“Mompreneur” Aims to Replace Throwaway Plates with Sustainable Alternatives

“Mompreneur” Pallavi Pande founded her Portland-based business, DTOCS (pronounced “detox: echoing with the meaning cleansing journey but with leaves”), to help replace single-use tableware with a chemical-free biodegradable alternative. Inspired by memories of meals served on banana leaves in India, Pallavi decided to source and process Areca palm leaves to offer elegant, all-natural, compostable tableware for picnics and parties.

Since its launch in 2019, DTOCS has grown into a 7 fig brand offering 40 different sustainable products, including plates, platters, bowls, straws (patented), and spoons. The company’s innovative work in sustainability has received national recognition, as have its efforts to empower women: DTOCS gives part of its revenue to the women artisans in rural India and supports efforts promoting Indian women’s economic independence.

Digital tools have been key to DTOCS’ success and growth. The company uses artificial intelligence to personalize product recommendations and boost sales, and — thanks to Walmart and Amazon’s global reach — DTOCS products are available to customers across North America, and Pallavi plans to expand to Dubai, Europe and Japan in the coming years.

Pallavi hopes overzealous data regulation won’t make it harder for her to use digital tools to reach the right customers — and she’s worried the FTC’s lawsuit targeting Amazon’s integrated tools might hurt her bottom line.

“If lawmakers limit access to online platforms consisting of small businesses and tools, it will make it harder for us to find customers, grow, and succeed in our mission to replace single-use tableware with sustainable alternatives,” says Pallavi.
Learn more about DTOCS at https://dtocs.com/