More About Us
The Sourcing
The Sustainability
Packaging is recyclable. All our straws and utensils are 100% plastic-free, biodegradable, compostable. They decompose in months, not centuries.
The Spark
The idea came from when I had first moved to Vietnam about 2 years ago. I moved over to Vietnam about 2 years ago to help out my father who had gotten really sick and needed my help in Vietnam. So I came to Vietnam in his place. While I was only supposed to stay in Vietnam 1 year, I found there was so much amazing talent and opportunity here. Vietnam, being one of the largest exporters of coffee in the world, one of the things the country has in abundance is unique cafes and coffee shops. Being that I didn’t know anyone when I first moved to the country, I was spent a lot of my time exploring coffee shops, and that’s where I happened upon one of our first products, the grass straw. The fact this is the first straw I had ever used that wasn’t plastic or paper, it drove my interest to explore the industry further, and that’s how we started our journey. With the inspiration of trying to bridge the gap between Vietnam and the rest of the world, building a sustainable future for my newborn nephew, working to support local economic growth and job creation from my parent’s hometown, and the desire to raise Vietnam's profile as a global leader in sustainability and innovation, I decided to venture on my own to bring to the world truly eco-friendly solutions through the sustainable brand, EQUO. EQUO helps to address the UN Sustainable Development Goal #12 – ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. My goal is to drive educational awareness about the plastic pollution problem locally in Vietnam and to give people a reason to care about a generally overlooked category by building a bright, attention-grabbing brand. My aim is to make plastic-alternatives widely available with firstly drinking straws and utensils, in order to force production to slow down and eventually be eliminated altogether for single-use plastics. Approximately 90% of all the plastic produced on the planet is used only once – if the world starts to replace these with sustainable alternatives, these small solutions can have a big impact.
The Differentiator
What makes us different is our approach to the category. For the longest time, everyone treated straws as this homogenous category that didn’t really have a lot of choices besides color and design. We’re saying straws are just like any other category and consumers want choices that cater to their preferences. That’s why we offer a variety of different materials.
Also we are coming in and branding a typically commoditized category, similar to bottle water and tissue paper, and giving people a reason to care about their choice in straw or fork – things they never thought twice about. We are a bright, loud, eye-catching brand to get people’s attention, educate them about our products and offerings, and then deliver on providing them choices.
The Favorite
Sugarcane is a favorite because it never goes soggy, comes a variety of different sizes and has a slightly sweet aroma of brown sugar.
The Motto
Small Solutions, Big Impact
EQUO
About the Brand
EQUO is a sustainable brand delivering easy solutions for everyday single-use plastic items. First line of products is drinking straws made from grass, rice, coconut and sugarcane that are 100% plastic-free, biodegradable, compostable and non-toxic! Additional categories will include utensils, dishware and stationary. They are easy, no brainer switches so simple, you may not even notice them - even though Mother Nature does. We at EQUO don't force you to use one material which has limitations in colors, size, use or disposability. We don't ask you to learn or change your actions or behavior. We want you to continue going about your day - except in a way that is better for the environment.
Certifications