Eta 20 debuts, the “good” and sustainable mask for people and the environment

Eta 20 is a mask that is good for everyone, an “excellent Pareto”: it is good for the environment because it is not thrown away, but is washed and reused with a lot of certification even after many washes; it is good for the wearer because it protects against potential infections; it is good for the people who produce it because they are disadvantaged and fragile people who have a chance to work and integrate socially; and it is good for the entire community because it creates opportunities for employment, related activities, to generate GDP and tax revenues, which are not uncommon assets in a pandemic era.

The social co-op Eta Beta and the others

Behind the ethical and sustainable Eta 20 mask is the Bolognese social cooperative Eta Beta, which worked on the project in collaboration with Pretty Moda, Zero Waste Italy and University of Bologna. The device is made of antimicrobial and antiviral fabric with a replaceable filter, is certified by the Alma Mater, the production can reach over 20 thousand masks per week, with the possibility of inserting dozens of disadvantaged people in addition to the ten already involved on the first 5 thousand orders. «This mask represents an important alternative to the disastrous disposable system, the Ffp2 and Ffp3 devices are in fact not recyclable. We have been alongside Eta Beta since the “Lavanda” project, the eco-friendly baby diaper laundry for rent – explains Rossano Ercolini of Zero Waste Italia – and the relationship has intensified during the last pandemic year to develop and structure the washing-rental system of Eta 20 ».

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Antimicrobial and antivirus fabric

The mask is made with the fabric of Pretty (a cooperative company from Carpi), treated with an antimicrobial and antiviral technology, while the filters are from Baritech Operations. «Our company started an industrial conversion project in March 2020, which led it to produce certified medical devices, both disposable and washable. Eta 20 represents the culmination of a path that has allowed our small artisan company to maintain full employment in this very difficult year and not to resort to any kind of social safety net “, underlines Stefano Forti, CEO of Pretty, eight employees and 2.2 million in turnover, up 17% in the pandemic year.

The sustainability requirements

«This project is consistent with thel goal 3 dell’Agenda Onu 2030, to protect collective health, the goal 8 to create decent work for the most vulnerable groups of workers, the goal 13 for the fight against climate change »says Rita Ghedini, president of Legacoop Bologna. And on over 700 masks tested since the beginning of Covid by the Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering of the University of Bologna, “Eta 2020 is the best compromise between sustainability and safety: I am not aware of fully reusable and effective masks – explains the professor of UniBo Cristiana Boi -: Eta 20 is composed of an interchangeable filter and a main part in washable cotton that we have certified both before and after washing ».