SUSTAINABILITY

AusAir was founded in 2017 on a simple mission, that everyone deserves to breathe clean air. This was based on a realisation that air pollution is one of the most significant contributing factors to severe health problems. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, roughly 129 billion disposable face masks are being thrown into landfills every month, with the majority made from virgin plastics designed for single use. This level of consumption is unsustainable, with the waste wreaking havoc on our environment.

Our mission is now more important than ever before. Because of this, we refuse to provide accessories to protect against air pollution whilst consciously contributing towards it.

Our aim is to create products for longevity, not landfill. The result of this project is the AirWeave Merino Mask, a high filtration mask built using sustainable and reusable materials that simultaneously increased all performance metrics relating to filtration efficiency and breathability.

With this mandate in mind, we began by reimagining a key component of any face mask, the filter insert. Current filters available today are typically constructed using a meltblown filtration layer, which are both short lasting and made from virgin plastics. In addition to this detrimental environmental problem, these filters are extremely inefficient in the trade off between breathability and filtration performance.

To overcome these issues we designed the AirWeave Copper Filter, using an electrostatic filtration layer of wool derived from an elite breeding program. The AirWeave replaces synthetic non-renewable materials with natural fibres.

Harnessing these natural fibres improved both the filtration performance and the breathability of the filters. These were combined with antimicrobial copper technology, a naturally occurring mineral which guards against deterioration from microorganisms and inhibits the growth of bacterial odours. The result is a filter which captures the finest submicron particles at the lowest airflow resistance.

Built from advanced natural materials, the AirWeave range provides protection from submicron contamination while reducing the problem of waste pollution. 

Featuring the world's most breathable filter media with industry leading protection, combining AirWeave technology with reusable and durable natural fibres, AusAir have partnered with nature to build a mask from the ground up.

Well there’s an answer, and it’s about $13 billion in economic damage to marine ecosystems every single year by plastic pollution. This includes costs such as cleaning up beaches, reduced tourism, and significant impacts on the fishing industry.

Our products incorporate as many sustainable materials as possible. We are continuing to invest in R&D to create new ways to solve old problems. It’s what we want and we know it’s what our customers want. Discerning consumers prefer to invest in products that are more sustainable and uncompromising in their performance.

The AirWeave Copper Filter uses wool filter media which comes from a specialised breeding program using the latest in farm science and husbandry practises to produce elite sheep. These sheep are then carefully and responsibly farmed, harvesting a wool with optimal filtration properties - micro fibre diameters and crimped structures.

AusAir's advanced performance technology is manufactured with processes that minimise residual waste. The mask skins are woven using AirWeave technology created on one machine, as one piece, enabling a structured shape and reducing yarn wastage. We partner with Australian farmers which use advanced agricultural programmes based on sustainability of land, renewable energy and ethical farming principles to create natural performance materials.

AusAir’s mask skins, stainless steel valves, and silicone components are all reusable, meaning they don’t get added to the trash after use. The AirWeave and AirFlex replaceable filters have a longer lifespan (~15- 28 days) than traditional filters (~1-2 days), leaving a significantly lighter footprint on the environment and combating single use disposables.

That is why at the beginning of 2021 AusAir announced a partnership with Carbon Neutral to reduce their carbon emissions through the Plant-a-Tree initiative. 

To date they have planted hundreds of trees and are committed to planting hundreds more each year. Replenishing Australia’s biodiverse habitat through the planting of native species plays a crucial role in regional conservation efforts and contributes to expanding a natural carbon sink aimed at offsetting and absorbing excessive CO2 in the atmosphere.

We are only just getting started. If you have any questions or want to provide us with feedback on how you think we can be a more sustainbale company, please email us at support@ausmask.com.