A clear spray bottle labeled Green Llama Glass, four white cleaning tablets, and a brown packet with a green llama logo are arranged on a white marble surface with green leaves around them.

OUR STORY

GREEN LLAMA ORIGIN STORY

“Are you a Franchise, selling for someone else?” One of the questions we get asked at the local farmer’s market in Johnson City, Tennessee, where we live and make Green Llama cleaners. I take this as a compliment, that we have produced a professional looking product. On the other hand, an emphatic “NO”, we are an entirely independent and small (think- converted garage small) business (Pictures to follow).

A man and a girl stand smiling behind a table at an outdoor market. The table displays eco-friendly cleaning products and a sign that reads Green Llama. Other booths and a parked car are visible in the background.

The Background

Kay and I (Matt) have somewhat unconventional backgrounds given that Kay is a fully trained and very talented Occupational Therapist while I am a neuroscientist. This is how Green Llama is funded, off the backs of our full-time jobs. I believe that we are both good at what we do, but we both are passionate about the environment. We wanted to do something together about the monstrous volume of single use throw-away plastic.


Not just that, why are we shipping water across the country??? Water is heavy and costs energy to move around, so why not just get concentrated reagents and use your own water? So, we took aim at the plastic spray
bottles sitting under our sink. We spent around a year, beginning July 2020, researching and developing Green Llama. 

A smiling woman stands behind a table with eco-friendly cleaning products, bubbles floating around her. The table has a Green Llama banner, spray bottles, and a chalkboard sign. Its a sunny outdoor market scene.

The Green Llama

A second question we get asked at the farmer’s markets: “How did you know how to do this?”. Well, my science background came in here. I am not a chemist, but my training gave me the insight needed to figure out anything I didn’t know. Testing different formulas, writing down results and reading plenty of literature was really second nature. Kay’s intuition for the business and creative side gave the project the life and character I simply couldn’t conjure. As an example, the quirky and unique name came from a trip to an Alpaca farm, close to where we live. On seeing an Alpaca that had a green hue under the light conditions, Kay burst forth with Green Llama. And I Loved it. 

A man, a woman, and a young girl stand smiling on a sandy beach at sunset, holding glass spray bottles. The sky is clear, and sea grass is visible on the sand near the shoreline in the background.

Our Commitment

We had a modest launch, attending local farmer’s markets, an online store and social media. A month after launching, we are looking to spread the name and concept. We will continue on our path while working our jobs (neuroscience is a lot of fun after all) and funding Green Llama, because maybe, just maybe we can do something about wasteful plastic and energy consumption. 

"... ON SEEING AN ALPACA THAT HAD A GREEN HUE UNDER THE LIGHT CONDITIONS, KAY BURST FORTH WITH GREEN LLAMA. AND I LOVED IT. "

A bright, modern kitchen with white cabinets, potted plants, and three clear spray bottles with white tops on the counter. A cardboard box and tray with more plants are in the background.
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