FPInnovations receives $1.3M to develop biodegradable filters for face masks

The government of Canada is investing $1.3 million in FPInnovations to help them develop a biodegradable, sustainable filter for single-use face masks, in response to COVID-19.

According to a government press release, FPInnovations will develop the filters using sustainable and biodegradable material from wood fibre. The product will be manufactured by Canadian pulp and paper mills.

“FPInnovations has been on a spring since the beginning of the pandemic, and we are proud of the work we accomplished toward the need for a single-use face mask with consistent performance that is eco-friendly and locally-produced. We are confident in our capacity to deliver a fully biodegradable made-in-Canada face mask in the near future and thank NRCan for its support of Canadian forest sector workers,” said Stéphane Renou, president and CEO of FPInnovations, in a statement.

The funding is part of Natural Resources Canada’s Transformative Technologies Programs’ contribution agreement with FPInnovations through the Forest Innovation Program.