Sustainability
We love the planet as much as we love a cup of authentically Indian tea. Our tea comes from the earth—without clean water and air and rich soil, we would not be able to create the blends we love to share with you. And we cannot ignore the devastating effects of plastic in our oceans and chemicals in our air. A critical part of our mission is to help protect the environment in whatever way we can. To that end, we have switched all of our teas to biodegradable teabags made a plant-based material called PLA. PLA is derived from wood pulp and vegetable starch, is non-GMO, and is sustainably sourced. It is industrially compostable, meaning the teabag can be put in your food waste or garden waste bins for the council to compost. The foil pouch used to keep our tea bags super fresh inside the carton is also biodegradable and can be put in your council food waste bin.
We do what we can to care for the environment, both at home and in India, where we source our teas. And we are always looking to do more.
Community Projects
We have been collaborating with a project assisted by Action Village India to support 900 girls in rural Indian communities to continue their secondary education. The Harris Freeman Foundation, which is the charity set up by our parent company, provides funds to support the girls’ education. We feel a special connection to the regions where our teas are sourced, as well as a responsibility to help—our commitments are therefore specifically focused on these communities.
The girls, between 12 and 17 years old, would have to drop out of school without the funds that are provided through support given to Action Village India. Due to discriminatory gender norms, the status of women and girls in certain regions of India remains low. Severe poverty also limits their access to education. Action Village India gives these girls a greater chance of escaping poverty, building their confidence in overcoming barriers, feeling empowered, and living healthier and more productive lives.
The project is based in Jharkhand and Bihar, regions where the levels of education are quite low, particularly for girls. Their education is a step in improving their lives, the lives of their families, and the growth and sustainability of their communities, and we are committed to helping in whatever way we can.
Every cup of chai helps in some way. We hope to continue sharing the girls’ progress through their academic year with our Tea India family, so stay tuned for more!
