Feds invest $300K in prototype face mask using wood pulp

On July 31, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, Seamus O’Regan, announced $300,000 in funding for Newmarket, Ont.-based Pulp Moulded Products Incorporated (PMP), which is developing a prototype face mask using wood pulp. Kruger Incorporated is also supporting the project.

According to a government press release, PMP will be creating a prototype for low-cost, non-surgical, disposable masks made of responsibly harvested wood fibre. The mask production and supply chain will be 100 per cent Canadian.

“We’re excited to introduce a made-in-Canada mask that is unique in the marketplace. Through this project, we hope to achieve a reliable local supply of inexpensive, highly effective antiviral, green masks that will help in the continuing efforts to protect Canadians through this difficult time,” said Gordon Heyting, PMP CEO, in a statement.

Funding for the project comes from the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program.