Today we’d like to introduce you to Farzan Dehmoubed.
Hi farzan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Lotus Sustainables started around our kitchen table.
When California first banned single use plastic bags, we were excited. We thought it would create meaningful change. Instead, we quickly realized it wasn’t solving the problem. Shoppers were now paying for thicker, bulkier plastic bags that were designed to be reused, but many people, including us, still forgot to bring them back to the store. Those bags often ended up being used once and thrown away, making them even more wasteful than the thin plastic bags they replaced.
That frustration sparked an idea. We knew sustainability would never become mainstream if it relied on people remembering a pile of reusable bags sitting in their trunk or at home. The sustainable option had to be the easiest option.
That led us to create the Lotus Trolley Bag, a reusable bag system designed to stay open inside the shopping cart, making it easy for shoppers to organize and bag groceries while they shopped. We wanted to remove the friction from reusable shopping and make choosing a sustainable option feel effortless.
Like many startups, the early years were anything but easy. My wife Jennifer and I invested our own savings, learned manufacturing from the ground up, traveled extensively to build relationships with factory partners.
As retailers became more focused on sustainability, our company evolved far beyond one patented product. Today, Lotus Sustainables designs and manufactures turnkey reusable bag programs for many of the largest retailers across North America and internationally. We create everything from everyday shopping bags and insulated thermal bags to cotton totes, produce bags, and custom delivery bags.
What makes us different is that we don’t simply manufacture bags. We help retailers build complete reusable bag programs that support their sustainability goals, improve the customer experience, and strengthen their brand. From concept and design to sourcing, manufacturing, compliance, and logistics, we manage the entire process.
Looking back, it’s incredible to see how far we’ve come from one idea at our kitchen table. Today, our reusable products have helped eliminate over 6 billions of single use plastic bags, proving that thoughtful design and convenience can change consumer behavior on a massive scale. Even now, Jennifer and I still ask ourselves the same question before developing any new product: Does this make sustainability easier for everyday people?
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not. Like most startups, we’ve had moments where we questioned whether we were going to make it.
One of the biggest challenges came very early in our journey. Our second production shipment arrived, and although every bag had already been sold to customers, we immediately noticed quality issues that didn’t meet our standards. We later discovered that our manufacturing partner had subcontracted the production to another factory without our knowledge.
We were faced with a difficult decision. We could ship the bags and hope customers wouldn’t notice the issues, or we could absorb a significant financial loss and protect the reputation we were trying to build.
We chose the second option.
We refused to put the bags into the market, even though it cost us a substantial amount of money and nearly derailed the business before it had a chance to grow. At the time, it felt devastating, but looking back, it was one of the most important decisions we ever made.
That experience completely changed how we operate. We learned that quality cannot be assumed. It has to be verified. Today, every product we manufacture goes through multiple layers of quality control, including independent third party inspections before production, during production, and before shipment. We have built systems that help ensure our retail partners receive products they can trust.
That expensive lesson became one of the foundations of our company. It reinforced that protecting your reputation is always worth more than protecting a single order. Our customers have trusted us with their brands for years because they know we hold ourselves to the same standards we expect from our manufacturing partners.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Lotus Sustainables?
At Lotus Sustainables we’re on a mission to eliminate single use plastic bags by creating reusable products that people and retailers genuinely want to use.
We are a Certified B Corporation, which reflects our commitment to using business as a force for good. Sustainability isn’t simply part of what we do. It’s the foundation of every decision we make, from product design and sourcing to manufacturing and long term partnerships.
We specialize in designing and manufacturing turnkey reusable bag programs for some of the largest retailers in North America and internationally. Our product range includes reusable shopping bags, insulated thermal bags, cotton totes, produce bags, wine bags, seasonal collections, and fully customized private label programs.
We are also recognized for our expertise in thermal bags and insulated delivery bags. We work with retailers, national brands, convenience stores, and delivery companies to create high performance insulated solutions that improve food quality, reduce waste, and enhance the customer experience.
One initiative we are especially proud of is helping convenience retailers replace disposable Styrofoam coolers with reusable thermal bags. By giving customers a practical alternative, these programs have prevented countless Styrofoam coolers from being used and discarded, creating a meaningful reduction in waste while providing a better experience for consumers.
What sets us apart is that we are much more than a bag supplier. We become an extension of our customers’ team. We help identify opportunities, design products, source materials, oversee manufacturing, manage quality control, coordinate logistics, and build programs that support both sustainability goals and business objectives.
What we’re most proud of isn’t one product or one customer. It’s the impact our partnerships have created. Together with our retail partners, our reusable products have helped eliminate billions of single use plastic bags from entering the waste stream. Knowing that something we designed is making a measurable environmental difference while helping our customers achieve their sustainability goals is incredibly rewarding.
At the heart of our company is a simple belief. Sustainability should never feel like a compromise. It should be better designed, more convenient, and something people genuinely enjoy using. Every product we create starts with that idea, and it’s what continues to guide us as we grow.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My favorite childhood memory is from when I was about five years old, growing up in Toronto, Canada. One summer afternoon, a torrential rainstorm rolled in, and instead of running inside, my older cousin and I ran outside and danced in the warm evening rain. I still remember laughing, splashing through puddles, and feeling completely carefree. It was such a simple moment, but it’s one I’ve never forgotten. Even today, whenever a warm summer rain starts, it brings me right back to that evening.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.Lotus-Sustainables.com
- Instagram: @lotussustainables
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lotustrolleybag/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lotus-trolley-bag/
