Farzan and Jennifer Dehmoubed were simply trying to develop reusable grocery bags for their own use to do their small part for the environment.

“California was banning plastic bags, and we were looking for a solution for our own family,” Farzan recalls.

Farzan and Jennifer Dehmoubed, Co-founders, Lotus Sustainables

The couple wanted to develop an insulated multi-use bag. They came up with what they called the Trolley Bag, which spans a grocery cart hanging on each side, much like a folder holder in a file cabinet. The husband-and-wife team created the concept and quickly determined it could have business viability.

Lotus Sustainables' trolley bags

Farzan, who had an advertising company at this point (in 2017) soon traveled overseas to establish a manufacturing connection. “We created our company overnight and jumped all in,” he said.

The couple wanted to develop an insulated multi-use bag. They came up with what they called the Trolley Bag, which spans a grocery cart hanging on each side, much like a folder holder in a file cabinet.

Lotus Sustainables, operating from its home base in San Diego, ordered what it figured would be a four-month supply of bags and established a sales slot on Amazon. “We sold out in 13 days,” Farzan said.

The Lotus trolley bag is still a mainstay of the organization’s business, but as the Dehmoubeds surveyed the extent of plastic bag waste and the speed at which regulators were clamping down on the use of plastic bags, they soon turned their attention to the rolls of plastic produce bags that are ubiquitous at virtually every retail produce department in the US and around the world.

Lotus Sustainables' premium mesh bags

The couple reasoned that a reusable produce bag sold to consumers could turn an expense into a profit center while eliminating literally billions of plastic bags from landfills around the world.

As the Dehmoubeds surveyed the extent of plastic bag waste and the speed at which regulators were clamping down on the use of plastic bags, they soon turned their attention to the rolls of plastic produce bags that are ubiquitous at virtually every retail produce department in the US and around the world.

Farzan is still amazed at the number of single-use produce bags that are being dumped in garbage cans every day, noting that the typical supermarket uses 8-12 cases of poly produce bags per week, with each case holding 4,400 plastic bags. That equates to about 44,000 bags per week or about 2.2 million bags per year at an average cost of $15,600 per store. Ralphs, a 189-store chain in the West and a retailer, was spending about $3 million per year purchasing plastic produce bags. Kroger, the parent company of Ralphs, purchases about 4.5 billion plastic produce bags per year at a cost of over $31 million.

Lotus Sustainables' produce bags are in more than 18,000 stores

“The beauty of the Lotus Produce Bag is that we are making a difference. … We are making an impact,” said Dehmoubed.

In the past 18 months, Lotus Sustainables has grown its distribution of Lotus Produce Bags from 5,000 stores to more than 18,000. “Retailers like Natural Grocers Vitamin Cottage have stepped up and launched this solution in all stores,” he said. “The Giant Company is launching two four-floor racks in every store for Earth Day [April 22]. We have yet to do a test with the Lotus Produce Bags that [has] not expanded and gone chain wide.”

Farzan is still amazed at the number of single-use produce bags that are being dumped in garbage cans every day, noting that the typical supermarket uses 8-12 cases of poly produce bags per week, with each case holding 4,400 plastic bags.

The Lotus Produce Bag, which is washable and has a lifetime guarantee, comes in three variations and is designed to replace the thin plastic produce bags that have been a fixture in produce departments for decades. Dehmoubed said those little plastic produce bags have an enormous negative impact globally considering they are not typically reused or recycled, and they don’t break down quickly (they take 500-1,000 years to degrade).

Lotus Sustainables' cotton produce bag

Lotus Sustainables offers several different types of bags, including two mesh bags and one made of organic cotton. The bags are displayed at retail in their own rack and are usually sold in packs of three at a price point of $7-$8. They are multi-purpose bags that can be used for much more than produce—but it is their use for fresh fruits and vegetables that seems to have resonated with most consumers. 

“What we have seen is that the people who care about organics also care about sustainability and the environment. It is a perfect fit,” Dehmoubed said. “Organic consumers want a packaging solution that is not plastic and is truly reusable.”

Lotus Sustainables' trolley bags

Dehmoubed believes the Lotus Produce Bag is a great fit in an organic-centric supermarket or in the organic produce section of a traditional market. He added that what sets his company's bag apart from others in the marketplace is its quality. “Quality is everything,” he said. “We give a lifetime guarantee. One set of bags can be used and machine washed hundreds of times.”

“What we have seen is that the people who care about organics also care about sustainability and the environment. … Organic consumers want a packaging solution that is not plastic and is truly reusable.” – Farzan Dehmoubed

Headquartered in San Diego, CA, Lotus Sustainables features a marketing campaign entitled “OLD ME NEW ME.” The graphic shows a plastic produce bag with produce in it under the “OLD ME” moniker, while a Lotus Sustainables produce bag has the "NEW ME" tagline.

Having just celebrated eliminating over three billion plastic bags, Lotus Sustainables implemented a program in which 10 percent of its profits are given back to charities supporting the planet. The company’s goal is “to create a movement” and tap into the consumer concern for the environment.