Thyra creates masks made from old fish nets

A new eco-friendly face covering is on the market: masks made from discarded fish nets.

Invented by Solveig Starovic, the Thyra mask, is made from regenerated eco nylon – sourced from recycled plastics found in landfills and oceans, such as fish nets.

Thyra’s hyper-resistant and stretchable material also features a two-way filter of melt-blown, non-woven polypropylene that, according to the brand, blocks over 95% of particles of at least 0.3 microns in size. Plus, the company sells replaceable filters which sit inside the masks.

It’s also very stretchy, made to fit as many face shapes as possible.

Starovic’s prototype was inspired by her love of cycling and the environment, with the mask adapted from an original sports mask that she designed after swallowing a bug while riding.

“I’m a keen cyclist but air pollution really concerns me, so I initially started looking into a mask design that could be worn with a focus on maximum protection through very high filtration, while maintaining comfort and breathability,” Solveig told the Metro.

“I did a lot of research into different materials.

“My life has always been very connected to the sea but the amount of plastic in our oceans is shocking and I’m a firm believer that the future is only possible with sustainability, so when I discovered an eco-nylon that uses regenerated plastics including discarded fishing nets, it ticked every box in terms of its quality, performance and eco benefits.”