Cleaning up the macro-messes caused by microplastics with Sarah Paiji Yoo from Blueland
05 Sep 2024 (14 days ago)
Blueland's Mission and Origins
- Blueland is a five-year-old brand that creates eco-friendly and plastic-free cleaning supplies.
- Sarah Paiji Yoo, Blueland's CEO and co-founder, was inspired to start the company after learning about microplastics in drinking water while researching baby formula for her newborn son.
- Blueland has been able to capitalize on the increased public awareness of plastic pollution and climate change.
- Blueland is planning to increase its advocacy work to promote government policies that support the elimination of single-use plastic packaging.
Microplastics: A Growing Concern
- Microplastics, found in both tap and bottled water, are tiny pieces of plastic that break down over time and are difficult to filter out.
- Microplastics have been linked to Parkinson’s disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
- Microplastics are a relatively new concern for human health, similar to radium in the early 20th century or questionable medical practices in the 19th century.
The Problem with Laundry Pods
- An estimated 20 billion plastic pods are going down drains each year in the U.S. alone.
- Laundry detergent pods were marketed as a more convenient option compared to powder and liquid formats.
- A 2021 study revealed that 75% of intact plastic particles from laundry pods were released into the environment from wastewater treatment facilities.
- While studies haven't definitively linked polyvinyl alcohol to cancer in humans, research on fish indicates that exposure to this microplastic can hinder growth rates, metabolism, and increase vulnerability to infections.
Blueland's Product Development
- Blueland created a hand soap tablet, a product that had never existed before. This product took close to two years to develop.
- Over a dozen cleaning product manufacturers were approached to manufacture the product, but none were able to help.
- The company's Chief Innovation Officer was found on LinkedIn. He had decades of experience in cleaning products and probiotics and nutritional supplements.
- Blueland created laundry detergent tablets that dissolve in water without the use of polyvinyl alcohol plastics.
Blueland's Approach to Business
- There are copycat cleaning products on the market that do not contain preservatives, which is dangerous.
- Blueland waited three years before selling their products in retail stores.
- Blueland rigorously tests its products in independent labs to ensure they perform well in various water conditions, including hard and soft water, varying cleanliness levels, and different temperatures.
- Yoo believes in achieving product-market fit before focusing on marketing, a lesson learned from her previous startup experiences.
Blueland's Retail Strategy
- Blueland decided to launch in Container Store first because it only had 90 stores, which was a manageable number.
- Blueland chose to partner with The Container Store for their first retail launch because it allowed them to test the market and their packaging with a smaller retailer and engaged employees.
Sarah Paiji Yoo's Background and Inspiration
- Sarah Paiji Yoo's career began in investment banking and consulting, but she transitioned to entrepreneurship with Blueland to find more purpose and joy in her work.
- Sarah Paiji Yoo attended Harvard Business School and was inspired by other female founders, such as the founders of Rent the Runway.
- Before Blueland, Yoo co-founded a startup studio with the goal of launching one direct-to-consumer business per year.
- Sarah Paiji Yoo's time at Harvard Business School coincided with a surge of women launching startups in Silicon Valley, which she found inspiring.
Advocacy for Regulation and Change
- There is a belief that there should be more regulation in the United States regarding ingredients and materials used in products.
- Blueland has advocated for anti-plastic legislation at the state and local levels.
- The European Union is more likely to regulate an industry first and analyze it later, while the United States is more likely to analyze and regulate an industry after problems occur.
Consumer Demand for Safer Products
- Consumers are driving demand for products free of plastics and potentially harmful chemicals, prompting both established companies and startups to respond.
- Cleaning agents often rely on chemicals that are unsafe for consumption, as illustrated by the comparison to lye's historical use in laundry and its harmful nature.