Comments from Duncan Gilmour, managing director of Screenworks:
From 24th July it will be compulsory for people in England to wear face coverings in shops, as well as on public transport. This a move that I unequivocally support. However, I am concerned about the environmental impact when it comes to the inevitable surge in disposable mask usage. Many people are still likely to choose disposable masks for their convenience. Not many know about anti-viral products, yet they offer a brilliant solution for those concerned about the safety and safe cleaning of reusable masks.
When lockdown happened and the impact of Covid-19 hit our business, we worked hard to pivot our traditional garment decoration offering at Screenworks. We wanted to do all we could to help support the Covid-19 efforts. This resulted in a period of research and development, leading to the creation of the first-to-market anti-viral and reusable face masks and snoods through our Bumpaa brand.
These aren’t just standard fabric face coverings; the products are manufactured using a technical fabric. Bumpaa’s anti-viral treatment, using ViralOff® technology, effectively reduces viruses and bacteria on the product by up to 99 per cent over two hours.* The treatment does not interfere with the skin’s natural bacterial flora and lasts for the product’s lifetime.
Lightweight, comfy and fully brandable, there are also no design limitations to Bumpaa products. Instead of plain, or standard, fabrics design face coverings, they can be fully customised to fit trends or can be branded to resell as merchandise, or as uniform for staff. The masks can be produced very quickly, as the fabric is milled and treated with the ViralOff® treatment, decorated and packed in the UK, all in as little as three weeks.
With their long-lasting antiviral properties, the masks and snoods can be reused over and over again. This helps save vital supplies of PPE for the NHS and reduces the use of disposable masks.
When it comes to wearing and removing any masks, it’s important to make sure you do so safely. For example, do not touch the exterior of the mask when removing it. When cleaning standard reusable masks, you should always follow the correct process, for example to wash at a minimum of 60 degrees. However, the anti-viral treatment on Bumpaa products ensures that when the mask is safely removed, if any virus or bacteria is present on the surface, it will be safely deactivated within a maximum of two hours. The masks do not require any washing, but if necessary, a cold water hand wash is advised to maintain a maximum anti-viral effect. This is especially helpful for busy retail workers, or office staff, as they can reuse the mask without laundering, and the product is protected throughout the day from harbouring viruses or bacteria.
Screenworks has already seen huge demand from across the sporting and events industries. We hope to replicate this within the retail sector – supporting shops in their safe re-opening, and helping to boost sales.
We are able to offer a free of charge printed sample with a shops chosen design – to enable buyers to visualise branding and marketing opportunities.
* Per ISO test ISO18184:2019, ATCC VR-1679 (H3N2) (Influenza A)
Published on: July 15th, 2020
