With Blue Land, Syed Naqvi and Sarah Paiji Yoo want to change the way the world cleans and clean up the world at the same time. Single use plastics are a huge problem – they cause tons of pollution and now degrading microplastics are found virtually everywhere. Cleaning products come almost exclusively in single use plastic containers and are a big part of the world-wide plastic pollution problem.
Sarah, while feeding her baby, lamented over the microplastics her child was likely ingesting and decided to do something about it. Blue Land was her solution. She created proprietary cleaning tablets for a bathroom cleaner, window cleaner, all purpose surface cleaner and hand soap. When she realized she was on to something, she enlisted Syed to help. Together they raised three million dollars and got their company started. She figures that Blue Land can eliminate the need for 100 million single use plastic bottles. The ongoing savings and eco benefits continue, too. The tablets are 300 times lighter, 200 times smaller and 90% cheaper to ship than traditional cleaning supplies.
To get started, you order a starter kit of “forever bottles” and receive one tablet for each product. After that, tablets are just two bucks each. Over time, Blue Land products will save consumers money while helping to save the environment. They also want to expand into other consumer goods like shampoo, laundry detergent and more. The products are relatively new, so they likely want a Shark’s help creating awareness while taking the product to a mass market.
My Take on Blue Land
For the past several years, my family and I made a conscious effort to reduce our use of single use plastics. Products like Blue Land appeal to my green nature. I see what plastic pollution looks like in our oceans every day and I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Instead of single use plastic drink containers, I have a stainless steel cup and drinking straw that I drink my ubiquitous iced tea out of every day. I make the tea with filtered water. My wife and daughter have the same set up for their beverages of choice. I also buy concentrated cleaning supplies or make my own with household items like vinegar.
I think the marketplace is moving toward more eco-friendly packaging and product delivery. Consumer products giant Proctor and Gamble plans to roll out more eco-friendly packaging and products in the future, but small, leaner companies like Blue Land are beating them to the punch. I think consumers are ready for this type of product. I am in.
Will Sharks Want to Clean Up?
Blue Land has a good story, mission and products. If they have sales, they may get an offer, but I’m betting they don’t. For one thing, there are already a half a dozen or so venture capital investors. A Shark might dilute the shares too much OR Blue Land might not want to give up enough equity to make it worthwhile for a Shark.
Blueland is not the first one to the party with this idea. There are other products that do the same thing for less selling on Amazon. If Blueland was first to market, it might be a more attractive investment for a Shark.
The last thing is big consumer products companies are looking at delivering cleaning products in a similar way. When Proctor and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson and Kimberly Clark get in the game, they will (as Kevin says) “crush Blue Land like cockroaches.” I predict they leave with no deal.
Entrepreneur, auteur, raconteur. Rob Merlino is a blogger and writer who enjoys the Shark Tank TV show and Hot Dogs. A father of five who freelances in a variety of publications, Rob has a stable of websites including Shark Tank Blog, Hot Dog Stories, Rob Merlino.com and more.
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