Biodegradable Face Masks

An alternative to single-use polypropylene masks

January 2022 - April 2022

Technical Lead

Team:

• Alexandria Jost

• Kelly Yee

• Aerls De La Rosa Toro

As an introduction to the engineering design process and project lifecycle, we were tasked to address one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In light of COVID-19, we decided to address the negative environmental impact of single-use polypropylene masks.

We took several steps through the engineering design process, starting with a need statement, undergoing several analyses (stakeholder and solution analyses, cost-benefit analysis, life cycle analysis, and risk analysis), prototyping, and finalizing our product. We recognized our objectives, constraints, and requirements and developed a solution that outperformed current solutions. Although we did not create a physical product, we decided on manufacturing processes, cost, and the life-cycle of these biodegradable masks.

See attached for our final report.