Shanghai companies begin production of face masks that can be reused up to 10 times
- The new KN95 masks, which are not yet for sale, are said to have high air permeability and to be waterproof
- Manufacturers say the mask can maintain its filtering ability after being disinfected multiple times
Two Shanghai companies are jointly producing recyclable face masks, the first of their kind in China, the municipal government has announced.
Shanghai Economic and Information Technology Committee said the new KN95 masks, which adopt nanotechnology, can be reused up to 10 times after disinfection. The factories are now making 100,000 masks per day, and output is expected to reach 300,000 per day on Friday. They will be priced at 15 to 25 yuan (US$2.14 to $3.56).
The committee said it has provided guidance as the mask has been developed, including design, production and sales. Manufacturing is being done by Shanghai Juchen Infant and Children Garment Company and Shanghai Hanpu New Material Hi-tech Company, both located in the Qingpu district.
It is not clear when the reusable masks will be available for sale. The Xinmin Evening News reported that besides the portion allocated by the government, the remainder will be sold on Pinduoduo, a mainland e-commerce platform.
The authority has pushed the manufacturers to turn out recyclable masks since there has been a shortage of melt-blown nonwovens and nonwoven cloth, the raw materials for disposable masks, it said.