99% BIO 3-Ply FAQs

Have a question about your 99% BIO 3-Ply Mask? See our FAQ below for more information. If you have additional questions, please contact us at [e-mail].

Product Specifications:

3-Ply 99% Biodegradable Mask

What are the dimensions of this mask? What are the available sizes?

Available in Regular Size only: 175 mm x 95 mm

Where are these made?

Made in China

What materials are the masks made from?

Primary Materials:

Mask Layers: 100% non-woven, melt-blown polylactic acid corn-made cloth

Nose-Clip: 100% polylactic acid corn-made plastic

Elastic Earloops: 99% polylactic acid, corn-made rope

What are the filtration capabilities of these masks?

BFE (Bacterial Filtration Efficiency) - 99.9%

Here are the test reports:

BFE Report

Compostable/Biodegradable Report

What’s the shelf life for these masks?

We do not have any defined shelf life on the Bio masks. Even by NIOSH standards, there are currently no requirements for shelf-life; https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/respirators/testing/ExpiredN95results.html. Studies such as this one have shown that there is no significant change in the level of protection over time. Generally, disposable face masks claim to have a shelf life between 3-5 years after the date of manufacture.

Can I compost the mask at home? If not, how or where do I send it for industrial composting?

No, this is recommended to be returned for industrial composting. The biodegradable components should be disposed of in a compost facility. Other components such as the nose strip and paper-based packaging can also be properly disposed of through recycling. 

If a compostable product has more of a paper consistency or is a very thin film, it can potentially be disposed of in a backyard compost. However, this is not guaranteed, since decomposition relies on the elements (heat, moisture, oxygen). Having these masks on commercial or industrial composting which is designed to handle a very high volume of organic waste, as opposed to private or home composting, the process is a lot faster resulting in high-quality compost for soil remediation, thus, a greener environment.

What makes this mask biodegradable?

This mask is made up of one of the synthetic biodegradable polymers - poly(lactic acid), a polymer that can be produced from renewable resources annually through fermentation and polymerization processes.

What is a  PLA (Polylactic Acid)

Polylactide (PLA) is a biodegradable, biocompatible, and renewable thermoplastic polyester, mainly derived from corn starch. It has characteristics similar to polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), or polystyrene (PS). It can be produced from already existing manufacturing equipment (those designed and originally used for petrochemical industry plastics). This makes it relatively cost-efficient to produce. Accordingly, PLA has the second-largest production volume of any bioplastic (the most typically cited as thermoplastic starch).

How long does it take for these masks to decompose?

When sorted and properly composted in the right facility, biodegradable and compostable plastics (biopolymers) will only take about three to six months to return to their basic states after decomposition.

How are these masks tested?

The certifying bodies of the materials we use to manufacture our masks use the ASTM - D5526-18 and EN 13432: 2000 (European equivalent standard) respectively. We vetted sustainable suppliers in our R&D and have their respective certifications mentioned above.

While properly disposing and composting face masks is the goal, the materials themselves are renewably sourced, biobased, recycled, and lab-tested non-toxic, which altogether make a huge difference in terms of carbon emissions, sourcing, and manufacturing.