Research and development towards sustainable future

Vistafolia are passionate about championing British engineering and driving innovation and sustainability in the sector.

WHY DOES THIS PARTNERSHIP MATTER?

Vistafolia entered this research collaboration with the University of Surrey to showcase how innovation can inspire new product design and sustainability, which seems imperative in the global marketplace of services and products. Before developing a more sustainable product, realised across its entire life cycle, it’s imperative to tap into the right expertise and knowledge.

This project represents the ideal opportunity to share ideas and transfer knowledge with key academics, just as much as this partnership will become the bedrock for meaningful change. Not only will access to laboratories accelerate the leading role of innovation towards sustainable artificial foliage, but sharing a diversity of expertise from Chemistry, Material Science, Mechanical and Process Engineering will help us centralise the R&D as a platform for facilitating future success.

training and development session

WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH

UK-Research-and-Innovation

UK Research and Innovation is a UK Government body that directs research and innovation funding to British companies who set out to push boundaries and develop new technology.

GovUK logo

Gov.uk has backed this project and this is a great achievement, as they are confident, we can produce this innovative product. Their stringent selection process means that only the very best applicants are approved for funding on their projects.

Surrey-Uni logo

The University of Surrey is one of the UK’s leading higher education institutions, with highly specialised expertise in the sustainability sector.

DISCOVER OUR RESEARCH

British innovation is capable of creating meaningful change in our industry. Our commitment to a new generation of bioplastic plant walls is led by pioneering research in partnership with the University of Surrey. Working towards sustainable artificial foliage, our KTP Partnership will spotlight the capabilities of bio-based sources in product innovation.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

ktp magnifying glass image
RESEARCH

Establish a new product formula that involves environmentally friendly constituents

ktp sustainability logo
RECYCLABILITY

Cradle to cradle life cycle analysis to ensure products can be recycled at the end of there life span

ktp leaf image
R&D CENTRE

Expand UK’s only artificial plant R&D centre

ktp holding plant image
LEADERSHIP

Market leader in sustainable artificial plants

ktp plant shoot image
RENEWABLE

Targeting bio-based materials in the manufacturing of our products

ktp leaf image
INNOVATION

We hope to drive sustainability in the sector while pushing the environmental boundaries in R&D

WHY CHANGE TO BIO-POLYMERS?

BIO-BASED POLYMERS, OR BIOPLYMERS

Bio-based polymers, or biopolymers, are natural materials created using living organism cells, such as biomass, food waste, or used cooking oil, and produce virtually no carbon footprint when compared with petro-carbon resins.

CARBON NEUTRAL FUTURE

Vistafolia’s existing product already offers a sustainable alternative to living green walls. removing the use of nearly 200 litres of water per year (per sqm of green wall compared to living plants), as well as fertiliser and pesticide , energy and carbon usage. The new product characterisation will build upon this to commit Vistafolia to a carbon neutral future, a first in the industry.

ktp doodle image
LEADERSHIP

Vistafolia have always been at the forefront of pushing the boundaries for research and development into artificial foliage, becoming the first company to extend UV protection and so far the only successful blend of UV and FR additives into our products. But even still, we wanted to go a step further and research the possibility of using bio-based rather petro-based plastics.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT

At present tonnes per year of PE plastics are developed to product artificial plants. Vistafolia’s commitment to the future sees us wanting to turn the industry into developing greener, more sustainable products where recyclability and where the cradle-to-cradle lifecycle has less impact on the planet.

MEET OUR RESEARCH TEAM

ktp-team-09

DR ELHAM KETABCHI

Completing her chemical engineering bachelor’s at the Amir Kabir University of Technology in 2015, Dr Elham Ketabchi then went on study petroleum refining systems engineering for her master’s at the University of Surrey. She has since conducted her chemical engineering PhD at the university, analysing the integration of biomass processing in petroleum refinery systems. Elham has also researched and worked with various materials and their properties, including cementing and drilling fluid analysis, and the application of clay supported catalysts to CO2 recycling while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and she is a patent holder for Effective Catalysts and Process for ABE Upgrading.

Knowledge Transfer Partnership

MR HANSON TING

Mr Hanson Ting has an MEng in Materials Science and Engineering from Imperial College London with previous work experience in electric car manufacturing and safety auditing. He has also done research on Self-Cleaning Titanium Dioxide glass coating with the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing. He has a keen interest in sustainability, and as such is involved in the sustainable process development part of the project, Life Cycle Assessment as well as supporting the development of the brand-new product both scientifically and commercially.

ktp-team-13

DR JHUMA SADHUKHAN

As a reader of the University of Surrey’s Centre for Environment and Sustainability, Jhuma oversees a number of grants with the UKRI and industries, has contributed to over 150 peer-reviewed publications, and supervised numerous PhD and Post-doctorate students in completing their research. Her textbook on biorefineries and chemical processes is the only authored textbook in the field and is internationally recognised for undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and she is also on the editorial board of several journals. Jhuma is an international leader in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary biorefinery and bioeconomy research and has received both the IChemE Moulton and Hanson Medals, as well as now sitting on the board for the IChemE Publications Medals Board.

ktp-team-11

DR PETER ROTH

Researching a range of polymers and nano-materials at established research institutes including the University of Mainz, University of Massachusetts, Seoul National University, University of New South Wales and the Curtin University in Perth, Peter now lectures at the University of Surrey in organic and polymer chemistry. Peter has been working on projects including the degradability of vinyl polymers, the changing properties of nanoparticles and how to adapt these depending on environment, and non-toxic polymers, and is the author of over 60 research publications.

ktp-team-12

DR IMAN MOHAGHEGHIAN

Having obtained his PhD in the application of polymers and polymer nano-composites as lightweight impact energy absorbing materials from the University of Cambridge, Iman has also worked at the Imperial College London as a research associate, and for the BIAM-Imperial Centre for material characterisation, processing and modelling working on various aeronautical materials. Iman is now an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences at the University of Surrey, sharing knowledge on the mechanics of materials and working on various research projects including structural applications, lamination and composite materials.

ktp-team-14

PAUL ALDER (FOUNDER)

Beginning his career at the Royal parks. Paul was supervising a team of 40 at Queen Mary’s rose gardens at the age of 24. He also worked at the iconic Kensington palace gardens. After setting up his own company, Paul had won 12 national industry awards in England, plus 8 Chelsea flower show medals including 3 gold medals. Paul has worked with everyone from Uk’s favourite environmentalist to many celebrities both in the UK and overseas. He has also successfully designed and launched 9 new products in the artificial plant market with one gaining patent approval in the UK.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Why not get in touch with us today to find out how Vistafolia is transforming the future of the artificial plant industry.

Get In Touch

Thomas Campbell
Thomas Campbell

Left us a 5 star review

5.0
Based on 89 Reviews

Brilliant product & service

Absolutely perfect! Great service and advice. Realistic, well packaged, easy to install. We customised the panels ourselves to fit purpose, which was very easy. Highly recommend😃

A huge shout out to Anthony and Ric, from Vistafolio, who were absolute gems to work with. I had no idea about this company when I googled them, and I am grateful to say they were professional and super-efficient to work with. This particular job is a corporate one, and we are all loving our new green wall in our boardroom. Great quality, great service. Thumbs UP! Happy customer. :)

I absolutely love our green wall! It’s made such a huge difference in the back garden , it’s an instant endorphin boost. The Vistafolia team were utmost professionals. High quality product, fast installation, worth every penny.

Great product. Fantastic Service. Recommended

Fantastic service and quality thrilled with my green wall

The Vistafolia panels and colour boxes have created a beautiful garden feature from what was previously a brick wall 'eye-sore' (see before photo). Excellent delivery times and brilliant customer service, so pleased we have just ordered some more!

I am absolutely obsessed with my purchases from vistafolia. I ordered 2 boxes of flowers to fill my window boxes. The quality is incredible. They look so real and even smell like a garden centre. The customer service is fantastic and I will definitely be ordering some more soon.

Thrilled! Looks absolutely fantastic and has surpassed my expectations. Makes such a difference looking out from my study onto a balcony with greenery rather than metal panels! Ric’s suggestion for the white colour box was spot on – really lifts the greenery. Installation process was seamless and the guys were great. Highly, highly recommend.

Very helpful and very professional! Thank you for my wonderful panels!

I got curious with the adds on fb about vertical garden wall by vista folia.. i researched with other competetor but vista folia captured my attention with its realistic foliage and it would be a great addition to my garden...it really lookes beautiful in contrast with the real plants i have.. it made it complete...i will have another part of the garden to be installed ... thanks to tim who i always communicate with if i have queries he's always accomodating... thank you vista folia... my wife love it too...

Amazing company! We have just installed 2 plant walls in our new office. Fantastic quality and mega responsive/organised team when it comes to each step of the process. Highly recommend.

Great product, excellent customer service, and professional skilful installation. Very happy to recommend.

Check out the website. So realistic

Brilliant service. Flexible, friendly and creative. And fabulous product. Transformed our terrace completely. The hedge looks stunning, the colour boxes being a beautiful feature.

To say I’m happy is an understatement! I found the perfect look I needed for my outside shower. I can’t recommend Vistafolia enough. The service I received was impeccable. A special shout out to Tim who explained the product so well, Ric who came out to the property to show me the product and measure up the area, and last but not least the installation team Dan and Nick who were excellent . They explained each step and also made sure I was happy with the end result. A smooth, stress free installation and any questions asked along the way was happily answered and explained. No hassle! What more can one ask for! I almost bought elsewhere until I came across this company who thankfully advised me that they could install this type of artificial living wall with a metal back frame to the size I required unlike the advice I got elsewhere. I’m so thankful that I didn’t buy a cheaper option out there as I really wouldn’t have achieved this look! Thank you!

Amazing product, pre-sales and installation services. Very courteous team who were respectful of our home throughout. Meticulous and careful installation. Could not be happier with outcome, service and product.

Vista Folia have been extremely helpful throughout and provided us with an excellent product. We throughly enjoyed bringing the wall to life with these amazingly convincing boxes full of foliage and the final outcome was stunning! Very happy client!

My Vistafolia green wall looks fantastic. I have to remind myself it's not real! It has transformed a boring brick wall which I look out onto while I'm washing up into something lovely. Very good customer service too - well-informed and helpful.

thanks for the great job

The team was fantastic. They arrived on time. It was raining, but they worked through the rain and did a fabulous job. Had some trouble with my neighbour and they went above and beyond to sort that out and make her side look pretty too. Would recommend them any day.

Extremely happy with the final product and service provided by Vistafolia in particular a big thank you to Ric and Tim. The project was delayed but throughout the whole process the team were great and supportive- answering my many questions will very sensible options. The final result is impressive and we have added our personal touch with a Ganesh statue that looks sublime.

Great company, very professional and efficient. I am very happy with the final result. I recommend.

We found Vistafolia's Lush Green green wall product to be of the highest quality. It was naturalistic and easy to install. Customer service was excellent and the end result is very impacting. It was key that the product had a good fire rating and clear supporting documentation. We would use Vistafolia and their products again.

Vistafolia did an awesome job of turning my small yard into a place of beauty. Amazing!

We love our Vistafolia wall! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them, very helpful and speedy service, and the guys working on the wall were incredibly clean and polite!

Very efficient and professional from survey to installation and finished walk looks amazing

I am so thrilled that I picked Vistafolia. Our roof terrace looks amazing with the combination of the foliage panels and cedar panelling. The whole process could not have been simpler and the team worked hard and paid such attention to detail during the installation. I would thoroughly recommend them.

My experience with Vistafolia has been positive as they provided me with great service and the people we dealt with were very friendly and professional. I am happy with the outcome from Vistafolia as the packaging and the delivery was efficient and quick. I would definitely recommend this company for all your green wall needs.

The quality of the product exceeded my expectations and the customer service was outstanding. Would highly recommend.

A fantastic product and delightful service. Would highly recommend. I am now busy looking for more walls to cover!

Incredibly simple, efficient and professional team from start to finish. And what a beautiful result - no video or brochure does these green walls any justice.

Although our project was quite small in scope, the team at Vistafolia were very friendly and professional to deal with. Any questions we had were quickly dealt with and we are really pleased with the results of our green wall and garden boxes. The plants and colours look great!

We are so pleased with our Vistafolia Green Wall. It looks absolutely fantastic and has completely changed our garden. The team provided an excellent service and would highly recommend the product.

How nice it is to do business with a company that values your business; that responds promptly; whose workers turn up on time and are very polite, hard-working and courteous and whose product looks amazing. Vistafolia is one such company. The staff are amazing and we are delighted with the gorgeous transformation that the Green Wall has made to our garden.

Extremely happy with the service. We had two panels fitted and the guys couldn't be more helpful. They turned up on time and did a fantastic job with the installation. The product itself is fantastic, very realistic and no more watering. Would highly recommend Vista Folia

I have recently worked with the Vistafolia team on a couple of projects, including a contemporary domestic garden and a large central London commercial site. In both cases, the team were extremely professional, knowledgeable and reliable and I was confident that the projects were in safe hands from start to finish. With the latter commercial project, the team had to work under extremely difficult circumstances on a busy site with numerous other contractors, but remained patient, polite and focussed, even as the deadline loomed. Vistafolia is a great product, which lends itself to numerous applications and clients are always excited by the results. Big thanks to Ric and the team!

Great place

We had panels fitted onto walls at a commercial property. Vistafolia gave great customer service from the day we walked in to the showroom to after we had the foliage installed. Friendly, helpful and informed. I would recommend them to anyone in a heartbeat. The final finish looks excellent. We are very happy.

Vistafolia transformed our garden and we have been so pleased with the results. The team are very professional, accommodating and happy to assist with maintenance where needed. A pesky fox had caused some damage so Vistafolia despatched Ric to resolve the issue and he was incredibly obliging and got the job done efficiently and effectively! We would highly recommend them to anyone.

The team at Vistafolia were fantastic from start to finish. They came and did a site visit and explained all of my options, the sales team were friendly and didn’t try to give me the hard sell, and the installation team left me with an amazing green wall. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

The team at Vistagreen were brilliantly responsive and so quick to sort out what we needed. The process went smoothly from start to finish and the completed product looks fantastic. Can't recommend them highly enough.

Great communication and customer service throughout the sales process, and the product is excellent quality and looks fantastic. Really pleased with the result.

Just wow! The green wall has transformed a dismal space. Great service, I totally recommend this product & company

From start to finish the customer care was outstanding with immediate responses to my questions via email and the telephone. The quality of the product and the effect when finally put in place was superb, a visual delight. A five star company one I will certainly be using again.

These look so real! We have put some panels up in our home gym and they look great.

It has been a delight dealing with VistaGreen from beginning to end of the project. Fast and accommodating team who delivered a great finished result. Extremely happy with our new office decoration.

Quick turnaround, very accommodating, fantastic high quality product, friendly customer service

Great product and service :)

I spent a lot of time researching for a Vertical Garden, and finally decided on using Vista Green. Before I proceeded, I went to their Offices/Store Warehouse to double check the quality etc. I dealt with Tim, who was so helpful, knowledgeable and patient, and offered an on-site Survey, which I accepted. The Surveyor, Rik, was professional and he was able to sort out a quote very quickly. The Vertical Garden was installed last week, and it looks amazing. The guys fitting were an absolute pleasure to have working at your home, and we are so happy to have had chosen Vista Green. I have absolutely no problem in recommending this Company to anyone - Thank you to all the Team!