Published on 9.3.2022.

VIS PROMOTEX IN NORWEGIAN FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECT

Terraces around the world will be adorned with large recycled umbrellas from Varaždin

Vis Promotex, a company with a 90-year tradition of production from Varaždin, operates in over 50 European and global markets, and year after year achieves better results. It has decided to enhance its production processes and the product itself. The ECO VIS project has been launched with the aim of creating new jobs and reducing the carbon footprint.

It is known that the professional aluminum large umbrellas produced by Vis are found on terraces around the world, purchased by the largest global brands in the beverage and food industry, as well as restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality establishments.

VVis has a complete production process in more than 120 technological phases, from the production of fabrics and metal aluminum structures to the finished large umbrellas and umbrella stands.

The biggest competitive advantage Vis has is its own textile production, which consists of spinning, weaving, washing, bleaching, printing, and coating – creating the well-known “VIS LONG LIFE and VIS UV GUARD fabrics”.

Therefore, the logical sequence is to introduce innovations in production, which will improve both the final product and add value to the entire process by recycling textiles and producing new recycled umbrellas.

The ECO VIS project is supported by Norwegian investment funds “Norway Grants” as part of the business development and innovation program managed by Innovation Norway. The project’s goal is to create competitiveness for companies, open new jobs, and reduce the carbon footprint.

There is a growing market demand for sustainable and recycled products, and thus the demand for recycled umbrellas and umbrella fabrics is also increasing. Specifically, a supplier receives a better rating in the supplier database when offering a recycled product.

It is important to note that currently there are limited possibilities for recycling plastic, which is only melting existing plastic (PET) and processing it back into new polyester fibers.

Therefore, the ECO VIS project focuses on recycling technical textiles in various ways that would enable the reuse of waste generated in the production cycle and offer a new way of recycling polyester textiles.

The project is implemented for the purpose of research and development, increases the level of environmental protection, and aims to develop a “greener” way of recycling polyester textiles and enable the complete recovery of waste generated in production. Also, the project provides an opportunity for the company Vis Promotex to expand its services in the market, become more competitive, and introduce a new sustainable and improved product.

The equipment to be used will enable the construction of a recycling line where polyester waste will be sorted according to defined criteria, depending on its properties, and directed for further processing.

The expected results of the project, along with the introduction of new products to the market, are an annual reduction in synthetic yarn consumption by 1.022 tons, reuse of all textile waste, annual reduction in CO2 emissions by 1.000 tons, and the creation of 32 new “green” jobs.