Masks that Grow into Plants when Sown after use!

 

 

A Karnataka based environmental activist and entrepreneur Nithin Vas has created a unique idea to help conserve the environment by using masks that are environment friendly. These masks are actually made of cotton rags, and will turn into plants if discarded in the soil. The masks can be sown in the soil with seeds of fruits and vegetables.

  

The activist said that they as an organization, called Paper Seed, designed this paper mask. It is made up of a few different layers. The first one, which is the inner layer, is made up of the cotton linings from the rags. What makes the masks eco-friendly is the fact that when it is discarded in the soil, plants will grow from the seeds which are embedded in these masks. The seeds used in the masks are of tulsi and tomatoes.

 

According to the activist, the surgical and the cloth masks which could be seen mostly used during the pandemic were a decent protection against Covid-19 and other viruses, we also should keep the animals in mind. Not just the animals, but also the aquatic life is greatly harmed due to these masks as when discarded, they all end up getting dumped into the oceans. This is highly polluting and harmful to the ocean life. Many of them can be considered as endangered species due to the constant acts of ocean pollution taking place.

 

The eco-friendly masks may not be as soft as the regular surgical masks, but nonetheless, they are definitely durable. He advises against washing the masks as they can get dissolved because of the cotton pulp in the layers of it. These basically cannot be washed, so these are single-use. These masks are in demand in Chennai, Bangalore, Madikeri, etc. There is also a demand for the mass production of these.

  

In the past the organization Paper Seed has made rakhis which were eco-friendly made from seeds of cucumbers, tomatoes, tulsi, capsicums, etc. for the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.

  

 

 

Paper seed has also made a range of other eco-friendly products like ladles, keychains, earrings, cups made from coconut shells, baskets made from locally available climbers and creepers. A few other products are bamboo toothbrushes, seed pens, seed paper notebooks, paper straws, newspaper seed pencils, organic incense sticks and many more. A few other latest products are Paper Mache toys made from paper pulp. The activist had decided to name them as Mangaluru toys on the lines of Channapatna toys which is made out of soft wood. These toys are a reflection of the local culture.