Roswell Textiles, alongside its sister company and commercial partner PADM Medical, is proud to announce the use of its proprietary plant-based nonwoven materials, ECOFUSE™, in Canada’s first plant-based, medical grade procedural mask (VIRALOC ECO™). The VIRALOC ECO™ face mask has a 65% carbon footprint reduction when compared to a traditional synthetic mask.
“Roswell Textiles’ ECOFUSE™ nonwoven materials are produced from plant-based biopolymers and manufactured right here, in the city of Calgary,” says Kyle Fiolka, President of Roswell Textiles and Chief Innovation Officer for the PADM Group. “Our ECOFUSE™ materials are highly engineered and possess similar technical specifications as synthetic, polypropylene materials but with a 65% net carbon reduction. ECOFUSE™ materials, due to their plant-based start of life, contribute to a more sustainable and circular economy. We believe that Alberta is paving the way for a more sustainable future. ECOFUSE™ materials are our answer to making meaningful steps towards carbon reduction, by driving the adoption of plant-based materials and reducing our reliance on synthetic materials. This kind of forward-thinking is symbolic of Alberta’s progressive and innovative spirit.”
“Roswell Textiles’ ECOFUSE™ nonwoven materials are a critical component of our revolutionary, low carbon footprint medical grade face mask, VIRALOC ECO™. We are thrilled to have them as a strategic partner in our mission to reduce the carbon footprint and negative environmental consequences of global waste produced by the healthcare industry” says David Donnelly, President & General Manager of PADM Medical Canada. “VIRALOC ECO™ is in use in Canadian healthcare facilities, and a rapid increase in market adoption is anticipated as hospitals and healthcare systems better understand that they now have a greener and more sustainable choice when it comes to procedural ASTM-compliant face masks. We are starting with masks, but alongside Roswell Textiles, we are committed to replacing all single-use, synthetic plastic materials in our hospitals and clinics with our new carbon-friendly, plant-based products.”
The use of ECOFUSE™ materials in the VIRALOC ECO™ product (and PADM Medical USA’s PRECISION ECO™ product for the US market) means that this product is now in compliance with sustainability initiatives and requirements under The Paris Agreement, COP26, WHO, the Canadian Government 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan, the US Federal Buy Clean Initiative, the US Inflation Reduction Act, the US Building a Clean Energy Economy and general US federal sustainable procurement initiatives.
“We are working tirelessly alongside PADM Medical to assist with the adoption of their plant-based VIRALOC ECO™ face masks into provincial health care systems across Canada. Our innovative, and carbon-friendly ECOFUSE™ materials are intended to be used in medical products such as VIRALOC ECO™ and they are exactly what provincial healthcare systems are looking for when it comes to reducing their overall carbon footprint” says Kyle Fiolka. “We are very proud to be working alongside PADM Medical as they introduce provincial healthcare procurement teams and representatives to a more sustainable product option, with the added benefit of supporting investment and job creation here in Calgary.”
For more information about Roswell Textiles and how ECOFUSE™ may be able to assist with the reduction of carbon in your products and business, visit: www.roswelltextiles.ca.
For more information about PADM Medical and its plant-based VIRALOC ECO™ product line, visit www.padmmedical.com.
Roswell Textiles is a global leader in biopolymer nonwoven technologies and materials, and the first and largest Canadian manufacturer of best-in-class synthetic and plant-based melt-blown nonwoven fabric (ECOFUSE™) for high-performance, regulated medical, food grade, industrial filtration, and consumer applications. Roswell Textiles mission is to de-carbonize the nonwoven industry by developing plant-based and low-carbon materials on a large scale. Roswell Textiles is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PADM Group Inc.
The ECOFUSE™ platform technology is the world’s first commercially available plant-based melt-blown nonwoven material that is rapidly helping transition the world towards a lower carbon and more circular material future. ECOFUSE™ materials are being used by Roswell Textile’s strategic partners and clients to decrease the carbon footprint of their products. In addition to medical filtration, ECOFUSE™ materials are already commercial in water filtration and aerosol filtration applications with additional commercialization processes underway for the use of ECOFUSE™ materials in hygiene, food, and beverage packaging as well as in construction materials. ECOFUSE™ melt-blown materials, currently in commercial use in regulated medical applications, are certified to be 100% biobased by the United States Department of Agriculture BioPreferred Program.
PADM Medical (padmmedical.com) is a global leader in the design and development of medical devices, specifically eco-friendly sustainable medical consumables, and products. PADM Medical is a wholly owned subsidiary of PADM Group Inc.
The PADM Group organization is an advanced manufacturing conglomerate with a defining focus and expertise in highly technical and advanced manufacturing in the healthcare/medical, nonwoven textiles, energy/industrial and aerospace/defense industries.
SOURCE: Roswell Textiles
