After being stood down from his job at Qantas during the coronavirus pandemic, Darlinghurst local Chris Peck was facing the challenge of finding new work.
His solution was not only to create a new job, but to do his bit in combatting the pandemic through his business Voyager Masks, which offers environmentally sustainable and reusable masks.
Chris Peck says that while disposable masks are necessary for front line health workers, members of the public can switch to washable, reusable masks which also help reducing landfill waste.
“Sustainability and trying to reduce the amount of plastic waste we send to landfill, to see all these masks, I thought there must be another solution to do that,” he says.
In an effort to produce sustainable facemasks, Voyager Masks produce their Pro3Mask, which uses naturally occurring material derived from shellfish, and is reusable. The masks offered are organic and maintain 99.9% of antibacterial effectiveness after 60 washes.
Additionally, Voyager Masks also offer Japanese Medi Fabric masks. Containing natural antibiotic properties and beneficial for the skin, the fabric is known to help heal the skin.
Peck says: “These are great for when you’re wearing the mask for long periods. When you go into the office, or when you’re out and about, it just means the material isn’t going to rub against your face and it’s actually a lot softer.”
The masks also use a waterproof outer layer to ensure that the virus does not travel through water particles, thus enabling the masks to repel the virus.
To ensure that all stages of the product are sustainable, Peck uses a carbon neutral delivery company, and also uses compostable delivery satchels.
“It’s just trying to close that loop.”
Chris Peck says his brand has found most of its business through the help of his local community.
“Advertising is great for building brand perspective, but from a sales perspective it’s not ideal,” he says.
“It’s actually been reaching out to local community and through Facebook groups, has been so much more valuable than spending money on advertising.”
“It is word of mouth that helps build customers, awareness and trust in a brand.”
Voyager Masks facemasks can be found online at voyagermasks.com.au
