Research, respect and innovation are the "leitmotiv" of Vefer, an entrepreneurial reality at the forefront in Italy and Europe in the production of flexible polyurethanes for blocking.

Always attentive to the multiple needs of the market, the Lissone-based company continues its policy of research and innovation aimed at the production of increasingly high-performance, comfortable and sustainable polyurethanes.

It was precisely of sustainable products, the circular economy, reduced consumption of raw materials and sustainability that we spoke with Antonio Minotti, General Manager of Vefer.

Sustainability is now considered a great opportunity for companies. How is this concern for the environment expressed in your company?

Vefer has always been sensitive to the topic of sustainability and, today even more so, we are in the front line to make our contribution.

Production is managed in such a way as to minimise the use of natural resources, minimise pollution and negative impacts on the environment, and ensure fair working conditions for employees.

Vefer, which has always been a pioneer in environmental protection, was the first polyurethane foam manufacturer in Europe to produce foams with raw materials from renewable sources, polyols derived from ricinoleic acid. This gave rise to the Biogreen® class of foams.

Biogreen® is a product made from natural, non-contaminating renewable raw materials

The production of all company staple is carried out with the use of production waste from foam processing, i.e. second raw material, and no virgin foam is used. In addition, all company production waste that is not used for the supply of upholstery staple is sold in pressed packages for reuse in the field of carpets and fillers in soundproofing asphalts.

Recently, Vefer implemented a collaboration with Repsol, a leading producer of polyols, the raw material for the production of polyurethane, to develop foams produced from polyols derived from the recycling of post-consumer polyurethane foam mattresses, resulting in the CIRCULARREFOAM® class of polyurethanes.

This production, in collaboration with the important OETI Certification Body in Vienna, resulted in the first quality certificate for foams produced in a circular manner.

CIRCULARREFOAM® eco-friendly polyurethane foam made from 15% recycled polyols

Does Vefer have plans for efficiency and reduction of raw material consumption?

Vefer has formulated in its industrial plan its intention to adopt the production model known as Lean Plastic, derived from the Toyota system applied specifically to the world of plastics.

The plan provided for the identification of a company to support this project in an initial check-up phase to highlight areas for improvement and subsequently implement the necessary activities to implement what has been called the 'Vefer Production System'.

The industrial plan envisages an efficiency enhancement of the Lay-Outs of the departments from a Lean perspective, a reduction in waste and an improvement in intralogistics, guaranteeing the flow of value along the entire company axis.

A separate issue concerns raw materials, since they are tied to precise formulations to obtain foams with predefined technical properties.

To reduce the consumption of raw materials, Vefer has adopted an industrial plan that includes a diversified approach: the use of polyols derived from post-consumer mattresses (CIRCULARREFOAM® foams), an ongoing project with a European cooperation, and the reduction of internal special batches (second-grade products).

The reduction of second-rate products has a twofold efficiency, on the one hand a reduction in raw material consumption, on the other hand energy savings to avoid re-processing and further internal transport with a consequent increase in shaping waste.