Sustainability is the principle according to which the use of natural resources to satisfy present needs cannot compromise the satisfaction of future generations. It is the ability to interact with the world, preserving the environment so as not to compromise the natural resources of present and future generations, also encompassing social, energy and economic issues.
One of our goals is to be an increasingly sustainable company, both internally and in our relationship with our customers and suppliers.
Over the year we have been taking and creating several initiatives that allow us to be increasingly sustainable and environmentally friendly, namely:
Art Installations
Our mission is to create impressive art installations, which allow coloring the grayest spaces and lives of those who visit them. Allied to the social aspect, there is also an economic aspect, the objective is to encourage local commerce, int he places where we are present, thus increasing the turnover os small commerce and stores that aren't visited so often, creating a very positive impact in the society and economy of the city:
Reusable and adaptable art installations
When we make a proposal to a client and, when he wants it, we present ideas for art installations in which the materials can be reused to make other installations, at other time of the year. Like the example of Águeda's Bubble Sky, which turned into a recycled Tropicália and like Ovar's Waves of Neptune, turned into Algae in shades of blue. We also give our clients the option, at the end of each installation, to donate the material to a social institution or to raise solidarity funds that can later revert to a social cause;
Temperature reduction on site
The thermal effect that our installations produce allows a reduction in the temperature of the space where they are applied due to the shade they create, transforming sunny and unattractive streets for a walk on hot days, into a cool and pleasant space to walk around;
New materials
We are increasingly looking for suppliers that present us with a range of environmentally friendly materials and products and that are also aware of their ecological footprint;
Local economy
Our art installations and the respective materials used are produced and handled mostly by hand, by local people, which allows to give an extra income to many families in our surroundings, thus contributing to the improvement of their quality of life, which makes the installations even more special and unique;
Solidarity project "Vamos Colorir Portugal"
We created a solidarity project at national level, in which a part of the value of our sales of the Umbrella Project collection, reverts to the realization of social projects, as we did at the Community Center of Gafanha do Carmo, which you can see here;
Sociedade Ponto Verde
We are members of Sociedade Ponto Verde which is licensed to manage and promote the selection, collection and recycling of packaging in Portugal;
Material donation
Whenever possible, at the end of the production of an installation, we analyze the material that is in good condition to donate, but that we cannot use for other installations. This material, such as EVA paper and umbrellas fabric, is donated to institutions in our area as well as to other brands that reuse the fabric to create clothes, bags and hats. In this way, we are able to break the cycle of waste, as materials are used to the last chance;
Tote Bags
We created a sustainable product line, from our Impactplan and Umbrella Project brands, namely the Tote Bag. These bags are made of 100% cotton material, very resistant, can be washed and used over and over again, in every day-to-day occasion;
Collection of plastic bottle caps
This collection is carried out with the aim of donating the largest number of caps to a social cause, in particular, to a person with special needs and who needs this type of initiative to be able to finance solutions for their special needs;
Elimination of paper/plastic coffee cups and wooden pallets
We put aside paper/plastic coffee cups and started using washable and reusable ceramic/glass cups. Each member of our team has one of these cups as well as a tea mug, which they can (re)use every day;
Recycling of coffee capsules
We separate the coffee capsules from other food waste, and the capsules are delivered to entities where they collect them for recycling purposes;
Installation of automatic lights
Throughout our headquarters, the lights in common areas are automatic, in order to prevent forgetting to turn them off;
LED lamps
We have replaced all the lamps in our headquarters with LED lamps, which to not wear out and heat up little, which means that their lifetime can reach 50.000 hours, surpassing even energy-saving lamps. They turn on and off instantly, without losing their useful life;
Programmed air conditioning system
Our air conditioning system is programmed to turn off at a certain time, in order to prevent any transmitter from being turned on unnecessarily outside working hours;
Cardboard and Plastic
We separate the cardboard and plastic material that is used in our warehouse and at the head office, and it's delivered to an entity that recycles it;
Responsible use of paper
We are aware of the excessive use of paper in the world and, in order to minimize its use, all our prints are double-sided and, whenever possible, printed paper is used for scratch sheets.