A Moment of Gratitude Before the Countdown
As the final sun sets on 2025, I find myself sitting with a cup of coffee (sipped through a sugarcane straw, of course) and feeling an overwhelming sense of pride. Not just for the brand, but for us.
When we started this year, the headlines were daunting. We heard about "Plastic Overshoot Days" and the staggering amount of waste that enters our oceans every single minute. It’s easy to feel like a small drop in a very large, very plastic-filled bucket. But if 2025 has taught us anything, it’s that drops make an ocean.
Today, I want to pull back the curtain and share the real, raw numbers of what we achieved together this year. This isn't just a corporate report; it’s a celebration of every time you said "no straw please" or chose a compostable fork at a picnic. You didn't just buy a product; you funded a movement.
1. The Big Number: 50 Million and Counting
I am thrilled to announce that in 2025, the EQUO community officially diverted over 50 million pieces of single-use plastic from landfills and oceans.
To put that in perspective: if you lined up 50 million straws end-to-end, they would stretch from our headquarters in Vietnam all the way to the moon and back... twice. That is 50 million potential hazards that will never entangle a sea turtle, never break down into microplastics in our soil, and never sit in a landfill for 500 years.
Every time you clicked "add to cart," you were effectively casting a vote for a cleaner planet. And the results are in: the planet is winning.
2. Beyond the Straw: The Rise of the "Upcycled" Era
2025 was the year we truly moved "Beyond the Straw." While our grass and coconut straws remain fan favorites, this was the breakout year for our Coffee and Sugarcane lines.
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Coffee Utensils: We successfully upcycled over 15 tons of spent coffee grounds this year. That’s 15 tons of waste intercepted from landfills where it would have produced methane. Instead, it’s sitting in your kitchen drawers as sturdy, beautiful forks and spoons.
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The Sugarcane Surge: Our sugarcane straws became our #1 best-seller for weddings and corporate events in 2025. It turns out, people love the fact that they can have a straw that doesn't get soggy and helps the circular economy.
3. Global Reach, Local Impact
This year, EQUO expanded into 10 new countries, but our heart remains firmly in Vietnam. We are proud to report that our production has supported over 500 local farming families across the Mekong Delta and beyond.
By using raw materials like dried grass and rice, we are providing a secondary income stream for farmers who previously saw these materials as agricultural waste. When you support EQUO, you aren't just helping the environment; you are supporting the livelihoods of the incredible makers who hand-process these materials with care.
4. 2025 Milestones: Awards and Recognition
We don't do this for the trophies, but it sure feels good when the world notices! In 2025, EQUO was recognized by several leading environmental organizations for our "Material Innovation of the Year." We also achieved a major milestone in our packaging: as of June 2025, 100% of our shipping materials are now plastic-free, including our water-based coating technology that replaces traditional plastic lamination. We are walking the talk, from the product inside to the box it arrives in.
5. Looking Forward: Our 2026 "North Star"
So, what’s next? If 2025 was about growth, 2026 is about regeneration.
Our goal for the coming year is to double our impact. We are aiming to save 100 million pieces of plastic by December 2026. We are also hard at work in the "lab" (aka nature) developing two brand-new materials that we think will change the way you look at "disposables" forever. (Stay tuned—we might have a "seaweed" surprise for you soon!)
But more than the numbers, our 2026 goal is to continue unlearning. We want to help another million people realize that living sustainably isn't about being a "perfect environmentalist." It's about being a "conscious consumer" who makes better choices, one meal at a time.
You Are the Hero of This Story
I want to end this year with a thank you. Thank you for being the person who brings their own utensils to the food court. Thank you for being the parent who insists on rice straws for the birthday party. Thank you for being the business owner who chose impact over the cheapest plastic option.
You are the reason EQUO exists. You are the reason the oceans are a little bit cleaner tonight. Let’s take this momentum and run with it. 2026 is going to be our greenest year yet.
