At a time when the British public is being asked to wear a face covering when on trains, in shops and enclosed spaces, 1TcA has launched the first British-made reusable, sustainable and recyclable face masks and snoods manufactured using GRS fabric woven from recycled waste plastic and treated with HeiQ Viroblock technology.
1TcA (One Thought Changes All) was set up by Raj Kumari-Byford in March in response to Covid-19 to hear more about the positive steps, and impact she was leaving on the professional clothing industry and the local and global community.
Working in collaboration with sustainability driven business Project Plan B, 1TcA was aware of the risk of face coverings acting as vectors for viruses and bacteria. Before, during and after use there is a risk of fabric contamination and the transfer of pathogens to and from the surface of the face masks: when putting them on and taking them off, during disposal and when touching the mask whilst wearing or during adjustment of the fit.
The addition of HeiQ Viroblock technology makes the fabric resistant to harmful microbes. HeiQ Viroblock is one of the first textile finishing technologies that have been successfully tested against the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease, SARS-CoV-2, in the laboratory, using the Viral Stability and Persistence test method.
Fabrics and textiles treated with HeiQ Viroblock are resistant to microbes, germs, viruses and bacteria. It inhibits the persistence and growth of viruses and bacteria on the fabric and is a combination of HeiQ’s specially engineered antimicrobial silver technology and a vesicle technology. The silver releases silver-ions to kill the bacteria and inhibit their growth.
HeiQ Viroblock is certified as safe and sustainable as all its ingredients are cosmetic grade, bio-based and recycled. 1TcA masks and snoods not only tackle the issue of cross contamination and help protect the end user from viruses/germs/bacteria but are also environmentally friendly. The treatment on the face covering lasts for up to 30 washes at energy saving 30°C.
The fabric offers durability and has a soft touch and is comfortable for end users to wear for extended periods of time. The expected life span of these products is approximately 1 year, after which they can be returned for recycling and this ensures a cyclical closed loop that doesn’t endanger the planet and maintains the ecosystem.
The team at 1TcA consists of three mothers who enlisted support from the Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide (PCIAW) to help facilitate the launch of this project. All net profits from the sales of 1TcA face coverings will go towards funding sustainable charity development projects in the UK and globally.
1TcA founder Raj Kumari-Byford commented: “Our durable and reusable face coverings offer an ethical and environmentally sound solution to worker protection. I consider it my moral obligation to help protect end users from Covid-19, as well as helping to reduce the environmental impact caused by wide scale use of disposable face masks.”
1TcA face masks and snoods are available immediately.
