Entrepreneur Pierre Barlier talks reducing plastic pollution and revolutionizing the reusable shopping bag space with KeepCool
We often give very little thought to the changes in the environment around us and it so happens that sometimes, we tend to ignore even our immediate surroundings. It has become habitual for most to overlook our footprint on the environment because we believe that it is in abundance and it will almost take years for anything to happen to it. Passing the problem on to the next generation, we are slowly becoming our own creators of death and suffering. How? Look closer home - the mountain of waste we are contributing to with single-use bags or plastic carry bags. While we may see them as a product that helps us keep our products in place, in reality, they are doing far more damage than one can imagine.
To begin with, plastic is non-biodegradable and acts as a factor to increase soil pollution. It is estimated that nearly 100 million to a trillion of these bags are used every year all around the world. This means that the level of pollution is growing 100 million to trillion times faster. Noticing this very unpleasant prospect, entrepreneur Pierre Barlier decided to take matters in his own hand. Talking to Meaww, he discusses what inspired him to care about the environment and how his company, 'KeepCool', a company that has mastered the art of designing, manufacturing, and distributing reusable shopping bags is helping him combat the plastic pollution one bag at a time.
When did you decide to turn your love for the environment into a business venture?
My father was an entrepreneur, so I guess you could say that entrepreneurism is in my blood. So after gaining some tremendous experience working for several forward-thinking companies in France, I knew the timing was perfect to branch out and start my own business. The timing was perfect — I was young, didn’t have kids, and my fiancée was encouraging me to strike out on my own. Although I considered a number of ventures, the one that struck me most was one that also had an environmental impact. I chose to enter into the reusable bag space, starting with the idea that an insulated bag could help protect the quality of groceries from the store to home.
This desire for positive environmental impact began the year I spent sailing from the US, down to Central and South America, and through Polynesia. While we mostly think about the serenity and natural beauty of our oceans, the reality is I saw an alarming amount of debris in ports and on the open water. Even years later, I just kept thinking about what that pollution was doing to the ocean and its inhabitants.
Those memories helped form the company that, in 1999, would become KeepCool. My mission became creating beautiful bags that would ultimately encourage shoppers to replace their reliance on single-use bags. While we hit a few bumps at the start and had to change strategies a few times, the business eventually took off. Today, we have a tremendous assortment of bags with great function and style that use materials that keep getting more sustainable over the years.
What made you realize the need for KeepCool?
I wanted our bags to do something beyond just carrying items, although we’d, of course, have those bags too. So I thought about the types of items most commonly brought home from the supermarket, and I realized that cold products were particularly vulnerable during the ride home. That made me realize there was a niche KeepCool could fill: We could create a bag that preserves the product while it’s in transit. It was a pretty simple concept, actually. We were just one of the first to do it. The wonderful thing is that our customers — large chains such as Costco and Whole Foods — noticed a significant increase in the sales of frozen and other cold items, as the insulated bags provided extra protection for longer transport times.
What is the inspiration behind the name “KeepCool”?
As with most inspirational moments, it came to me from an unexpected place: I read the phrase “keep cool” in the tech specs of a thermal bag manufacturing company and it just jumped out at me. For one, it has the double meaning of the benefit of our product and the characteristic of the person who would use it: keep your groceries cool and look good doing it. I also liked the similarity between the two words: both are four letters long and have double vowels in the center.
Why move to the US to start your business venture? What was going on in your mind at that time?
We considered other places, including Australia, but I knew that if I wanted to make a true impact that I’d have to start in the US. Not only does it have one of the biggest consumer markets on the planet, but it’s a huge influencer. While I was getting KeepCool off the ground, my wife and I moved to New York, where she had a job with agnès b. The early days of KeepCool were in New York, but once the company started taking off, we began looking at other areas of the country and eventually, in April 2001, found ourselves in Charleston, South Carolina, which was logistically convenient because many of our bags were then made in Europe. Over time, our production strength and capabilities in Asia became unmatched, necessitating a new headquarters out west. We moved to Northern California in 2007 and now can’t imagine having our corporate HQ anywhere else.
The four core pillars of your company are innovation, sustainability, affordability, and honesty. During the initial stage of the company, how hard was it putting all four together?
The pillars, while personally practiced from the outset, weren’t articulated until much later, when it became clear that new customers wanted to know what we stood for. We also realized that the four pillars were how we had gained the trust of some of the largest retail customers in the country. The pillars were my own personal mantra — even though I didn’t realize it at the time. They just reflect the natural way I approach business. Everything starts with honesty and working toward mutual success through innovation and affordability — all within a business that puts sustainability first.
What are your thoughts on global warming?
Climate change is the one true threat that we can all address collectively. We don’t have to change things overnight — small actions can amount to a bigger impact, such as choosing to use reusable shopping bags over single-use bags.
One thing you would like the world to know about the environment from the perspective of an environmentalist and an entrepreneur?
The idea that a double bottom line can be embraced by all entrepreneurs. It’s heartening to see this concept in action today. The number of businesses that are choosing both social and economic impact is on the rise, as are the consumers who are embracing these products. Entrepreneurs can be part of this change by introducing products that are both exciting and socially responsible.
Could you tease us with some of your future projects and aspirations for the company?
We are always focused on innovation in design and materials. That’s how, in 2007, we became the first to introduce bags made of recycled PET (the plastic used for beverage bottles). Currently, we are weeks from launching a new line of reusable shopping bags made from a stylish and ethical material with an improved environmental profile. Be on the lookout for these new bags at Whole Foods Market.