Harvey / 29 April 2025 / Categories: Product and Brands, Brands

Vegware cup unlikely friend at Butlins Weekender Event

Sustainable fast food packaging priority

I remember reading a few years ago that the 25 most successful billionaires were in the manufacturing sector and IIRC a good number made packaging, with brands like Tetra Pak generating a staggering 12.4 billion in sales in 2023. In the US the packaging market is expected to reach 244 billion dollars by 2029. We consume a lot of packaging globally it has to be said and it is something I think about especially when buying food to go. It makes sense really as it’s the one thing we all consume regardless of social status or financial class and with the rise in convenience food and convenience shopping the packaging business is expanding at an exponential rate as we buy more and in turn throw more away.

I try to avoid fast food for this reason. I definitely feel guilty after eating it at how much waste, the bag, the cups, the cutlery, the napkins, the box, so much waste we do a drive through when desperate less than once a month, or when camping or at festivals when the fast food consumption intake will definitely increase. Also road trips in the summer months mean more motorway stops although I have gone back to packing a picnic instead if there’s a few of us, Coronation chicken, potato salad, carrot and celery sticks, guacamole, that kind of thing: easier healthier and much tastier than KFC and recycled ice cream tubs can easily be washed and used again.

Why when I purchased a drink to go recently from the lounges chain of restaurants Bonito in Bognor Regis, I was delighted to see recyclable compostable packaging. I was at a weekender event at Butlins and after a couple of days of a little bit too much partying we were on the search for something a bit healthier, breakfast brunch on the go, after 2 days of junk food. I was surprised, pleased, as I sipped on a freshly squeezed juice, to see this Vegware branding staring back at me in what was a lovely colourful printed and branded cup.

Inspired I went to check out Vegware plant based packaging online and what they doing to help companies who buy loads of packaging like restaurants is absolutely incredible offering progressive help with branding and marketing as an add on to encourage companies to swap to a more planet friendly option.

At Butlins i couldn’t see packaging or anything really with a waste less, throw away less message. The trash piled up after the Weekender event wasn’t good, even for our one chalet. There was the same amount of rubbish as we usually have in a whole week.

So it was good to find out about Vegware and I’ll be looking out for other businesses making the shift to more sustainable options and supporting them instead like The Lounges who have 25 locations scattered across the UK and a postcode search function in their website to discover a location near you.