It probably will be three years or more until the wearing of masks becomes unnecessary. And some manufacturers of masks won’t be happy about it. These are the manufacturers who entered the mask market to cash in on some people’s desire to make a fashion, political or social statement while wearing a mask.
If you’ve been paying even a little attention to the news, you’ve seen politicians with mask stating their political beliefs, professional organization members sporting their organization’s logo on the masks, and even sports teams designing masks that match their team uniforms. The fact that masks are worn on the face means they’re prime targets for marketers wanting to get a client’s logo on TV. Masks are also being made in a rainbow of colors to match whatever outfit one happens to be wearing.
Mask Technology
Manufacturers are also applying unnecessary “technology” to their masks to win new customers. You can find masks on the market that have several letters followed by the numbers 95 in an effort to impersonate the quality N95 masks made by the 3M company.
Double layer masks, masks with a metal nosepiece, and masks with adjustable elastic ear straps are some of the “improvements” offered by manufacturers to corner a share in the lucrative mask market.
Another Source of Waste
Another slightly worrying facet of the mask craze is the proliferation of disposable masks. People who don’t want to wash and reuse a cloth mask can simply buy a large box of disposable masks and throw their masks away at the end of the day.
Unfortunately, it’s just another source of waste in a world that doesn’t need an additional source. With people spending more time at home, it’s the perfect opportunity to wash and reuse your masks.
They say that every tragedy creates an opportunity. Hopefully, this opportunity will soon be a distant and regrettable memory.
