PEPLUM · Development of a fully customised, repairable and recyclable polypropylene umbrella that is easy to assemble

Each year an estimated one billion umbrellas are discarded in landfills globally. Umbrellas typically consist of 120 parts and are made up of various materials such as metals and plastic amongst others. These materials take up to a century to degrade naturally. This volume of waste is an environmental concern as is the squandering of finite resources such as metals. The volume of umbrellas discarded is a result of inefficiencies of umbrellas available in the market. The umbrella stretchers that hold the canopy in place when the umbrella is opened consist of multiple rigid metal pieces joined together with pins and screws. These joints weaken the umbrella structure and as a result the stretchers break easily especially when subjected to strong wind. Furthermore, umbrella repair services are scarce and as a result, whole umbrellas are disposed of even when a single component is damaged. Also, umbrellas are difficult to recycle because they consist of multiple parts of different materials. PLV Srl, established in 2016 to tackle the inefficiencies of umbrellas in the market, has developed an innovative, all-plastic, easy to assemble umbrella whose key innovation is the integrated polypropylene stretcher. Our stretchers consist of one flexible piece designed to alter shape to withstand adverse weather conditions. The multiple joints are eliminated strengthening the structural integrity of our umbrellas. Our umbrellas, consisting solely of plastic are 100% recyclable. In addition, our umbrellas are comprised of just 20 components which are easy to assemble. As a result, when a component is damaged, it can be easily replaced. 900 million umbrellas are sold each year and bringing in revenues of €3 billion each year. PLV Srl aims to sell 3 million umbrellas by 2024 which is 0,6% of the total addressable market. Our umbrellas will cost around €20 and €3 for the separate components. By 2024, we anticipate achieving a net profit of €5.9million and return on investment of 487%.