Increasing the competitiveness of UAB Veika by placing on the market an innovative environmental technology
In 2016-2016, UAB Veika is implementing the project under the Partnership Project Scheme of the Green Industry Innovation Programme under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009-2014 “The increase of the competitiveness of the company UAB Veika by placing on the market the innovative environmental technology GREENCOVER in the field of wallpaper production” (project No. NOR-LT09-ŪM-01-K-03-005) intended for production of ecologic wallpaper base without PVC.
UAB Veika started operating in 1991. The company has installed a modern scientific research (SR) and experimental development laboratories, where development of new products and continuous improvement of manufactured products is carried out. The experience of skilled chemistry and industry professionals, their knowledge, new ideas and modern equipment helps to develop, manufacture and supply to the market complex, high-quality products in the shortest period of time.
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 is 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 SR 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 SR. New wallpaper paint will be superior to the products offered by the competitors, because it will be 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, therefore the main objective of the project is to develop and place on the market the innovative environmental technology for the wallpaper production.
EUR 1,000,000 support has been granted for the project implementation under the Partnership Project Scheme of the Green Industry Innovation Programme under the Norwegian Financial Mechanism.
Duration of the project implementation: 2015.02 – 2016.09
March 2015 – completed equipment purchasing procedure.
December 2015 – started equipment installation and technology implementation.
September 2016 – an innovative technology has been successfully implemented, the project completed.
