Little Green Panda: Turning plastic straws into sustainable alternatives

Manon Beauchamp-Tardieu and Loris Campanile had the brilliant idea to make a common product become more sustainable. They started the company, Little Green Panda, creating sustainable alternatives to plastic straws by using sugar cane and wheat. Inside FMCG interviewed Beauchamp-Tardieu on what it takes to produce environmentally-friendly straws and convincing consumers to switch to using sustainable products.Inside FMCG: Tell us how you started The Little Green PandaManon Beauchamp-Tardieu: I never understood why something that is used once, is engineered to last for centuries. Little Green Panda (LGP) was founded on the belief that single-use products shouldn’t be made to last. [There are] 8 million tonnes of plastic dumped into our ocean every year. That equals 4 million Jeeps every single year. Overwhelmed by where to even begin, I decided to tackle an item that I used to use everyday which were plastic straws and start from there. Working in the fashion industry, I saw the monumental amount of waste the industry produces. I saw an opportunity to use the excess straws from making hats and bags, which would usually get burnt or thrown away and turn. We’ve turned this opportunity into creating drinking straws that help to combat a huge environmental problem: single-use packaging and to re-imagine disposable plastic in a sustainable way with drinking straws as our first product.Inside FMCG: How did Covid-19 affect the business?MBT: It definitely has been challenging to say the least! Our business went from hero to zero in the blink of an eye. I guess as entrepreneurs we need to think quickly and be able to adapt to the environment. As the hospitality industry was severely affected, we turned to growing our B2C audience who are not our customers but the end consumer.We realised that people are more aware of what they buy with their wallets and how they can influence businesses to be better. Through our social media channels such as IG and TikTok we reinforced building a strong community of like-minded people who want to help save the planet. We managed to reinforce our brand awareness and ultimately help spread the word about our fabulous straws to their favourite local venues.Little Green Panda uses waste to create 100-per-cent biodegradable straws.Inside FMCG: How do you create sustainable straws made from sugar cane and wheat?MBT: Our range of sustainable straws are made from agricultural waste that normally gets thrown away, buried or dumped into the ocean. We take this “waste” and give it a second life by transforming them into straws that are 100 per cent compostable, biodegradable, non toxic, plastic and gluten free and 12-hour water resistant. All our straws are handmade by female artisans in developing communities across Mongolia, Vietnam and Taiwan and this provides them with a second source of income that they can bring home to support their families. Collectively, we are all joining forces to create something that is kind to the oceans and that meets the growing consumer preferences towards environmentally-friendly options. Little Green Panda produces straws made from sugarcane and wheat.Inside FMCG: How do you convince consumers to switch to using sustainable products?MBT: Consumers have the power to create change and today, more than ever, as a consumer we are more and more aware about the negative impact plastic has on the environment. Each time we buy something we are casting a vote to say we endorse that company, that brand or product. We give the nod of approval to their values, ethics and standards. By casting a vote with our wallet, we are telling them to keep doing what they are doing. That is why education has been a big part of our marketing to teach and inform individuals about how powerful they can help in making a difference.Inside FMCG: Do you have plans to bring The Little Green Panda abroad?MBT: Our traction internationally is particularly strong in France, where myself and my co-founder, Loris Campanile, originate. We also launched our range of straws in New Zealand last year with plans of expansion to other countries as we continue to grow.Inside FMCG: Any new products your company is launching this year?MBT: LGP currently sells to thousands of businesses and franchises in the hospitality and hotel industry. Their clients range from boutique distilleries like Four Pillars Gin to hotel empires. Plant-based drinking straws are just the beginning. To work towards our vision, we’re actively working on expanding the range to other products that typically rely on single-use plastics. To date, we have prevented over 5 million plastic straws from being manufactured (equalling 8.5 tons of single-use plastic).