PADI®, the world’s largest diver training organisation, has introduced an innovative range of ocean-friendly reusable face masks to help people care for the ocean when purchasing cloth face coverings.
The company has teamed up with their rash guard partner, Rash’R, to offer masks manufactured from plastic bottles recycled from the ocean. These masks contribute to the removal of plastic pollution from the ocean while helping to meet consumer demand for face masks during the pandemic.
Available through the PADI Gear collection of earth-friendly apparel and accessories, the new cloth face masks are dual layered, reusable and washable at high temperature. They feature a filter pocket for PM 2.5 carbon filters and each mask is packaged with five reusable carbon-activated filters which each last for around eight hours. Additional replacement filters can be purchased at padigear.net.
PADI Gear is not making any profit from the sale of the masks – the price paid is the actual cost.
“PADI’s greatest priority has always been the safety of divers around the world. We care about the health of the ocean and dive community, so we wanted to be able to put our hands on our hearts and say that we’re not profiting from this difficult time,” said Lisa Nicklin, PADI Worldwide Vice President of Consumer Marketing.
“We wanted to give divers an opportunity to make a difference in an issue that, as ocean lovers, we care deeply about – plastic pollution.”
Using an alternative to medical grade masks means increasing the chances the NHS, care and other essential workers will have access to the important safety equipment they need to carry out their work.
To date, based on the number of face masks purchased, PADI and its partners have removed and reused more than 575 kg’s of ocean plastic.
PADI Gear face masks are available in adult and child sizes and feature a variety of different patterns depicting marine life.
The masks can be purchased through PADIGear.net and retail at £17.20. A pack of five filters retails at £8.00.
