Sustainability

All of our teas are grown organically — a choice that was really the only one we could have made. We drink a lot of tea, and had little interest in steeping and ingesting chemical pesticides and fertilizers. This decision definitely limits our choice of products but we have found some marvelous growers in southern China. Certified organic by three international agencies, and tested on a regular basis by our company, the teas we sell are entirely organically grown – no chemical fertilizers, no chemical pesticides. It’s better for the farmers who harvest the tea and better for the tea processors who make the tea. Of course it is also better for all of us who enjoy the tea. This is a win-win-win situation. 

By selling Fair Trade teas, we ensure that our business is also a sustainable one. We ourselves are registered with Fair Trade USA, and the companies we work with to produce our teas are also certified through an auditing process. For every tin of tea we sell, an additional premium is sent back to the farmers who grew and processed the tea. Those premiums support education and capital projects in the rural communities from which our tea originates. Dealing in Fair Trade tea is a win-win situation. With every pot of our tea you brew, with every cup of our tea you drink, you are raising the living standard of the people who make the tea and increasing the opportunities of their children.

In terms of packaging we use as little as we can as responsibly as we can.  Most companies with tins use a plastic liner inside just to make the tin look bigger.  Our tins are themselves food safe so we put the tea right in them, skipping the extra plastic liner.  The tea stays fresh in the tin so you don't need to transfer it.  Then when the tin is empty you can buy a pound of tea and refill the tin for easy shelf storage.  The pound bags come in heavy resealable bags so you can again keep the tea right in them.  No need to transfer to another container.  

If there's something you think we can do better, please don't hesitate to contact support@littleredcuptea.com.