. We are forced to trade-off between filtration efficiency, comfort and style, whilst a genuinely sustainable choice is completely lacking. This insight led to the creation of Masuku more than four years ago. The vast majority of face masks currently used cannot be recycled - many end up being incinerated, which further worsens the air quality crisis. Furthermore, increasing numbers are littered, washing up on beaches and polluting natural environments where they will persist for an estimated 450 years. Masuku’s vision is to provide clean air without compromising on comfort, style, or sustainability - to provide powerful filtration performance, whilst protecting the planet. This led Masuku to partner with Pentatonic, a design and technology company that specialises in what is known as the circular economy, to develop groundbreaking manufacturing technologies that will power the world’s most advanced face mask, Masuku One. The core of Masuku’s unique technology is a new kind of nano-fibre filtration material created from an engineered compostable polymer, using a newly developed electrospinning process. Compared with meltblown fibres, which are used to make the majority of face masks currently available, the electrospinning process is able to create a structured membrane consisting of extremely fine nano-fibres (up to 1,000 times narrower than a human hair) dispersed with extreme precision for maximum efficiency. Masuku’s revolutionary nano-fibre filtration material is being produced on site at the company’s AirLab in Hellaby, Rotherham. Assembly of Masuku One and production of Masuku Daily products will also take place in the north of England. A centre of excellence for sustainable filtration technology, the facility is responsible for producing Masuku’s proprietary nanofiber filtration fabric and assembling face masks under highly controlled conditions. In addition to this a substantial investment has been committed to ongoing research and development, Masuku will partner with globally renowned institutions and organisations to develop future generations of high-tech sustainable filtration devices. Taking its name from the Japanese for ‘mask’, a culture where masks are taken as a sign of care and respect for the community’s health, it has been Masuku’s mission since day one to create a fully sustainable product. That’s why Masuku face masks are made using recycled materials that can be re-recycled when it’s time to dispose of them. What’s more, the replaceable filters are bio-based, allowing for easy, environmentally-friendly disposal. Welcome to the future of clean air.See more