Rhubarb Farm – September Update

News item posted on Wednesday, September, 1st filed under Uncategorized

In August our two graduate interns from Nottingham University – Niranjan Parayogasingam and Andrea Ferdinands – began work with us. They have been awarded to us for 8 weeks and are helping us do lots of preparatory work, researching information, writing our policies and risk assessments, getting quotes for bids etc. It has been a great boost to us.

We have been submitting funding bids, and holding meetings with organisations (like probation, MENCAP, Remploy, Seetec, Job Centre Plus, Intraining) looking to place people with us. We should be well-placed to meet their demands when we are up and running.

Vegware customer Otarian in The Ecologist

News item posted on Thursday, August, 26th filed under all news, customers, media

One of our customers is Otarian, the low-carbon vegetarian restaurant chain. Matilda Lee visits their Soho branch and learns all about the carbon footprint of a hamburger. Otarian is the first to use our fully compostable soup container, don’t you know. Full article here.

New product now available: Compostable Cutlery

News item posted on Friday, August, 6th filed under all news, new products

Here we have another of our trio of new compostable products. Our new cutlery is compostable, and can therefore be disposed of together with food waste, collected by our UK-wide sustainable waste management service and commercially composted. After 6-12 weeks, all you food and packaging waste has been organically recycled into compost, or biogas and topsoil. Infinitely better than clogging up landfill with bits of plastic.

Apart from being compostable, it’s also elegant, sturdy and can take temperatures of up to 85C, so hot soup poses no problem. If you would like some samples, here’s the link.

Vegware in Packaging News and the Food and Drink Innovation Network

News item posted on Tuesday, August, 3rd filed under all news, media

Our exciting news (launching three new products and becoming the UK’s first completely compostable food packaging company) has been reported by both Packaging News and the Food and Drink Innovation Network.

Green Up You Act Education – August Update

News item posted on Tuesday, August, 3rd filed under all news, community Fund

The visitors of the Young Peoples Center in Brighton are learning how to make a recycled plastic bottle structure to house their rhubarb and tomato plants. The warmth from the shelter will enhance the plants growth. When ready the vegetables will be prepared and cooked giving the participants an extended knowledge of growing and enjoying seasonal food, and recycling.

Rhubarb Farm – August Update

News item posted on Thursday, July, 29th filed under all news, community Fund

RHUBARB FARM Update for August

We submitted our planning application at the beginning of July. With 39 accompanying documents (as we were asking for polytunnel, car park, signage, erection of sheds and containers for office space) we were relieved it was deemed complete and we will get a decision by 10th September. We had to take a deep breath when we paid the planning fee of £1,965 and are now well in the red! On 5th August we have two graduate interns starting work with us for 8 weeks – awarded to us free by Nottingham University – we are really looking forward to them helping us with more preparation for becoming operational. We are also going through a commissioning process for £48,000 of Working Neighbourhoods Fund money, which is being arranged through the Bolsover Local Strategic Partnership. Success in getting this funding, the signing of our leases, and a positive outcome to the planning application will mean we can employ our first staff and actually become operational on our 8 acre site. We envisage this should be in late September/early October. Then we can get our portaloos on site, as funded by the Vegware Community Fund. The biggest hurdle after this is getting funding for fencing – we need 905 metres of close weld mesh, for the security of our buildings, polytunnel and crops.

Back page of today’s Scottish Herald: ‘Vegware heats up cutlery market!’

News item posted on Thursday, July, 29th filed under all news, media, new products

Read all about it! The Herald reports on one of our three new products, our high-heat resistant cutlery. And of course, the exciting news that these three products complete our range, making us the UK’s only company whose entire range is suitable for commercial composting. See the picture of Joe in that suit (and read the article) here.

A minor correction: at the end the article states, “He said he expects Vegware’s business to get a major boost after April 1, next year, when landfill tax, which has been increasing by £8 each year, will rise again to £48 per tonne, bringing it in line with commercial composting – making the disposal of Vegware products economical and eco-friendly.

In fact, landfill tax is £48 this tax year (2010-2011) and come April 2011, it will rise to £56 per tonne, making it more expensive than commercial composting. Landfill tax will rise ever year until at least 2014, when it will become £80 per tonne. Get composting, that’s what I say!

Edinburgh Reporter article on our compostable insulated coffee cup

News item posted on Wednesday, July, 28th filed under all news, media, new products

Quick off the mark, the Edinburgh Reporter has been the first to publish the news about our new hot cups which we’re soon to launch – the world’s first compostable double-wall cups, no less. Here’s the link.

New compostable soup containers are here! Another unique Vegware innovation

News item posted on Tuesday, July, 27th filed under all news, new products

At long last, we have a soup container. It has taken an awfully long time to figure out how make a compostable lid which can be that wide and heat resistant, but now we’ve got there! To start with we have 12oz and 16oz versions available, which both take the same size lid. We’re planning to launch an 8oz version in autumn. Pricewise, our compostable soup containers are very competitive with the main non-eco soup containers.

This is one of the trio of new and unique Vegware innovations which mean that we have become the UK’s first and only completely compostable packaging company. You’ll find the soup container on our catalogue, or get in touch to arrange samples.

Soup containers now online and available!

News item posted on Tuesday, July, 27th filed under all news, new products

Form an orderly queue folks, we now have the first compostable soup container and lid sets on the UK market. You can find all the info on the catalogue here. You can also try them out in your own setting by ordering some samples here. Enjoy!