Description
The project is a result of increasing consumer attention on environmental impact while purchasing wallpaper products. Currently nearly all wallpapers are manufactured using paints on the base of plasticized polyvinyl chloride, material which is very stable and creates large-scale environmental problems. Through the process of scientific research, JSC VEIKA has succeeded in creating entirely new base, which contains no plastic or plasticizer – Ecodeco raw material. It has also been developing other layers of this wallpaper paint as a result of new research-based characteristics. New wallpaper paint would advantage over the products of competitors because it will be more environmentally friendly although other elements, such as price, relief, resistance, pattern, color palette, etc., for the quality of wallpaper would not be lost. Due to specification of newly created formula of painting wallpapers, an innovative technology is needed in order to implement this formula into the process of production. Therefore, the main objective of the project is to develop and place on the market an innovative environmental technology for wallpaper production of Ecodeco.
Summary of project results
The purpose of the project – through green innovation, to create preconditions for the increase of the competitiveness in the wallpaper manufacturing and related industries. The need for the project was conditioned by the increasing focus of wallpaper consumers on environmental impacts of products purchased. Currently, almost all the wallpapers on the market have been manufactured using paint on the basis of plasticized polyvinyl chloride (hereinafter – PVC). Polyvinyl chloride is a very stable substance because of its structure and charge distribution in the molecule. It is a hardly degradable polymer with an almost infinite life cycle. Although this feature is particularly appreciated as a guarantee of durability of PVC-based materials, it creates major environmental problems. PVC is the second plastic according to its prevalence of use: about 30,000,000 tons of PVC is used annually all over the world in manufacturing processes of a variety of products, most of which is dumped into landfill sites, where PVC does not degrade. In addition, the most common plasticizer, a variant of phthalate is used in the production of plasticized PVC. Recently, the number of reports is growing that the phthalate plasticizer is toxic, which means that about 30 percent of currently manufactured wallpaper contains potentially toxic liquid which can evaporate and stay on the objects that come into contact with the surface of the wallpaper. In the process of scientific research carried out, UAB Veika succeeded in creating a completely new wallpaper base for paints that does not contain any PVC and plasticizer. According to the properties of the new base, other wallpaper paint coats have been created as the result of the scientific research. New wallpaper paint is superior to the products offered by the competitors, because it is environmentally friendly, but using it, other wallpaper parameters determining the customer’s choice, such as price, relief, strength, pattern, colour palette, etc. will not be impaired. The specificity of the created new wallpaper paint formula requires a new technology for its introduction into the wallpaper manufacturing process, during the project implementation the main objective of the project was achieved - to develop and place on the market the innovative green technology for the wallpaper production in an environmentally friendly way.
Summary of bilateral results