Green Llama is treading lightly on the earth, with the introduction of eco-friendly cleaning products
Every element of Green Llama’s business was built with intentionality, and that includes its unique name.
Most people didn’t come out of the pandemic with a homemade chemistry lab on their kitchen table. But Kay Baker and Dr. Matt Keasey aren’t most people.
It started with a simple question: Why does cleaning our house feel like polluting it at the same time?
The couple both worked full time – Baker as a pediatric occupational therapist, and Keasey, as a neuroscientist and professor at East Tennessee State University (ETSU).
Like so many other families in 2020, they found themselves caught in the never-ending sanitizing cycle. The products were expensive, the ingredients alarming, and the plastic waste just kept piling up.
“We would look under the sink and think—is all this plastic waste really necessary? Are all these chemicals really safe for us to be around?” Baker said. “We researched the well-known brands, looked at the ingredients they used, and compared them to the EPA Safer Choice List and Environmental Working Group ratings… and we thought that we could do better.”
What began as a pandemic-era experiment with natural ingredients quickly turned into something more. Mixing, testing, and tweaking from their own home, the couple developed a new kind of cleaning product that is safe, sustainable, and effective.
Fast forward five years, and their company, Green Llama, is one of the fastest-growing clean and green brands in the cleaning industry.
Every element of Green Llama’s business was built with intentionality, and that includes its unique name.
“We wanted something memorable,” Baker said. “Llamas have a really cool connection to sustainability. They have soft, padded feet, and they tread lightly on the earth. They’re herd protectors—and we also see ourselves as protecting our home.”
Baker and Keasey started small. They signed up for a stall at the Johnson City Farmer’s Market selling their bottle-free cleaning tablets and refill solutions. But word spreads quickly in the Tri-Cities, and before long, they had a long list of repeat customers.
“So, we launched a website for online orders,” Baker said. “And that started to take off, too.”
That’s when things got real. The founders started to realize the potential that they were sitting on. And – it was time to kick into high gear.
Baker began pitching their products to eco-friendly stores, re-filleries, and independent grocers.
“I learned early on in a boot camp I was a part of in Johnson City to get as many ‘No’s’ as I could. If you’re not getting no’s, you’re not asking enough. Eventually, one of those no’s will be a yes,” she explained.
One of those “yeses” came from an unexpected yet powerful source. Good Store invited Green Llama to be one of the first three featured sustainable cleaning companies on its marketplace. Good Store was founded by Hank and John Green. John is an author, notably writing The Fault in Our Stars, Looking For Alaska, and other novels… while Hank is a famous YouTuber, who helps students learn math and science concepts through his show – CrashCourse. Together, they founded Good Store.
Good Store is just one of more than 250 locations that sell Green Llama products. Locally, KnoxFill, the Zero Waste store, also carries Green Llama products.
But what truly sets Green Llama apart from the other eco-friendly cleaning companies is its packaging and shipping policies.
“They did a great thing—a great first step toward green—in changing up the chemicals inside the bottles,” Baker said, referencing the other eco-cleaning brands. “But they’re still in a plastic jug, plastic spray bottle, or plastic packaging. We removed all of it. Every part of our packaging is compostable at home.”
Their product line includes tablets and powders that dissolve in water. So, customers can simply reuse their own bottles to reduce the amount of plastic waste and toxic residue.
Even the Green Llama’s shipping model reflects its sustainability mission. Liquid cleaning solutions are mostly water, which makes them heavy and inefficient to ship. By eliminating water from the product until it reaches the consumer, Green Llama slashes its emissions—and its costs.
“Shipping one of our refills for all-purpose cleaner decreases emissions by a hundredfold, compared to other brands,” Baker said. “All just by removing the water.”
As Green Llama continues to grow, Baker said their commitment to sustainability is only deepening. For now, the focus remains on mastering cleaning product development and scaling responsibly. But their sights are set even higher.
“Eventually, we want to expand into the hygiene market,” she said.
And like the animal that inspired their brand, Baker and Keasey are still treading lightly—but with purpose—toward a cleaner, greener future.
Shop Green Llama products here.
Like what you've read?
Forward to a friend!