Carlsbad couple, company tackle plastic waste

Lotus Sustainables takes on single-use plastic bags as a leader in providing options, value to customers to avoid plastic waste

Jennifer, right, and Farzan Dehmoubed started Lotus Sustainables in 2018 from their Carlsbad home. The company has sold thousands of reusable bags eliminating billions of single-use plastic bags. Courtesy photo

CARLSBAD — Twelve minutes.

It’s about the average lifespan of a single-use plastic bag. And for years, 12 minutes kept chipping away at Farzan Dehmoubed. From waterways, beaches, parks and open spaces, the sight of left-behind plastic bags and the resulting pollution turned into a passion to combat waste.

So, in 2017, he and his wife, Jennifer Dehmoubed, decided to take action to do their part to fight against the waste of billions of bags each year.

The couple launched Lotus Sustainables from their Carlsbad home to combat single-use plastic bags. They have launched several products since, but the road to becoming a national brand hasn’t been easy.

Regardless, the couple are firm in their desire and passion to eliminate as many plastic bags as possible, and hopefully, for good. As a result, the company was named the District 38 Small Business of the Year by Sen. Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) on Nov. 15,

“Even before this, I never got a bag, it just pained me,” Farzan Dehmoubed explained. “Because I knew it was just for like 10 minutes. I’m like, I can get by for 10 minutes. I’m fine, I’m going to live. I don’t need that bag living forever for my 10 minutes of organization.”

Farzan Dehmoubed started his career in his native Toronto in media advertising. He built a strong business before deciding to move to Carlsbad in 2010. He continued his entrepreneurial path in real estate, but his passion for the environment was ever-growing.

He met Jennifer Duvall (now his wife) and married in 2015. The two share a passion for the environment and sustainability as Farzan enjoys surfing, while Jennifer is a yogi, who also loves the beach and living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

Farzan Dehmoubed said the desire to break through into the sustainable business came from years of learning about the industry but also witnessing the explosion and growth of single-use plastic bags. When shopping, he and Jennifer refused plastic bags and would carry their items to their car leaving fruits and veggies rolling around the backseat, he said.

In 2016, the two celebrated the state’s ban on single-use plastic bags, but Farzan Dehmoubed said it “wasn’t a real ban.” Instead, customers could purchase thicker plastic bags for 10 cents at the store.