Composting on the Isle of Man
Mannvend, our partners in Douglas on the Isle of Man, have been leading the way establishing a system of composting Vegware drinks waste on the island. Read on to find out how.
MannVend began in 1967 and has gone on to become the primary supplier on the Isle of Man of workplace and catering coffee machines, vending machines and water coolers. In 2016, seeking alternatives to traditional plastics, MannVend began supplying Vegware. Their efforts didn’t stop there. In December 2017, MannVend was the driving force behind setting up a composting collection for Vegware drinks waste on the Isle of Man. The solution was a first for single-use packaging of any kind. MannVend had helped to establish a closed loop system for Vegware drinks waste. It was no longer necessary to export this waste to the UK. Vegware drinks waste used on the island, could also be composted there
“We worked with DEFA and a local green waste composting facility to get a licence granted for them to take our compostable cups and lids. The process was actually very fast and the licence was granted within a few months. The used cups are collected on a site in a large Vegware bin liner and then taken to the composting facility and put through a large industrial shredder along with branches and foliage. It is mixed up with this green waste and turned into compost within 3 months.”
Tracey Leahy, Managing Director, Mannvend
How does it work?
MannVend works with sites to set up waste streams for the Vegware cup and lid collections. MannVend provides sites with bin signage and posters, to ensure that only Vegware’s cups and lids go in the designated bins. This waste is then sent to the composting facility. The collections have proved to be very popular with offices on the Isle of Man. Tracey explains:
“People are genuinely pleased to see that their used cups are being responsibly disposed of and like the fact that they can buy bags of the compost that their cups have been used for.”
Biosphere IOM
MannVend has enjoyed Biosphere status since 2018. Biospheres promote three global functions of conservation, learning and sustainable development to create a balanced relationship between people and their environment that will benefit both in the long term. Vegware played a significant role in MannVend’s application – having converted many customers to Vegware and having set up composting collections on the Isle of Man. MannVend are a shining example of how businesses can be leaders in making more sustainable choices.
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