G95 makes clothing and scarves that serve as N95 facemasks, as well as their own "Oceanshield" one-time-use masks that are made of biodegradable material. They accept the Oceanshield masks back to recycle for store credit; just send them back in the pre-labeled bag they came in.

Make sure to follow the care instructions to preserve the clothing's filtering properties as long as possible.

They got their start a bit before the COVID-19 pandemic, in response to bad air quality in cities. The goal for their washable gear is to provide the protection of a facemask without the wearer looking like they're wearing a mask, thus preserving style. The irony is that in the current post-Omicron situation, I actually prefer to be seen wearing an obviously-KN95 mask. Even if I know that G95's cloth is sufficient protection, I can't count on anyone else knowing that; as far as they know, cloth is cloth, and it's not enough.

The Oceanshield masks are expensive, but in the long term are more reasonable when you factor in the rebate. They're a little less comfortable and snug than Public Goods' masks, but you can't beat them for sustainability. If I need to ensure a tight seal, I just tie knots in the backs of the ear loops.

The masks can suffer from shortages from time to time, which can cause long shipping delays, so you will probably want to have a backup source of masks in case your refill doesn't arrive soon enough.

Recycling N95 Masks

I have confirmed that G95 accepts not just their own Oceanshield masks for recycling, but other brands of N95 and KN95 masks as well. They can all go back in the same bag. As of this writing, the rebate is $1 per Oceanshield mask, and 25 cents per mask of another brand. Once the masks are received and counted, they set up a shopping cart for you that has another order of masks queued up, with the rebate applied, and send you a link to access it in an email. Make sure to use this invoice promptly, as it can expire, and customer service can take a bit of poking for a response.

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