Vegware is a manufacturer of plant-based and compostable catering disposables, founded by Joe Frankel in Edinburgh in 2006.[1] In 2020, the company was Scotland's fourth fastest growing private company in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100,[2] with an annual sales rise over three years of 44.58%.

Vegware
Company typeManufacturer
IndustryPackaging
Founded2006, Edinburgh, Scotland
FounderJoe Frankel
Headquarters
Edinburgh, Scotland & Huntington Beach, California, US
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsCompostable foodservice packaging, Plant-based catering disposables, Disposable food packaging
Number of employees
80 - 100
Websitevegware.com
vegwareus.com/us

History

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Vegware is sold in over 70 countries, with growing global distribution.[3] Headquartered in Scotland, it has bases in the EU, US, Hong Kong and Australia.[4] Its US headquarters, founded in June 2016, is in Huntington Beach, California,[5] taking the company back to where Frankel first had the idea for Vegware.[6]

Vegware packaging is made using renewable, lower carbon, reclaimed or recycled materials,[7] and it is designed to be commercially composted with food waste where accepted.[8] Where there is no access to suitable composting, used products should be placed in general waste.[9]

Work with the waste sector

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Its UK and US-based Environmental teams work with the waste sector to provide trade waste collections.[10] Launched in 2020, this is the first large-scale compostables collection service, and was highlighted by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as an example of upstream innovation for packaging.[11] In 2021, Paper Round installed the UK's first sorting line for compostables[12] to increase collection capacity and output quality for composting. Vegware also runs its own Close the Loop composting collection service in Scotland.[13] Vegware has partnered with recycling company First Mile since 2019 to offer a Vegware RecycleBox, a UK-wide courier-led returns service for used Vegware packaging.[14]

In the US, Vegware partnered with food waste, recycling and food donation partners to provide a zero-waste plan for the 2018 Annual Airports Going Green conference.[15] Other countries have reported equal success in composting Vegware; at a forestry event in Belgium,[16] a festival in Hungary[17] and carnival in Trinidad and Tobago,[18] and for district governmental gardens in Estonia.[19]

Awards

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It received the Queen's Award for Innovation in 2016.[20][21] In 2019, Vegware was one of ten businesses shortlisted for the "Best of VIBES", in the Scottish Environment Business Awards, for their Close the Loop composting collection Scheme in Scotland.[22]

The company won the "Innovations in Packaging award" at the 2018 Footprint Awards, for their on-product Green Leaf band design and range.[23] In 2021, Vegware was ranked as Scotland's fastest growing exporter, 27th in the UK, by the Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200.[24]

In the 12 months ending January 2019 its turnover was £32.2 million.[25]

References

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  1. ^ "The Big Interview: Joe Frankel, founder of Vegware". The Scotsman. 14 April 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  2. ^ "Fast Track 100 Vegware profile 2020".
  3. ^ "The Times". The Times. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Moving up the agenda|Supplier analysis = compostables". Packaging News. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Vegware". Vegware. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  6. ^ "Voices of Leaders". Voices of Leaders. February 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Vegware". Vegware.com. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  8. ^ "Vegware Composting". Vegware.com. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  9. ^ "Vegware composting FAQ".
  10. ^ "VEGWARE AND PAPER ROUND BEGIN COMMERCIAL COMPOSTABLE COLLECTIONS". Resource Magazine. May 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Examples of Upstream Innovation for packaging". Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Paper Round installs compostables sorting line". LetsRecycle.com.
  13. ^ "Compostable packaging company to uplift from Oban". The Oban Times. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  14. ^ "Vegware returns service to boost recycling". Fry Magazine. October 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Customer Spotlight: Airports Going Green". Eflight. August 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Demo Forest goes bio". Bioplastics Magazine. 15 (1): 32. January–February 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  17. ^ "A növényi alapú ételcsomagolások komposztálása | Webinárium, október 28". Vegware.com/news. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  18. ^ "Tribe goes Styrofoam-free for Carnival 2019". Loop. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Lasnamäe Linnaosa Valitsuse maja ümber asuvad roosipeenraid väetatakse uue põlvkonna kompostiga". Lasnamäe Leht. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  20. ^ "Enterprise Queen's Award success for 17 Scottish firms". BBC News. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  21. ^ "The Winners: The Queen's Awards for Enterprise 2016 | The Royal Family". royal.uk. 13 July 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
  22. ^ "Best of VIBES 2019". Vibes.com. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  23. ^ "Vegware wins Footprint Award for Green Leaf band design and range". Vegware.com/news. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  24. ^ "The Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200". Fasttrack.co.uk. The Sunday Times. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  25. ^ Cameron, Greig. "Recycled cutlery maker is cleaning up with sales rise". The Times. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
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