From food waste to coffee cup: This startup makes packaging that composts in 90 days

A climate tech startup developed by a fashion designer is transforming food 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 is revolutionising single use takeaway products by making packaging from food waste, 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.

After meeting a team of young scientists at a networking event who shared her passion for sustainability, they worked on creating a plastic-like material made from upcycled food waste to replace plastic. 

The success of their efforts was evident as thousands of venues started using their sustainable products, and customers began requesting more. 

They took it a step further and introduced the world’s first home compostable coffee cutlery, made from upcycled coffee grounds collected from cafes.

The Little Green Panda plastic free products. Photo: Supplied

This groundbreaking solution quickly gained traction and became a huge success, replacing the traditional wooden and bamboo cutlery options currently available in the market.

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 from building Little Green Panda was when she saw their home compostable sugarcane straws come to life and receive positive feedback from our 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 launch, they’ve introduced ‘The Friendly Cups,’ made from nano water-based technology that reacts when in contact with liquids.

The cups contain no bioplastic or plastic lining, making them an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative to single-use cups.

The product launched in February and the first container load of cups sold out in less than 24 hours.

The challenge for compostable products is that only 0.13% of commercially compostable packaging gets disposed of properly. 

While many products are labeled as “compostable,” they will only break down under specific conditions that are often not present in a typical household compost bin. 

This leads to confusion and frustration among consumers who want to make environmentally conscious choices.

Beauchamp-Tardieu said Green Little Panda is leading the charge in offering home compostable packaging designed to disappear like a piece of fruit. Their products can break down naturally in any bin, leaving no harmful residue behind. 

The Anatomy of The Friendly Cup. Photo: Supplied