Louropel, the world's largest button manufacturer, with a daily production of 9 to 12 million units across five factories located in Vila Nova de Famalicão, aims for natural and recycled buttons to represent between 50% and 75% of production over the next three years, according to president Avelino Rego. Currently, these products represent approximately 25% of production and between 20% and 25% of the company's business volume.
The company supplies major global clothing brands such as Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Armani, Valentino, Kenzo, and Massimo Dutti, which already purchase recycled buttons. The more economical brands, according to Avelino Rego, sometimes opt for traditional buttons to avoid increasing the price of the garment.
Louropel will proceed with a new storage facility dedicated to natural and recycled products, on land adjacent to its current facilities. The order published in the Official Gazette recognizes the public interest of using 6,234 square meters of National Agricultural Reserve lands for the expansion. The new facility will be dedicated to receiving, storing, and shipping ecological buttons, manufactured with raw materials such as semolina flour, coffee, sawdust, leaves, and wood.
The project, in preparation for approximately four years, will be completely redesigned and the licensing process with the Municipal Council should begin in 2027, with the facility potentially operational by the end of that year. The company, which has 220 employees and exports 80% of production to Europe and the United States, estimates creating between six and eight new jobs.
