Eco packaging pioneers Vegware win two
major prizes in one week, winning the
Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in
Sustainable Development and scooping the £10,000 top prize in
The FSB
Streamline UK Business Awards. These extremely competitive awards commend the
high-growth Edinburgh firm for developing innovative zero-waste foodservice packaging,
promoting sustainability and reducing landfill waste in the catering and
hospitality sector. To celebrate, the SME has designed its own original Vegware
tartan, and announced its expansion into Australia, and the tripling of its
Edinburgh office space to support UK and international growth.
Joe
Frankel, founder and MD of the global packaging firm said,
“We saw that
foodservice needed packaging which can actually be recycled after use and
responded to that challenge. Our unique solution of certified compostable
catering disposals and full recycling support is helping the UK’s biggest
operators meet sustainability targets and save money. As a result, we have
enjoyed tenfold growth in three years, and now employ a team of 26, up from 2
in late 2009. The Queen’s Award is royal recognition that Vegware is making a
positive contribution to the UK economy and global sustainability, and the
competitive FSB Streamline Awards celebrates Vegware as the UK’s best small
business. Winning either of these is fantastic but this double win is a major
coup and we are all absolutely delighted with the recognition. The FSB prize
money will be great contribution to our product development programme - as it
happens we already have a project earmarked for this, secret of course, for now.
We've got a great product, a fantastic team, and the time is right so watch
this space!”
These prestigious titles bring
Vegware’s accolades up to 24 awards and 2 Scottish Parliamentary Motions. Founded
and run from its expanded Edinburgh HQ, Vegware is now a global brand with
operations in the UK, US, South Africa, Central Europe and distribution from
Iceland to Portugal. Newly-founded Vegware Australia operates out of Sydney. Vegware’s
new larger Edinburgh office will be officially opened on 29
th May
2013 by Richard Lochhead MSP, Scottish Cabinet
Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment.
Vegware develops, manufactures and
distributes a full range of certified compostable catering disposables, made
from recycled and sustainably-sourced eco materials. The firm’s packaging is
suitable for food waste recycling after use, allowing caterers to recycle
food-contaminated coffee cups and takeaway boxes which often otherwise go to
landfill. Their non-profit initiative
The
Food Waste Network is a free service matchmaking any UK business with local food
waste collections and promoting zero waste, supporting WRAP’s Hospitality and
Foodservice Agreement and helping Scottish businesses comply with the new waste
Regs.
The
Queen’s Award office congratulated Vegware, saying: “From its leadership
position, the company has educated other firms in the sector about benefits of
pursuing sustainable choices. It founded the Vegware Community Fund to support
non-profit sustainability groups. It is the only packaging firm to offer, with
every order, tailored Eco Audits quantifying carbon savings, virgin material
savings and potential landfill diversion.” Her Majesty’s Lord Lieutenants will present the award at a ceremony
at the firm’s Edinburgh global HQ later on this year, and Vegware will be
invited to a summer reception at Buckingham Palace.
The celebratory Vegware Tartan is
predominantly green with highlights of burgundy, pink, blue and white. The firm
enjoys creativity: its
www.FoodWasteNetwork.org.uk imagery includes a life-size
map of the British Isles made out of regionally relevant
food. On winning the BCE Award for Environmental Leadership in 2012, the firm
celebrated by recording The Vegware Song - a jaunty bluegrass song about eco
packaging, now viewed over 1,300 times on youtube.com/vegware
CONGRATULATORY QUOTES
1. Colin Willman, Chairman, FSB (Member
Services) commented: “We were impressed by the staggering growth of this
company, which now has an established footprint in countries from the US to
Australia. Vegware fulfills a real need in the world of catering and proves
that eco credentials are right at the heart of our economy’s future.”
2. Darren Wilson, Managing Director,
Streamline said: “Small businesses play a crucial role in supporting the UK
economy and as Vegware has shown, the trajectory for growth can be staggering.
Vegware identified a clear need in the marketplace, recognised the incentives
for businesses to get on board, and made a compelling financial and
environmental case for potential customers.”
3.
Quote from Vegware’s Local Green Councillor Gavin Corbett: "As a
member of the city's Economy Committee, I still see too many examples of where
economic policy and a greener future seem at odds. So it is fantastic to have
on my own doorstep a company that is reconciling the two and prospering in the
process." Gavin Corbett is Green Councillor for Fountainbridge /
Craiglockhart, Edinburgh.
4.
Quote
from The
Foodservice Packaging Association’s Chief
Operating Officer Martin Kersh:
“This is a fantastic and well earned achievement for Vegware and their talented
team, and we are delighted the foodservice packaging industry has been
recognised by the award of such a highly prestigious accolade to one of our
members. Vegware embody the passion, environmental commitment and creativity of
the foodservice packaging industry serving a dynamic and growing market. There
are many challenges facing our market and this award is a testament to
Vegware's dedication and enthusiasm in addressing these issues and to their
betterment of the wider community”.
ENDS
1. Vegware has won a total of 24 awards
and accolades, plus two Scottish Parliamentary Motions – full list
here.
2. April was a big month for wins!
a. 10
th April: Vegware’s
gourmet hot box wins ‘Highly Commended’ in the Essential
Café trade awards.
b. 18
th April: FSB
Streamline award announced. Vegware is the Scottish Area Finalist, winner of
the Business Innovation category, and wins the top prize, being named FSB
Streamline UK Business of the Year.
c. 19
th April: Vegware is
shortlisted in 2 categories in the
Foodservice Footprint Awards 2013.
d. 21
st April: Queen’s Award
win announced – Vegware wins the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable
Development.
3. Vegware’s zero waste initiative The
Food Waste Network is mapping all UK trade food waste collections by postcode,
and offers a free matchmaking service for any UK business seeking food waste
recycling.
www.foodwastenetwork.org.uk
4.
Vegware
is a Founding Supporter of
WRAP’s Hospitality and Foodservice
Agreement which is
uniting the foodservice sector around two targets: reducing food and associated
packaging waste by 5% and recycling over 70%. Vegware’s pledge to support this
is the Food Waste Network – see our HafSA blog
Food Waste Stories.
5.
From
1
st January 2014, all Scottish businesses will be required to
recycle, including many having to introduce food waste recycling – full info
here.
6.
The
Vegware Community Fund gives small monthly grants to 13 non-profit
sustainability projects, with a new recipient being added every quarter as
Vegware grows – info
here.
About Vegware:
Vegware Ltd is the UK’s
first and only completely compostable food packaging company. The multiple award-winning
firm specialises in the development, manufacture and distribution of
compostable packaging for food service. Vegware’s Food Waste Network matchmakes
any UK business with food and used Vegware packaging from caterers, recycling
it into topsoil, biogas or compost. Vegware invests in product development and
has brought many compostable innovations to market, including hot cup lids,
double wall cups, high-heat cutlery and soup containers.
Clients range from the
UK’s biggest contract caterers and food distributors through to UK government
offices, NHS units and independent artisan delis and cafes. Vegware is owned
and managed by its founders. It is based in Edinburgh and distributes out of
London, shipping to all over the UK, EU and beyond. The company's products are
distributed worldwide form North America (Vegware US), to South Africa,
including Europe from Iceland to Hungary. Visit
www.vegware.com for the full
catalogue and further information.
Further information,
interviews and images:
Lucy
Frankel
Communications
Manager, Vegware
0845
643 0406 / 07906 635 139
lucy@vegware.co.uk
www.vegware.com