Grass straws naturally appeared in 2018.
Until 2019, buying grass straws will become a new trend of young nature lovers in Vietnam.
Today, La Xanh would like to share your feelings with Ly Ngoc Xuan Truong (commonly known as Nghia) – the founder of La Xanh on the journey to create this “strange” grass straws.
From mother earth back to mother earth
My name is Ly Ngoc Xuan Truong, but I often call myself Nghia, to remind myself: “Live in a meaningful way”.
There are some people from birth who have big dreams. I was one of them.That desire existed when I was very young, but I did not understand it from where.
1. Who am I in this life?
In 2015, I graduated from Construction in Quy Nhon “”sunny land “.
After graduating, I returned to Hoi An to supervise and design.
Such a life was peaceful; but something in my heart urges me to be …different.
How different, I don’t know.
I just know I was not content when I buried my head in the design; After dinner, taking a walk in the rainy sky of Hoi An is only romantic for couples, but gloomy for me.
The peaceful life is lovely, but right now it’s not for me.
Because I love big dreams. If come sea,sea must be wide. If climb the mountain, mountain must be high.
I love conquest, I love being free.
But, big dreams does not become anything if doesn’t start with small actions?
Say something big forever to do?
Must start to do something!
So, I quit my job.
2. Knock, the door will open
In August 2015, I took my backpack to Saigon.
Set foot in the splendid land, a body, a backpack, no relationship, no idea of yourself; I was extremely confused.
Who am I in this world? I live for what?
I don’t know.
In my early days in Saigon, I was still a construction worker; to survive and have time to learn more business skills.
The life of a dreamer but lacking a fulcrum has never easier.
I endured, because the Bible wrote: “Knock, and the door will be opened”; I already knocked, it’s time to wait.
Waiting for God to give me the opportunity to break the answer: “what” is what?
In 2018, I met a friend who just came back from abroad.
In the cafe, you point to the plastic straw in the glass, saying that people in abroad often use bamboo straws, inox straws to reduce littering to natural.
Then suddenly, you asked me:
“Or Nghia starts up with bamboo straws?”
Yeah right!
Then in SG05 CEO class, I met Nguyen Xuan Hong Nguyen. The two sisters have one thing in common: want to make good products for nature.
That’s it!
At the end of 2018, the two of us founded Hoi An Trading and Service Co., Ltd, specializing in nature-friendly consumer goods, with the brand name Là Xanh
One of the first products of La Xanh is a bamboo straw and a grass straw.
3. A lifetime … selling grass!
Now, who asks about careers, sometimes I joke:
“Nghia going to sell grass!”
Strangers heard the word “sell grass”, probably startled.
I mean the grass straws.
Initially, my family friends heard that I quit construction and went to work make natural grass straws , people told me … crazy.
Listen to a lot also familiar.
I thought I was crazy to head into this difficult road.
The grass is no stranger. They grow immense in wetlands such as Dong Thap, Long An, Ha Tien …
There is a hand-cut there is a big hand, sometimes for no one would take it.
That is why the from once upon a time Dong Thap people sang folk songs:
“Bông xanh mà lá cũng xanh
Em đi cấy lúa cho anh nhổ bàng.”
But the grass straws is strange.
Because from ancient times until now people only use grass makes hats, mats, bags, roofing.
No one did make straws online, until 2018, including Is Xanh.
We use material resources in Long An. After collecting the grass pipe, we removed the compartments inside the tube; cut to size straws, from 18 to 20 cm long.
The technician will cut the tip of the straw straight, beveling one end to easily plug into the glass.
Done, The technician cleans the tube, bring it to dry, then deliver it to the customer.
Repeating the process like that, meticulously step by step, after one year, we have exported straws to Israel, Italy, Germany and Hawaii.
4. Live like a grass straws
I fell in love with this “strange” grass straws.
Grass straws is the perfect representation of nature-makers as we pursue:
“Starting from the Mother Earth, then finally returning to the original with the Mother Earth.”
No preservatives, no plastic, no natural damage; The grass straws have been cut back and forth a lot, especially after the rain.
With a price of 600 VND to 1,000 VND a grass straws almond, equal to a candy, anyone can buy it easily.
Every time I took the fresh grass straws, I felt the green grass, full of life, and there were still drops of morning dew, I told myself, as a business person, it must be like this grass straws.
Resilient to struggle, weeding does not go away, burning not dead, just a little soil, a little water, the papillae leaves strong, full of vitality.
Each tiny blade of grass, gathered together into a vast green field.
In order to create a wave of environmental protection, I had to learn how to live the grass straws: be resilient first, change myself first, with every little action.
There is no need to exhort, not “evangelize,” just to live like a grass straw; Our self-discipline will be well received by everyone, La Xanh’s lifestyle will have more companions, become a powerful movement.
5. From Mother Earth back to Mother Earth
Every time I came back to Long An, standing in front of a grass straw, when it was windy, I felt like a fire was in me.
The fire of passion, of dreams, cannot be expressed in words; it is as vast as the land, vast as the sky, generous as the wind, enthusiasm as a meadow.
Life must have a mission, such life will burn.
From this place, I will lead La Xanh to develop step by step, make truly green products, truly sustainable; fulfilling our mission: Starting from Mother Earth, finally returning intact to Mother Earth.
HOW TO BUY THE NATURAL GRASS STRAW
What is grass straws?
Grass Straws is a plant in the family Papyrus (Cyperaceae). The tree has a hard trunk, about 8–10 mm large, about 1 m tall grass.
Grass straws usually grows in wetlands like in Dong Thap and Ha Tien.
The trend of buying grass straws has been around since 2018.
- Health safety..
- Grass straws is completely friendly to humans and the environment.
- Cheap price (VND 600 – VND 1,000 for a straw).
So, grass straws can replace plastic straws .
Within 2 years, La Xanh has distributed straws widely for many resorts, restaurants and cafes, including Choose, Vinamit Organic, Wahi (Hawaii), Hotel Hafen Flensburg (Germany), Projektkontor GmbH (Germany) …
3 strange points of Vietnamese Grass straws
The first “strange” point that makes the grass straws appear has attracted a large number of users, that is, the grass grows very quickly, only 3-4 months, no need to wait 5-10 years planting trees like paper and bamboo. . Therefore, using a grass straws, customers are assured not to harm nature.
Secondly, in the past, grass straws was only used to knit hats, roofing, making mats, bags. Nobody ever thought seriously about putting grass on the roof … on mouth. But now that perspective is completely a reality.
Thirdly, the grass straws has an unexpectedly long storage period. A set of grass straws can be stored in dry environments for 18 months.
How to buy and use properly?
To buy a grass straws, you first need to choose a reputable place to buy. You can refer to the website Là Xanh, or online booking via Tiki and Lazada.
Then you need to choose the right size you want. The diameter of straws for drinking coffee is 6mm, and milk tea is 8mm.
When receiving the goods, please check the quality, whether grass straws is broken or cracked during transportation. If not good, please contact La Xanh via hotline 0988235035 (Mr. Nghia).
Keep the straws in a dry, ventilated place. After use, straws can be washed and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If kept at room temperature, the straws can keep the durability for 5 days.