RM 99 for 3 Volvos? Volvo Car Malaysia now offers reusable facemasks

Face masks have become a new essential in our daily lives since the pandemic happened. In collaboration with Three Little Ahmads and NanoTextile, Volvo Car Malaysia is lauching a collection of anti-microbial facemasks, known as the ‘Volvo Batik Reusable Face Masks’ to provide a more sustainable option for people. Besides, it serves as a movement to help those whose livelihoods have been affected by the pandemic by engaging them in the making of these masks.

Designed by Three Little Ahmads, a local children’s clothing brand and social enterprise, the facemasks are also ethically sourced, made and produced by single mothers, women in rural neighbourhoods and GIATMara vocational alumnus, who lost their jobs due to retail factory closures during the Malaysian Movement Control Order (MCO) in March 2020.

Every individual from this target community is given fair compensation with each facemask produced which have provided them with a steady stream of income.

Akhtar Sulaiman, Marketing and PR Director of Volvo Car Malaysia, said: “This collaboration truly falls in line with Volvo’s core philosophy of ‘Omtanke’, which is a Swedish word and Volvo’s brand ethos that means ‘to care’ and ‘to be considerate’. We are honoured to lend a helping hand to our local communities and sustain their livelihoods, especially during these economically challenging and vulnerable times.”

Volvo Cars is on a lifelong mission to safeguard the environment as ‘Omtanke’ is not only limited to caring for the people, but also the planet. One of the biggest environmental concern that arose out of this pandemic is the disposal of single-use surgical masks which could lead to even more to wastes in the landfill and the oceans.

To curb this problem, these fabric facemasks are designed to be reusable with a unique Batik Tekap pattern, paying homage to the Malaysian art heritage.

The facemasks have a more modern designed compared to traditional batik with patterns based on three flowers-  sunflower, stargazer lily and jasmine.

The masks are not designed to only look appealing, they are created to have anti-bacterial properties, are water-repellent and provides viral protection up to 100 gentle washes.

NanoTextile, the company behind the facemask’s anti-bacterial qualities uses nanotechnology in the production of the fabric to lessen the penetration of contaminated droplets and avoid possible infection of the fabric by viruses or bacteria. The addition of a PM 2.5 filter provides a fifth layer of protection and is tested to effectively filter out 90 per cent of viral particles. 90 per cent of viral particles can be filtered out with the addition of a PM 2.5 filter which provides a fifth layer of protection.

Dr Thomas Ong, Chief Executive Offer of NanoTextile hopes to show the public the potential of nanotechnology in overcoming environmental problems and that by producing higher quality materials, people are more responsive to premium items with a longer lifespan.

“Climate change is a big problem to address alone, but together with like-minded organisations, brands and people, we can make an impactful difference to our community and the planet. We hope that through this partnership, we can inspire Malaysians to make more sustainable choices for the sake of our planet,” stated Akhtar.

The Volvo Batik Reusable Facemasks comes in a set of three, with two sizes to choose from– medium and large. Each set comes in three colour variations, which are Dark Blue (sunflower), Navy Blue (stargazer lily), and Sky Blue (jasmine). The facemasks are now available for purchase at Volvo dealerships nationwide, with a retail price of RM 99 per set.