The Canadian Shield announces a new mask that has been certified ASTM F2100-20 compliant
by CM Staff
Starting in July, The Canadian Shield will begin transitioning their mask manufacturing lines over to the new proprietary blend of biodegradable material.
WATERLOO — On June 17, The Canadian Shield, a Class-1 medical device manufacturer, announced the launch of their new BioMask™ line of face masks. The BioMask™, available in ASTM Level 1, 2 & 3, aims to combat the impacts of plastic medical waste in landfills by offering an environmentally conscious alternative to traditional disposable masks.
As a result of COVID-19, the use of disposable face masks has increased significantly, both in healthcare and everyday use. In Canada alone, it’s estimated that tens of millions of disposable face masks are disposed of daily. This increase of single-use plastics in the landfill has the potential to cause detrimental effects on our environment. Polypropylene, a type of plastic that’s often used in traditional disposable masks, can take hundreds of years to degrade in the landfill.
The BioMask™ purports to offer the same form and function as traditional medical-grade masks, but in a biodegradable format. The nonwoven material in the BioMask™ has been tested in accordance with the ASTM D5511-18 standard to biodegrade up to 6.89% in 45 days under anaerobic conditions in biologically active landfills.
Currently, the majority of traditional medical-grade face masks in healthcare are procured through multi-year contracts with overseas manufacturers. In order to distribute the BioMask™ into hospitals, The Canadian Shield is in the process of finalizing contracts with national Shared Service Organizations and Group Purchasing Organizations. This will allow Canadian hospitals and municipalities across the country to purchase the BioMask™ at competitive rates, in line with existing overseas contracts.
Starting in July, The Canadian Shield will begin transitioning all of their mask manufacturing lines over to the new proprietary blend of biodegradable material.
The company also announced that it expects to deliver a steady stream of product launches throughout 2021 as they expand their domestic manufacturing capacity.
“This is an important step towards addressing medical waste in Canada and we’ll continue to expand our product portfolio to have even more impact,” says CEO, Jeremy Hedges.
