Di Caprio has given his approval to Carrigaline man’s eco masks

CORK company RashR has joined the charge against Covid -19 transmission by pivoting their business to produce eco-friendly, reusable face masks with filters, for the general public with €2 of the proceeds per mask going to the Irish Lung Fibrosis Association (ILFA).

And the initiative has already has the backing of Hollywood star Leonardo Di Caprio.

Since 2017, the company has been a leading supplier to luxury resorts across the world (such as the Four Seasons, Sixth Sense, and Richard Branson’s luxury resort, Necker Island) with their sustainable clothing and accessories (including rash vests, compression tops, boardshorts and caps).

However, with the onset of Covid-19, the company is now using the materials they traditionally used in the production of their internationally renowned rash vests (protective skin clothing for surfers in hot climates) to produce high quality face masks on an industrial scale.

Tom Cotter wearing one of his popular masks.

CEO, founder and Carrigaline-native, Tom Cotter said: ‘The masks have been manufactured using recycled polyester at just under medical grade standard so will not be interfering with the supply of PPE equipment for healthcare workers. However, the masks will be suitable to those in a general work and public environment as businesses slowly begin to open their doors again based on public health guidelines. We also wanted to help a charity chose to donate €2 of each mask to the Irish Lung Fibrosis Foundation.’

The masks have also recently received the support and backing of Leonardo Di Caprio, who is well-known outside of his acting on the big screen for being a devout environmental activist.