Over 1,000 of Teck’s germ-killing copper patches installed on BC college campus
Funded by Teck through its Copper & Health program, the installation creates a safer environment for students, faculty, and staff due to copper’s naturally antimicrobial properties, the company said.
The initiative follows a five-week trial that Teck funded in 2020 in which the antimicrobial properties of copper products were tested on two TransLink buses on high-ridership routes and two SkyTrain cars. Results from that industry-first trial showed that copper is effective at killing up to 99.9% of bacteria on high-touch transit surfaces.
Copper is the only solid metal touch surface registered by Health Canada and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, proven to eliminate up to 99.9% of bacteria left behind on surfaces.
“We are proud to partner with BCIT and commend the institute’s leadership on this initiative which creates a safer environment for students and staff,” Don Lindsay, Teck CEO said in a media release.
“As part of our Copper & Health program, Teck has been working to expand the use of antimicrobial copper in high-traffic public spaces. This partnership is another important step forward and we will continue working to make our communities safer.”