In-Person or Online

About Me

My name is Felix Bookhart-Tsai, and I am currently a senior at American International School in Hong Kong. We all know how COVID-19 has drastically changed life for everyone around the world. From social distancing to online work and education, the pandemic had countless consequences that forced us to adapt. As a result, in many countries wearing disposable face masks when in public settings has become the norm. But this is a burden for the poor and has created a huge additional plastic pollution issue.

In light of these observations, SolarMask was created to minimize face mask pollution while offering lower-income households a cost-effective solution to reuse disposable face masks safely.

Project Description

After extensive research and experimentation, I discovered that through the use of solar ovens, disposable masks could be effectively sterilized of bacteria, making them suitable for further usage. SolarMask is an initiative that aims to offer an affordable solution to reuse face masks through a solar disinfection method. This is aimed at both lower income families in developed countries or for those in countries at lower levels of development with little access to vaccines or mask supplies. At the same time it addresses disposable face mask pollution by reducing the need for new masks. A website includes clear step-by-step instructions on how to construct a solar oven using household materials or how to use existing solar ovens for this purpose.