Hobart becomes first Australian city to ban single-use plastic

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Hobart City Council has voted to ban single-use plastic by 2020.  Businesses within the Hobart municipality will need to start phasing out single-use plastics in favour of re-usable or compostable packaging.

Vegware is delighted to hear of this first step in Australia, and our operational base in Sydney is poised to support clients transition to compostable packaging.

The city will have a period of public and legislative consultation before enacting the by-law either by late 2019 or early 2020 at the latest. Single-use plastic items such as plastic containers, straws, coffee cups, plastic lids and condiment sachets are on the list to be banned.  

Small but significant step

Environment Tasmania Director Philip Cocker said the proposed ban was a small but significant step in environmental sustainability for the city.

“I am sure all Hobart businesses will be able to implement the by-law with positive effects on their businesses,” he said in a statement.

This single-use plastic ban is one way to combat low plastic recycling rates. A new study by the University of Technology Sydney, NSW, has found that Australia is recycling less than one third of its plastic packaging waste. Meaning that reducing single-use plastic is vital.

Vegware packaging at Sush restaurant, Hobart

Businesses already on-board

Some Hobart businesses have already chosen to go plastic-free. Vegware customer Sush, a Hobart sushi restaurant, already has its own ban on single-use plastic containers. As Trish Haeusler, from Plastic Free Launceston, says, “A lot of small businesses are already onto this [re-usable or compostable packaging] because they know customers are demanding it.”

Expanding the ban

Councillor Bill Harvey – who led the charge against single-use plastic – says that this new by-law shows, “That we’re serious about leading by example and this is one of those decisions that will have impacts for councils across Australia.”

Hobart City Council has written to Environment Minister Elise Archer to request the State Government implement a state-wide plastic ban.

Watch this space!

Vegware speaking at Pro2Pac on 19th March

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Will you be anywhere near ExCel London on Tuesday 19th March? At 1:30pm, Our Communications Director Lucy Frankel is speaking at Pro2Pac’s Outside the Box Theatre. Entitled ‘Here today, gone in 62 days: tales from the frontier of compostable packaging’, Lucy explores where compostable packaging is the solution to quality recycling in foodservice, and where it isn’t.

Lucy Frankel, Communications Director

If you know anything about Vegware, you’ll know our catering disposables are made from renewable, lower carbon or recycled materials, and can all be commercially composted with food waste where accepted.

Since 2012 Vegware has been working closely with the UK waste sector to actively increase client access to commercial composting, including now offering its own collections – Close the Loop. Lucy’s presentation will offer insights into the successes, opportunities and challenges for compostable packaging within waste systems.

It is free to attend Pro2Pac – register here. Taking place alongside IFE (The International Food & Drink Event), Pro2Pac is the meeting place for everyone in the food & drink supply chain – an influential biennial gathering of producers, manufacturers, technologists and design specialists.

Do say hi to Lucy if you come along, and then stay on for 2:15pm to listen to Sian Sutherland from A Plastic Planet.

Barbados businesses urged to get on board with plastic ban

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The Government of Barbados proposes banning imported single-use plastics and foam polystyrene (Styrofoam) packaging. This action follows the recent wave of legislation against foam polystyrene  in the Caribbean.

Single-use plastics under import ban

From 1st April, 2019, imported single-use plastics, such as cutlery, stirrers, straws, plates, egg trays, and polystyrene containers used in the culinary retail industry will be banned.  There are a number of plant-based alternatives available to petro-based single-use plastics.

Vegware attends plastic-free Expo

Vegware Global Business Development Executive, Simone Muhlack, was at BICO’s Eco-Pak Biodegradable Expo at Cricket Legends, Fontabelle, St Michael. This Expo came in advance of the Government’s proposed ban set to take effect on April 1, as an opportunity to showcase the wide variety of environmentally-friendly packaging. BICO are a longstanding supporter of Vegware and distribute the plant-based packaging alongside their ice-cream business.

BICO support plastic-free packaging

At the Expo, BICO’s Executive Chairman Edwin Thirlwell said, “we must do what we can to reduce plastic contamination.” He noted that while plastic-free packaging alternatives might seem more expensive than the traditional plastic and polystyrene containers, the damage and cost of the latter are much greater in the long run. BICO introduced plant-based Vegware packaging back in 2016, as an eco-friendly alternative plant-based option for foodservice.

Kammie Holder, Public Relations Officer of the Future Centre Trust, said the proposed ban on plastics is timely and necessary. 

Vegware also welcomes this news from The Government of Barbados. We look forward to helping support caterers in their transition to plastic-free food and drink packaging.

Read Barbados news

Californian cities taking huge strides to reduce waste!

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Berkeley and San Diego, California have set out new regulations to reduce waste from food and beverage single-use disposables. From 2020, all foodservice packaging must be compostable or reusable to comply with their Disposable Foodware and Litter Reduction Ordinance.

Many changes going on in Berkeley in the upcoming year…

From January 1st, 2020, restaurants, cafes and catering outlets must comply with the new disposables foodware standards. This means:

  • All foodservice packaging must be compostable (BPI certified and accepted by the local composter)
  • Food vendors must provide at least one set of three easily accessible receptacles composting, recycling, and landfill
  • See here for more details: scroll to item 22

Vegware holds the deepest set of compostability certification in the sector, including certified compostable by BPI, thereby meeting the new disposable foodware standards. Our Environmental team provide support and advice for foodservice operators seeking composting solutions to meet compliance. Read more about our extensive compostability certifications here.

San Diego is banning foam polystyrene foodservice containers within the city limits in steps to achieve zero waste!

City departments will no longer purchase or acquire foam polystyrene (styrofoam) foodservice containers, including bowls, plates, trays, cups, lids and other single-use items. Read more here.

This reduction of polystyrene is an excellent step, yet, takeaway packaging remains an integral part of consumers’ lifestyles. Vegware’s commercially compostable packaging is well suited for caterers looking for plastic-free alternatives to traditional polystyrene.

These changes build on a wave of similar city ordinances. Vegware welcomes these ambitious plans and we are keen to work with foodservice outlets to help them implement these changes.

New case study! Passionate café champions composting collections in Bristol, UK

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Café Matariki is a small and passionate Bristol business producing delicious dishes made with locally-sourced ingredients. It’s also passionate about the environment and wants to limit its impact on the world.

The UK café has always used compostable plant-based packaging, and subscribed to Vegware’s Close the Loop composting collection service when it launched in the region in 2018.

As the next phase in its sustainable approach, the café has joined the Composting Collective, a bring-back scheme to capture Vegware takeaways packaging for composting.

The Composting Collective, “shows the community of Bristol working together to support one another and reduce our waste,” says Janice Heskett, Café Manager.

Read more about Café Matariki’s sustainable approach here.

Plastics out: how we support Westminster’s waste initiative

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Organics Recycling magazine reports on the many measures the UK Houses of Parliament have introduced to reduce their waste, including Vegware’s disposables and a new composting scheme.

When it came to using Vegware, the UK parliament had ‘remarkable consensus’, states the article. “Both houses were extremely keen,” noted Glenn Fleetwood, Parliament’s Environmental Compliance Manager, “and impressed by…Vegware and its range of products.” The plant-based disposables have been procured through the Parliament’s longstanding supplier, WK Thomas.

Vegware fits in with their zero waste to landfill policy. Now, used Vegware from the many catering outlets is composted at an in-vessel composting facility. We’re proud to help the UK Parliament work towards their 2021 target of 75% recycling.

A key part in the scheme is strong communication between departments, as well as consistent and clear visuals across the Parliamentary Estate. Vegware has been working closely with the Estates team to help create posters and till talkers for the canteen, educating consumers about the new compostable packaging and which bin to use.

Read more here.

Landmark event composts in Cardiff

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For more than four decades, the Volvo Ocean Race has tested teamwork to the limit, and provided a human adventure like no other. The 2017-18 edition proved no different. Teams crossed four oceans and travelled 45,000 nautical miles around the world, touching six continents and 12 landmark Host Cities.

This included Cardiff – Wales’ sporting capital, and now, a historical sustainable stopover for the world-renowned event.

Vegware product at the Cardiff Race Village

There is heightened awareness around the limitations of plastic recycling and the growing problem of plastic pollution at a global level. The 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race brought sustainability to the forefront, mandating a plastic-free environment across all Host Cities.

Cardiff Harbour Authority and the City of Cardiff Council embraced this sustainable mission for the Cardiff Race Village. The team immediately researched all the aspects of hosting a plastic-free event. The added challenge? A 14-day stopover, open to the public, with 180,000 attendees.

The Solution: Vegware’s fibre-based products and beyond packaging environmental support. We made education a top priority: training the event team and working with the event team to inform the attendees.

Read more about the sustainable solution and result, hearing from Cardiff Harbour Authority’s Environmental Officer and Volvo Ocean Race’s Sustainability Programme Manager.

All about PLA & CPLA – compostable bioplastics made from plant starches

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At Vegware, we manufacture our catering disposables from a variety of plant-based materials. We use paper, board and pulp, but the big difference is that we don’t use conventional plastics.

Our cups still need to be leakproof, and our clients still want clear windows, so we use compostable bioplastics – compostable materials derived from plant sources.

A compostable lunch: PLA cold cups and portion pots, PLA linings in our hot cups, and CPLA coffee lids and cutlery

What is PLA?

PLA is a compostable bioplastic derived from plant sugars. PLA stands for polylactic acid. It can be made from any sugar, such as corn starch, cassava, sugar cane, or sugar beet. NatureWorks is the world’s largest producer of PLA, and a key partner to Vegware. Industrial corn is the primary source crop at the moment, but NatureWorks are working actively to diversify feedstocks, investigating other fibrous non-food crops, or even creating lactic acid from carbon dioxide or methane.

NatureWorks refer to their PLA under the Ingeo brand, and offer full information online on how it is made, and end of life options.

Vegware PLA compostable bioplastic biodegradable

How PLA is made

Corn plants are milled to extract the starch, in the form of glucose. The glucose is then fermented to produce lactic acid. Next up, a chemical process transforms the lactic acid into a polymer, which can be made into pellets, known in the industry as resin.

Just like a conventional plastic resin, the PLA pellets can be used in a variety of ways – extruded into a sheet or film, injection moulded, cast into sheets, or spun into fibres. PLA has a huge range of applications, but at Vegware we use it for:

  • PLA-coated board for paper cups and soup containers
  • Clear cold cups, salad containers, deli and portion pots, and lids for a variety of products
  • Clear windows in sandwich wedges, salad boxes and bags

    PLA pellets ready for a variety of uses

CPLA – crystallised PLA for higher heat use

PLA has a low melt point, so is best for cold use up to around 40ºC or 105ºF. Where more heat resistance is needed such as in cutlery, or lids for coffee or soup, we use a crystallised form. This involves adding chalk to the PLA to act as a catalyst, and then rapidly heating and cooling the PLA resin during production. The result is a product which is heat stable to 90ºC or 194ºF. Vegware’s CPLA products are still suitable for industrial composting, in either in-vessel or open windrow composting.

CPLA is crystallised PLA, for hotter uses like coffee lids or cutlery

Corn for food, feed AND industrial uses

The industrial corn used to make NatureWorks Ingeo PLA is non-food-grade, so it is not competing with food for human consumption. The whole plant is harvested, and every part of it is used. The protein and starch have many different uses:

  • the plant-based proteins are used to make animal feed;
  • the starch has many industrial uses, including in airbags, corrugated cardboard, recycled paper, pharmaceuticals, condoms, oil refining and drilling…and making PLA.

Read more information on food and bioplastics from NatureWorks, the world’s largest producer of PLA.

All of the corn plant is used, creating animal feed and many industrial products

Sustainable growing practices

The corn plants are grown using sustainable farming practices, without excessive pesticides and water use. In the same way that FSC can prove the sustainability of timber production, NatureWorks has independent ISCC PLUS certification – more info here. This in-depth scheme demonstrates the sustainable growing practices for the plants used by NatureWorks to make PLA:

  1. No sourcing from land with high biodiversity, high carbon stock or from peatland (2008 as the reference year).
  2. Agricultural practices (fertilizer & pesticide use, storage, disposal, tillage practices, equipment calibration, irrigation)
  3. Environmental protection (protect natural vegetation & water courses, soil erosion, soil organic matter)
  4. Social sustainability (child labour, workers protection, labour condition, land rights, training, water rights)
  5. Greenhouse gas emissions on farm level.

Implementing this scheme has involved helping farmers to alter their growing practices for greater sustainability.

Vegware PLA bioplastic biodegradable compostable

PLA – which waste stream?

Vegware’s compostable catering disposables can biodegrade in under 12 weeks in commercial composting, which provides the perfect balance of microbes, moisture and warmth. Our Environmental team offer our clients unparalleled zero waste support – see point 2 in our Composting FAQ.

Where there is no access to industrial composting, used Vegware should be put in general waste. Vegware’s takeaway packaging is made from plants, not plastic, using lower carbon, renewable or recycled materials, and these sustainability benefits still apply no matter what happens to them after use.

  • Used Vegware should NOT be placed in standard recycling bins which collect paper, plastics and metals, as those materials go to a different type of sorting facility. Another reason is that food waste harms the quality of mechanical recycling – the same applies to any used foodservice disposables.
  • General waste goes to either incineration or landfill. If Vegware is incinerated, energy is produced. Incineration studies from NatureWorks, a key materials supplier of ours, show that their PLA bioplastic produces more heat than newspaper, wood or food waste; also that it produces no volatile gases and leaves little residue. Some in the waste sector prefer plant-based materials over conventional plastics as they give off fewer toxic gases.
  • In landfill, studies have shown that compostable packaging is inert and does not give off methane.
  • Please do not litter – compostable packaging is not expected to break down when discarded in the environment, and is not a solution to marine pollution.
  • Home composting conditions vary with the skill of the householder, so we don’t make any claims there, but there have been successful trials using hot compost bins.

Vegware PLA bioplastic biodegradable compostable plastic

PLA – not a threat to plastics recycling

Compared to conventional plastics, bioplastics currently represent a tiny fraction of packaging, so it is not currently economical to sort PLA from other waste streams. If there is a major increase in bioplastics volumes, then waste sorting facilities can be calibrated to recognise and sort bioplastics using near-infrared identification. As well as composting, PLA is suitable for mechanical recycling into new PLA, as practised by Looplife Polymers in Belgium.

Studies have shown that low levels of bioplastics do not harm plastics recycling. German and Italian researchers have found there was no reduction to quality, up to these levels:

  • Up to 3% PLA in post-consumer PP plastic recyclate (1)
  • Up to 10% PLA in PS plastic re-granulates (1)
  • Up to 1-2% PLA in recycled PET plastic short-spinning plant (2)
  • Up to 10% MaterBi in the recycling of PE plastic shopping bags (2)

This information comes from (1) the report PLA in the Waste Stream, a report initiated by the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture. And (2) from CONAI, the National Packaging Consortium of Italy: Working Group Biodegradable Packaging Recovery Project report, 2012.

We don’t encourage anyone to put PLA into plastics recycling, but these studies offer comfort to plastics reprocessors, who are understandably keen to maintain quality.

Composting Vegware disposables at the University of the West of England

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A longtime client, the University of the West of England has been using our plant-based food service packaging as part of its Sustainability Plan for many years.

This year (2018), with our expansion into Bristol for Vegware’s Close the Loop composting collection service, the University is now turning its catering ‘waste’ into quality compost for Gloucestershire farmers.

Vegware catering disposables are commercially compostable with food waste. That means there’s no need for sorting, and the used compostable packaging – from cups and straws to takeaway boxes and cutlery – can all go together without removing the ketchup and leftover chips. An added bonus is that once food and disposables share one bin, other dry recycling bins are cleaner and easier to recycle.

With 30,000 students and 3,000 staff, closing the loop is making a difference to the University’s environmental footprint, while contributing to the circular economy.

The University’s Sustainable Projects Officer shares his thoughts here on implementing the new waste stream onto the site.