Vegware

How ethical is Vegware?

Vegware is a plant-based packaging company which has fallen below The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark on our Ethical Packaging Ratings Table. Vegware’s below-benchmark performance is driven by poor ratings for fossil fuels, armaments, irresponsible marketing, political donations, and public record criticisms, each of which reflects the conduct and portfolio of its parent company, Apollo Global Management.

What does Vegware do?

Vegware was founded in Edinburgh and specialises in plant-based, compostable food service packaging. The company produces cups, plates, cutlery, bags, and food containers made from plant-based materials designed to be composted alongside food waste. Vegware is recognised as an Ethical Innovator by The GOOD Shopping Guide, reflecting its approach to developing sustainable packaging alternatives to conventional single-use plastic and polystyrene products. The company is owned by Apollo Global Management, Inc., a NYSE-listed private equity firm headquartered in New York with approximately $696 billion in assets under management.

Why does Vegware fall below The GOOD Shopping Guide’s benchmark?

Vegware’s below-benchmark performance arises almost entirely from the conduct and investment portfolio of Apollo Global Management rather than from Vegware’s own operations. Apollo is one of the world’s largest private equity firms with an investment portfolio spanning dozens of sectors, several of which raise significant ethical concerns.

Most critically, Vegware receives two public record criticisms poor ratings. Apollo’s portfolio has included Constellis, a private military contractor with roots in Academi, formerly known as Blackwater USA, which was involved in the Nisour Square massacre in Iraq. Apollo has also faced scrutiny over political donation activity, including an SEC pay-to-play pension rule violation related to a political contribution by a senior executive, and its CEO’s documented political activities. Apollo’s ownership of approximately $5 billion in fossil fuel and energy assets contributes to Vegware’s poor fossil fuels rating.

The poor armaments rating reflects Apollo’s investment in defence and military contracting sectors. The irresponsible marketing and political donations poor ratings similarly reflect Apollo’s broader commercial and political conduct as Vegware’s ultimate parent.

It is worth acknowledging that Vegware itself demonstrates strong ethical performance across several criteria, achieving good ratings for environmental report, pollution prevention, toxic chemicals policy, animal welfare, and Ethical Innovator recognition. These reflect Vegware’s own sustainable product design and operating practices, which are well-regarded within the compostable packaging sector. The below-benchmark performance is a product of ownership structure rather than Vegware’s direct conduct.

Consumers seeking packaging solutions that meet The GOOD Shopping Guide’s ethical benchmark are encouraged to consult our Ethical Packaging Ratings Table and our guide to ethical packaging, and prioritise brands that hold Ethical Accreditation. Several higher-ranking alternatives in this sector have achieved independent ethical verification and represent stronger choices for ethically conscious consumers. Our how we rate page explains the criteria used to assess all brands in this sector.