Sorry, more exciting news… We have just heard that all Councillors in Edinburgh have unanimously agreed to support the motion ‘Vegware and sustainable economy’. Here’s what they all say Aye to…

Council

1. Congratulates Polwarth-based eco-packaging company Vegware on winning overall UK Business of the Year in the 2013 Federation of Small Businesses Streamline Awards; and for receiving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development.
2. Welcomes the company tripling its office space in Edinburgh to accommodate UK and international business growth.
3. Recognises that the success of Vegware illustrates that economic and environmental sustainability can and should be aligned.

Yes! It’s been a mad day. Our Teresa and Sarah attended the FSB Streamline UK Awards in London today.

Vegware was already the Area Winner for Scotland. That’s already amazing.

Then we won the Business Innovation Category, which comes with £4,500 in prize money.

And then out of the four category winners, Vegware was named FSB Streamline UK Business of the Year, scooping the top prize of a total of £10,000 and getting many many pats on the back, clinked glasses and general good will and smiles. We are absolutely delighted – this recognises us as the best small business in the UK. Thank you very much indeed, Federation of Small Businesses!

Yes, our cup overfloweth with awards. Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian, has lodged a SECOND Scottish Parliamentary Motion for Vegware! We were blown away by our first Parliamentary Motion, and it’s just fantastic to have this kind of continued support and good will. The Motion *S4M-05743 reads:

Innovative Vegware Progresses to UK Final—That the Parliament congratulates the Edinburgh-based company, Vegware, on winning the category for best innovation at the Scottish Federation of Small Businesses’ Streamline Business Awards; understands that Vegware is the UK’s first and only firm that deals with completely compostable food packaging; believes that Vegware has seen an increase in its number of employees and commends what it sees as the company’s commitment to using technology in creative ways to reduce the impact of packaging through the use of annually renewable or recycled raw materials to produce sustainably sourced compostable tableware, cutlery, cups and takeaway cartons; believes that oil-based plastic packaging can lead to significant carbon emissions and landfill costs, and wishes Vegware success in the UK finals in London in April 2013.

It’s the start of 2013 and we’re just looking back at 2012 – a big year for us with 6 award wins and accolades (Edinburgh’s Green Company of the Year, a Footprint Award, the BCE Award for Environmental Leadership, our own Scottish Parliamentary Motion, Scotland’s top innovators in the Chamber of Commerce Awards and recognition in the VIBES Awards). But these 6 add to our 20 awards and accolades – here’s the full list!

Yes, it’s our 18th accolade since 2009…Vegware has won the Excellence in Innovation Award for the Scottish Region, as part of the Chamber Awards 2012. The British Chamber of Commerce’s awards scheme celebrates the UK’s best businesses. As Edinburgh’s Green Company of the Year 2012, the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce suggested Vegware enter the UK-wide Chamber Awards 2o12. We did, and today we got a rather pretty certificate in the post – here’s a silly facebook pic of three of us being rather over-excited about the post…

Alison Johnstone MSP and Lucy Frankel of Vegware

My word things are exciting at the moment. After three award wins this year, the cherry on the cake is a Scottish Parliamentary Motion called ‘Congratulations to Vegware’.

Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green Party MSP for Lothian heard about what we have been up to and felt moved to lodge Motion S4M-03552, which has now been signed by MSPs across party lines. Here’s the full text

That the Parliament congratulates Vegware, the UK’s first and only completely compostable food packaging firm, on winning the Business Commitment to the Environment Award for Environmental Leadership; is pleased to note that this is the third award in 2012 for the Edinburgh-based enterprise, which has also won Green Company of the Year 2012 from the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and a Footprint Award for Innovation in Packaging; congratulates Vegware on its environmentally and socially responsible business principles, its free service to help businesses access local food waste recycling and its Community Fund, which supports organisations such as Greener Leith, the Royal Edinburgh Community Gardens and Broomhouse Health Strategy Group; believes that, in a zero-waste Scotland, all disposable packaging will have to be compostable, and wishes Vegware further success in the future.

Vegware has won a BCE Award for Environmental Leadership! Here is Vegware’s founder and MD Joe Frankel collecting our Major Commendation certificate from Sir John Armitt, Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority.

Iain Gulland, Director of Zero Waste Scotland, was the BCE Awards judge who visited us in Edinburgh. He concluded: “Not only are Vegware passionate about their product and the environment, they are also passionate about their customers helping the environment too. There is clear evidence that Vegware are ‘more than just a business’ and are really engaging with their customers, staff and local community to affect positive environmental change.”