This startup sells packaging that composts in 90 days

A climate tech startup developed by a fashion designer is transforming sugar can waste into coffee cups and cutlery that breaks down quickly into compost after it’s been used

Little Green Panda was founded by Manon Beauchamp-Tardieu, who launched her side hustle while working as an accessories fashion designer at Zara.

Her sustainable packaging startup offers an alternative to single use takeaway products, which then decompose in 90 days.

She began the business with reusable bamboo straws and it grew quickly. When the subsequent ban on single-use plastic bags was introduced, Manon realised there was a huge demand for sustainable alternatives.

Thousands of venues started using their sustainable products, and customers began requesting more.

They took it a step further and introduced a compostable coffee cutlery, made from upcycled coffee grounds collected from cafes.

The Little Green Panda plastic free products. Photo: Supplied

Australians throw away around 2.7 million takeaway coffee cups daily.

In the bigger picture, the world produced 390.7 million tons of plastic in 2021 and 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in the oceans annually.

Beauchamp-Tardieu said her favourite moment building Little Green Panda was when their home compostable sugarcane straws come received positive feedback from early customers.

“It was a true validation of all the hard work, dedication, and long hours we put into bringing our idea to life,” she said.

“Seeing people enjoy and appreciate our product is a truly satisfying experience, and it motivates us to keep pushing forward with our mission to create better sustainable and innovative solutions for the packaging industry.”

In their latest product is ‘The Friendly Cups,’, which launched in February. The first container load of cups sold out in less than 24 hours.

Beauchamp-Tardieu said the challenge for compostable products is that only 0.13% of commercially compostable packaging is disposed of properly.

While labeled “compostable,” they will only break down under specific conditions that are often not present in a typical household compost bin, which she says leads to confusion and frustration among consumers.

Beauchamp-Tardieu said their products can break down naturally in any bin, leaving no harmful residue behind.