To Cut Plastic Waste, Masks Are Being Made From Banana-Tree Species Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Abaca - a fibre from the Philippines used in tea bags and banknotes is as durable as polyester but will decompose also and within two months of time, said Philippine Fibre agency head Kennedy Costales.
Coronavirus pandemic has not only taken a toll on our lives but also on the environment as well. Due to the extreme precautions taken while facing the worst times, face masks, PPE kits are being made out of plastic and that is hurting our mother earth.
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Fibre from a relative of the banana tree could be the savior for us, it could replace plastic in the face of millions of respiratory face masks and hospital gowns, PPE kits in the world that is right now fighting in high spirits against the deadly coronavirus, a report in The Straits Times said.
Abaca - a fibre from the Philippines used in tea bags and banknotes is as durable as polyester but will decompose also and within two months of time, said Philippine Fibre agency head Kennedy Costales.
"With this pandemic, if we all buy masks made of synthetic fibre, they will pile up in dumpsites because they take so long to decompose," said Costales.
From the Abaca Capital of the Philippines and the Home of Abaca Festival- Catanduanes
¡ª 2yado (@tyratoyado) July 1, 2020
Abaca Fitted Face Mask.
Thank You DSWD Catanduanes??#supportlocal #buylocal #wearlocal #lovelocal #abacatanduanes #biodegradable #ecofriendly #naturalabaca pic.twitter.com/Zdh17CvGlx
There are protests and awareness campaigns, global efforts to ban single use plastics have retreated as nations prioritised hygiene over the environment for packaging and medical supplies.
Sales of disposable products face masks are set to rise more than 200 fold worldwide this year to US $166 billion ($299 billion), according to a United Nations trade article, citing consultancy Grand View Research.
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Companies have been unwilling to replace plastic with biodegradable products as there concerns over the cost and whether the new alternatives will be strong enough for medical use.
A study has been conducted by the Philippine Department of Science and Technology which shows abaca paper to be more water resistant than the most famous N-95 mask.
Costales mentioned that abaca demand could grow more this year, with 10 per cent of production going to medical uses, compared with less than 1 per cent last year.
"Abaca fibre is rapidly gaining popularity as governments and manufacturers all around the world scamper to produce more reusable and safe medical garments for healthcare professionals," said Pratik Gurnani at, a senior consultant at Future Market Insights.
The Philippines is one of the world¡¯s largest producers, supplying 85 per cent of the fibre in 2017, according to the latest data from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization. The total production is projected to be worth US $100 million this year.
The same fibre which is stripped from the trunks of the abaca tree was used for saltwater resistant ship ropes and envelopes in the 19th century. Surprisingly, the fibre is also used in Mercedes Benz cars and 30 per cent of Japan's banknotes.
