Vegware is a pioneer in the development and manufacture of eco friendly catering disposables and food packaging. Our products are stylish, functional, economic and sustainable. The Vegware range spans cutlery through to tableware, napkins hot and cold drink cups, and takeaway packaging.
Here are four reasons why you should be using Vegware products:
- Low carbon - real, quantifiable reductions
- Low impact - we only use renewable or recycled materials
- Low waste - organics recycling means we think resource, not waste
- Low cost - our job is to make sustainable packaging economic
These are REAL and QUANTIFIABLE benefits, and we believe that it's important to know exactly what the value to the environment is. Starting in 2010, we will provide our clients with monthly statements which show:
- Carbon saved compared with standard packaging
- Virgin material saved
- Total potential landfill diversion
We came across a website which produced food packaging 'made from plants'; Eco friendly. We were thinking about sending away for a few samples, to use for our mock up piece. It would give us the chance to screen print designs we do onto ready made packaging, serviettes and package food products within them as a proposal.
Vegware follows its own strict environmental criteria, namely that all products must be made exclusively from annually renewable or recycled materials, and must be compostable.
Compostable = like biodegradable, but quick!
There's a big difference - know your terminology! 'Biodegradable' means that a material will break down naturally over time, which could be as long as hundreds of years. A wooden house is biodegradable but can stand for generations. 'Compostable' however means that a product will biodegrade quickly - quick enough to be included in industrial organics recycling process which usually takes 6-12 weeks.
There's a big difference - know your terminology! 'Biodegradable' means that a material will break down naturally over time, which could be as long as hundreds of years. A wooden house is biodegradable but can stand for generations. 'Compostable' however means that a product will biodegrade quickly - quick enough to be included in industrial organics recycling process which usually takes 6-12 weeks.
Vegware is the UK'S only completely compostable packaging firm. Our clients trust Vegware to supply the most sustainable packaging in the market, and then matchmake clients with local organics recycling services through the Vegware Composting Network to make sure that the benefits of the materials continue after use.
We use the following materials:
PLA PLA is made from corn starch by Natureworks LLC, and is an ideal replacement for oil-based plastic in a multitude of applications. These include films, thermorformed products such as cups and deli pots, and also injection-moulded products.
CPLA A proprietary combination of PLA, chalk and other biodegradable additives. CPLA is suitable for high-heat applications such as making cutlery and hot cup lids, as it can take temperatures of up to 95°C without any deformation. PLA in its natural state is not suitable for high-heat applications, as it will deform with heat above 60°C.
Bagasse Bagasse is the dry fibrous residue left once sugar cane fibre has been pressed for juice. It is ideal for producing tableware due to its inherent strength, and can be considered a tree-free paper. Being a waste material to start with means that this is a low impact option.
Recycled paper All of our paper products, such as napkins and paper carrier bags, are manufactured in the UK out of 100 % recycled paper pulp.
Kraft board We purchase kraft board with a high recycled content where possible. Our paper board products are all UK-made.
Natureflex A compostable cellophane made from sustainably-sourced wood pulp by Innovia Films. Natureflex has a high oxygen barrier, making it ideal for a multitude of food packaging applications.
Vegware holds certification from the following bodies:
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The most widely used compostability standards are the European EN13432 and the American ASTMD 6400. They are largely equivalent, and include the following elements:
1. biodegradation - materials turn to soil through microbial action at the same rate as cellulose (paper)
2. disintegration - the materials fall into small pieces
3. ecotoxicity - seeds can germinate in the resulting compost - ie it is useful for plant growth
4. heavy metals - the compost is safe to go onto land
2. disintegration - the materials fall into small pieces
3. ecotoxicity - seeds can germinate in the resulting compost - ie it is useful for plant growth
4. heavy metals - the compost is safe to go onto land
Schemes such as Vincotte's OK Compost, accreditation by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), or registration with Din Certco which tie these elements together and monitor compostable products in the marketplace to give consumer confidence. Vegware holds certifications from all of these bodies.
Vegware is committed to supplying genuine compostable packaging and disposables, and has an active programme ensure our products are compliant with these standards. Clicking on 'more info' on the catalogue pages will show information on the certifications which we hold for specific products.
Switching to Vegware products offers real environmental benefits. We think it's important to know what these are. Our invoices now include key information. Here's what it is, and how we calculate it....
Carbon saved
Per kilo of resin, the carbon footprint of conventional plastic (PET) is 3.4kg, whereas for our bioplastic (PLA) it's 0.75kg1. We assume that we are swapping a PLA product for an equivalent plastic product which was made in the same place and transported in the same way, which gives us a carbon saving of 2.65kg per kilo of finished product. Our invoices show the carbon saved from switching to a clean bioplastic.
Virgin material saved
Many of our products are made from recycled material. We track the total weight of non-virgin material used for each order.
Potential landfill diversion
As the cost of landfill goes up, and the cost of organics recycling goes down, more and more of our clients are implementing food and packaging waste collections. We believe that it's important to understand the amount of material which can find new benefits after use.
INNOVATION AND AWARDS
Research and development of new materials and products is a key part of Vegware's mandate and our success. We don't simply distribute packaging - we conceive, design, and manufacture new and innovative products. Our approach is often to look at products which are widely used, and then develop low-impact versions.
We are proud of our compostable inventions, such as:
- our CPLA cutlery, the first ever high-heat resistant compostable cutlery in Europe to be certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI).
- our double-walled hot cup - the UK's first completely compostable insulated cup. Made in the British Isles from GM-free EU materials, fully brandable with a 3-week lead and MOQ of just 5,000.
- our soup container and lid combo - another compostable first, and price-competitive with non-eco equivalents.
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