Venus Group Touts Sustainability and Initiatives on New Website

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 6/8/2009 12:00:00 AM

Foot Hill Ranch, Calif. —

With several years under its belt in sustainable manufacturing and product development practices, Venus Group has paved the way for the recent debut of its new "Earth Smart" eco-friendly program that goes hand-in-hand with the launch of the company's new website.

The new website — which debuted on May 25 — sets the stage for the company's new take on earth friendliness, explained Shiv Shankaran, general manager. "It's where we are first introducing our new eco statement," he explained.

"Our new website is tailored to brand Venus and show its different house brands and labels and sustainability initiatives," added Devanshi Patel, who joined the company in September as director of marketing — a newly created post.

"We've redefined what sustainability means to us," she continued. "From manufacturing to our consumer products, we're trying to incorporate sustainability in all we do — even our packaging."

Venus has for many years embraced a "farm to finish" approach — a label the company has copyrighted, Shankaran said, but has not been as vocal about it until now.

"It is time for us to promote ourselves more, instead of just trying to ride the [economic] storm," he said. "It is important for us to be more aggressive in the tough times."

Venus Group operates two terry towel manufacturing factories in India. There, the company has been for the past three years recycling all of the water it uses as well as harvesting rain water for additional use in the terry manufacturing process.

"We have installed water treatment plants in our factories," Shankaran said. "It is a three-step process that includes reverse osmosis that allows us to clean the leftover water from the first two [recycling] processes and converts it into clean drinking water."

Related initiatives include the recent shift to earth friendly packaging for some of its hospitality products.

"We recently landed a big program with major hotel chain for our sheets, towels, etc., and we got into a discussion on developing and using more eco-friendly packaging," Shankaran said. "Plus, we also found a way to decreasd costs on paper, cardboard, freight, wood, fuel and more that has saved us almost 10% on expenses."

On the consumer product side, Venus recently came out with its Earth Smart sustainability line of eco-friendly products.

Under the tag "Smart Product, Better Earth" Venus's Earth Smart line employs biodegradable materials but also comprises performance products like the "Visa Endurance" collection of odor control and antimicrobial properties "that require less machine washing to save water," Shankaran said.

In the works for this year and beyond are more initiatives to increase Venus' performance product offerings for the consumer, institutional and hospitality offerings.

Venus' full eco story can be found on the revamped website — www.venusgroup.com — under the "Our Responsibility" tab in the middle of the home page.