Leading filtration company sees surge in consumer demand for clean air solutions
Leading clean air solutions provider, Camfil, says demand for filtration systems across the UK has more than quadrupled as a result of consumers becoming more aware of airborne diseases. Prior to COVID-19 sweeping the country, in Q1 of 2020, Camfil saw revenues of £500,000 for its HEPA air purifier across the UK, which are designed to eliminate aerosol particles that spread COVID-19. In Q1 of 2021, sales increased more than six-fold to £3.3 million. These increased sales coincide with the development of a greater understanding of how COVID-19 is transmitted. Camfil is an established global provider of trusted clean air solutions that aims to protect people, processes and the environment.
Prior to COVID-19, the majority of Camfil’s HEPA air purifiers were being bought by hospitals – who purchased the technology for laboratories and to prevent the spread of airborne illness. Over the past 14 months, the clean air business has witnessed rapid uptake across other industries including schools and private companies, as society adapts to life in a world where clean air is paramount. Camfil manufactures and sells HVAC filters, dust extraction technology and other clean air equipment in addition to its HEPA air purifier range, and believes that clean air is a human right. The company has offices in 30 countries worldwide, including the UK and Ireland.
In recent weeks, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its guidelines to include information about how COVID-19 is primarily spread between people who are in close contact with each other. According to the WHO, a person can be infected when aerosols or droplets containing the virus are inhaled or come directly into contact with the eyes, nose or mouth. The US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) recently underscored this message, stating that the coronavirus is primarily transmitted through inhalation and exposure to respiratory fluids. The news comes more than a year after aerosol researchers warned that public health bodies such as the WHO and CDC needed to “face the reality” that COVID-19 was most likely transmitted by inhalation. In order to combat this, both the CDC and the WHO have updated their guidelines to recommend increased ventilation and the use of HEPA air purifiers. This is because aerosols can remain suspended in the air and can travel further than one metre.
Commenting on the increase in demand for their HEPA air purifiers, David Moulton, Managing Director of Camfil UK, said:
“Such a significant increase in demand for HEPA air filtration across the UK demonstrates that consumers are more airborne disease aware than ever before. At the beginning of the pandemic, sales of our dust extraction and other clean air products declined as industry and construction were brought to a sudden halt. In just 14 months, we have experienced sharp growth across other areas of our business – particularly in regards to the HEPA air purifiers, which are designed to prevent microbiological contamination in research labs and prevent the spread of airborne diseases across the healthcare sector. This is a promising indication that schools and private businesses are finally realising the role they can play in providing filtered air to assist public health. Clean air is a human right that everybody should be entitled to.”
In addition to increased sales of its HEPA air purifiers in the UK, Camfil has also reported growth across Europe in countries including Ireland, Italy, Germany, Spain and France. In Germany, 2020 first quarter sales amounted to €600,000 while in the first quarter of 2021, that figure increased more than ten-fold to €7.1 million – demonstrating the significant demand for clean air within hospitals, schools and business settings. Within Ireland, sales also increased from €200,000 in Q1 of 2020 to €1.9 million in Q1 of 2021.
