Closing the loop with SWG3

No venue manages to merge Glasgow’s industrial heritage with its vibrant cultural present like SWG3. A former Galvanizers’ yard, with five venues on its campus, SWG3 began life as artists’ studios before becoming a hub for art, design, music, fashion, food, shopping and nightlife. Glasgow’s legacy of industry is clear at SWG3. But so is the forward-thinking, modern Glasgow. This is particularly clear with SWG3’s sustainability efforts. By 2025, SWG3 aims to power their events with 100% renewable energy. This is in part thanks to their BODYHEAT system that harnesses body heat from members of the audience. As a venue, SWG3 is leading by example. That’s why, when they asked if Vegware could help them make their club nights more sustainable, we were only too happy to assist. In 2023, looking to reduce the amount of waste they produced, SWG3 swapped their single use plastic cups for reusable ones. Whilst this proved successful for gigs, a reuse system proved difficult to maintain for club nights. The nights provided limited opportunity for clubbers to return the cups and many were taken away from the venue. When trialled for club nights SWG3 lost a significant portion of their reusable cup stock. Clearly, SWG3 needed an alternative solution for their club nights so they reached out to Vegware’s Environmental team. Whilst it was clear that SWG3 couldn’t eliminate cups from their waste stream, they had an opportunity to switch away from traditional plastic cups. Vegware offered plant-based, renewable options and, with their Close the Loop service, provided a circular solution for the waste. With Close the Loop, the cups could be collected and turned into highgrade compost at a facility just 50 miles from SWG3. The compost could then provide essential organic nutrients to arable land, landscape gardens and more. It was a solution that worked for SWG3 and its impact-conscious audience. Having outlined the issues they were facing, Vegware’s Sales team worked with SWG3 to provide the products they required. The Environmental team worked with SWG3’s bar staff and cleaning teams to explain how the system worked and how to make it a success. For SWG3, the introduction of a composting waste stream has been a huge success. It has provided a blueprint for how the venue can further reduce the amount of general waste they produce. 5 STEPS TO ZERO WASTE 1️⃣ Switch all disposables to Vegware compostable alternatives 2️⃣ Find the best recycling solution and label your bins 3️⃣ Communicate the system 4️⃣ Training and engagement 5️⃣ Measure and communicate ⚡️Want a composting story to shout about? visit https://www.vegware.com/uk-en/page/keen-to-compost/ Vegware is a visionary brand and a global specialist in plant-based compostable foodservice packaging. Our plant-based products are all designed to be commercially composted with food waste where accepted. And our expert environmental support can help foodservice go zero waste. See our full catalogue: https://www.vegware.com/uk-en/catalogue/ Follow US on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vegware/ Follow US on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vegware/ Check out our articles: https://news.vegware.com