Employees at Essity’s production facilities outside Gothenburg have, over the course of just a few weeks, redirected production and developed a surgical mask for healthcare use. The masks are undergoing quality tests in partnership with Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) to ensure that they meet the requirements and needs for healthcare use.

“Contributing to society is one of our key priorities at Essity under the current circumstances. I am very proud of our ambitious and talented employees who have worked tirelessly to develop an entirely new product in just a short time,” says Magnus Groth, President and CEO of Essity.

The Swedish production facility has the capacity to produce three million masks a month. Essity has also purchased a machine for large-scale production of surgical masks which has a production capacity of 30 million masks a month. The machine is expected to be operational after the summer. Preparations to manufacture face masks are also under way at several of the Group’s plants in other countries.

Essity has also, together with a partner, made arrangements to shortly increase production capacity of hand sanitizer in Sweden.

The National Board of Health and Welfare is Sweden’s purchaser of personal protection equipment and is responsible for distribution of masks and hand sanitizer for health & elderly care use. Essity intends to donate the first delivery of one million masks to the Swedish health & elderly care services via the National Board of Health and Welfare.