An Edinburgh-based maker of plant-based, compostable food packaging that also runs composting collections and advice for the places that use it.
Vegware makes compostable packaging for the catering industry: cups, lids, food boxes, cutlery and similar items made from plants and other renewable materials, rather than from oil-based plastic. It describes itself as the trusted brand of plant-based compostable food packaging. It is more than a manufacturer: it runs trade waste collections for used compostable packaging, a Close the Loop composting service in Scotland, a returns service called RecycleBox in partnership with First Mile, and a chartered waste consultancy that helps customers set up composting or recycling schemes.
Joe Frankel founded the business in Edinburgh in 2006, and it has grown into a company that sells in more than 70 countries, with bases in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong and Australia. Its stated mission is to make compostable disposables that deal with the challenge of recycling foodservice packaging and keep food waste out of landfill. Its stated vision is a world where renewable materials are the norm. It holds ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 9001 for quality management, and it is a Living Wage employer. It was awarded a Queen's Award for Innovation in 2016.
The UK head office is in Edinburgh, at 39 Melville Street. The company's team page also mentions Glasgow, though without saying what is based there. Its 2021 sustainability report, covered by Packaging Scotland in 2022, said courier post-back services covered all of mainland UK, and commercial collections reached 46 UK towns and cities, covering 49% of the population. Through Close the Loop Scotland, over 76 tonnes of used Vegware products were composted in 2021. Its consultancy helped 55 clients to start composting schemes, including the University of Glasgow, The Welding Institute in Cambridge and Belgrave Music Hall in Leeds. After the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, used disposables from the Glasgow Science Centre were composted within 12 weeks.
The company's team page describes a positive, inclusive workplace with a range of employee benefits, but gives few details. A Wikipedia entry puts staff at 80 to 100 people, an older figure. It also runs the Vegware Community Fund, which supported 160 projects with grants or product donations in 2021. In 2022 Vegware was reported to be Scotland's fastest-growing exporter. These are the company's and third parties' claims, and we have not checked them independently. We did not confirm the company's current ownership, and one source suggested it has changed, so check before relying on this.
A packaging company with composting services employs a wide mix of people: product developers and technical specialists who test materials and certifications, sales and account managers who work with cafes, caterers and venues, waste and composting consultants, logistics and operations staff, and finance and marketing staff. Science, engineering, environmental studies and business are all routes in. Check the company's website for current roles.
Website: www.vegware.com
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