SUSSEX, Wis. (Feb. 18, 2021) – Sussex IM, a long-standing leader in custom injection molding and advanced automation, in partnership with 4ocean, a certified B Corporation and Public Benefit Corporation focused on ending the ocean plastic crisis, and Breathewire, a newly formed LLC company located in Mequon, Wis., is excited to introduce the development of a new, fully sustainable plastic face mask support frame that improves breathability.
“The mission of BreatheWire is to improve people’s lives, and this product delivers a sustainable solution that makes mask-wearing more comfortable,” said Brian Davis, co-CEO of Breathewire. “Our insert is extremely lightweight and specifically designed to minimize contact with the face while connecting very tightly to the mask – unique in the mask frame market.”
Breathewire identified Sussex IM as an ideal partner due to the company’s high-end injection molding capabilities, interest in entrepreneurial projects, and reputation for working with recycled plastics.
“Sussex IM’s commitment to growing production capability in recycled resins is a reflection of the company’s mission to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Corey Jacak, Sales Engineer at Sussex IM. “Many injection molders have the capability, but few the willingness to commit resources to assist in developing the concept to a production-ready part.”
As a leader in utilizing recycled plastic and plastic alternatives, Sussex IM’s expertise and secondary services helped make this product a reality.
“Using post-consumer recycled resins for this product fits our programs to reduce waste materials,” said Jacak. “Our experience in processing recycled resins assisted Breathewire in establishing design, tooling and processing standards to accept the inherent variability in material properties of recycled materials. In addition to best-in-class injection molding, Sussex is also growing our third-party logistics (3PL) and fulfillment capabilities, which simplified Breathewire’s go-to-market strategy.”
After finalizing and qualifying the design and material requirements based on virgin resins, Sussex IM and Breathewire began the search for recycled plastics, which caught the eye of 4ocean.
“We’re selective about who we partner with because it’s important to us that our partner’s mission and goals are in alignment with our own,” said Alex Schulze, co-founder and CEO of 4ocean. “BreatheWire offered us an opportunity to make a useful product made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic, including 50% recovered 4ocean Plastic™. Right now, we’re all wearing masks, and this product benefits everyone.”
The 4ocean Facemask Support Frame is now available online in adult and youth sizes, and with every 4ocean product purchased, 4ocean will pull one pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines. For product and purchasing details, visit 4ocean.com.
About Sussex IM
Sussex IM is an accomplished, custom injection molder with more than four decades of proven turnkey success. Serving as an imaginative resource for automated assemblies, molding and decorating, Sussex IM delivers a competitive advantage to customers with their Design-for-Manufacturing expertise and 3rd party management relations for dynamic problem-solving capabilities for production molding while also supporting integrated value-added operations. Driven to hit our customers’ launch window, our relatable team is dedicated to ensuring your product gets to your end-user. To learn more about how Sussex IM sustains trusting relationships that can mold your future, visit www.SussexIM.com.
About 4ocean
4ocean is a purpose-driven business with a mission to help end the ocean plastic crisis by cleaning the ocean and coastlines while stopping the inflow of plastic by changing consumption habits on land. With the goal of creating an economy around cleaning the ocean, 4ocean funds its cleanup operations entirely through the sale of product purchases and its Pound+ Program. These purchases fund the removal of trash from the ocean and have resulted in pulling over 11 million pounds of pollution to date. The solution to ending ocean plastic pollution lies in stopping it on land before it enters the ocean, which is why 4ocean is tackling behavior change by educating consumers about ways to reduce their single-use plastic consumption.
Media Contact:
Elizabeth Detampel
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