“Determinant masks” are the part of textile giant Esquel’s portfolio of brands, like the super-lean collection of men’s shirting essentials from the same line. The masks are now available in the market as a straightforward solution to the now-daily necessity.
Reusable for up to 30 washes, a single DET30 mask is a three-ply, front-pleated design rendered in water-repellant, antibacterial-treated cotton. The masks can quantifiably be used for up to a month. To put that number in perspective, that is 12 face masks compared to 365 annually; in a family unit of four, that is 48 face masks compared to 1,460.
As the pandemic rages worldwide, other pressing issues took noticeable backseats. Hong Kong is a city with a growing appreciation for sustainable and eco-conscious efforts; however, the safety awarded from single-use surgical masks was prioritised over the environmental problem that single-use designs. Thus, in a city of seven-plus million people, a mask which could be used for a month could save a significant burden of disposable masks.
The YMCA, North Point Kai Fong Welfare Association, Hong Kong Safety Services Association Limited and Po Leung Kuk are amongst the extensive list of local charities and NGOs on the receiving end of Determinant’s face masks, to be distributed throughout the city.
Determinant’s two-pack of reusable cotton face masks retail at HK$65. A project that started as community-based service, Determinant has, to date, donated over 330,000 of their reusable cotton face masks globally, effectively displacing up to 10 million single-use masks. This holiday season, the Dee Poon-led brand hopes to donate 250,000 masks in Hong Kong; a carefully-considered number that, for a month’s use, displaces the number of single-use masks used by roughly the entire population of the city: 7.5 million.
