Our responsibility - a sustainable tea supplier

Fair trade

Fair trade is strongly in our purchasing philosophy and is a commitment we have made to the way we do business. Our trade is defined by our personal relationship with the producers we trade from. Our direct contacts enable us to verify how the tea is produced and the surrounding conditions.

Fair trade is important for long-term cooperation between us and the farm owners.


Sustainability

Our business model differs somewhat from other players in Norway. Most other players in Norway import ready-packaged products that contain a lot of unnecessary air and volume. We import our raw materials in bulk (large crates of tea in bulk) and thus reduce the shipping volume. We then pack our products at our own factory in Oslo. As the first step of our sustainability pledge, we introduced pyramid bags made from corn starch (rather than oil-based nylon that other manufacturers use).


Ecology

An organic product is produced in a way that takes the environment into account by not using chemical and synthetic pesticides. It's good for the planet, but also for the tea, the farmer and you.

We are proud to only offer organic products.

Organic agriculture is based on farming systems that mimic natural ecosystems. The few exceptions in our range that are not certified organic are nevertheless produced organically, but the farm we buy from is so small that certification is not profitable. They use natural means of pest control, such as large fans, frogs, bats, and plants with natural insect repellent properties. They use traditional, proven methods of treatment and their products are free of harmful artificial fertilizers and toxic pesticides.

By offering organic teas, we support healthy and long-term tea production.


Green Point

We are a proud member of Grønt Punkt. By paying them a fee, for our packaging made of, among other things, plastic foil, we contribute to financing the return schemes for the packaging types glass, plastic, metal, cardboard, beverage carton and corrugated cardboard.


Packaging

To minimize the use of packaging, we currently offer our teas in many different packages. Sometimes the customer needs the tea individually wrapped, while at other times it can be stored in a container and we therefore also offer it in "bulk". We choose packaging that is best for the environment, but also for the tea. To preserve the quality, we need packaging that keeps the tea completely sealed from air and light for up to 2 years. Currently, only plastic packaging can preserve the tea well enough. The alternative is that the tea deteriorates and food waste increases. Much of our time is spent finding new solutions for our packaging and we are constantly looking for new opportunities. When we introduced our new pyramid bags, we spent almost a year finding the most environmentally friendly packaging that was also functional enough for tea. Our goal is to switch from plastic to cardboard and other sustainable and 100% renewable packaging by 2023.

Mailings

We use over 6 different sizes for our postal packaging so that we always send out the goods with as little air as possible. We also take the time to cut down the boxes and reduce their original size rather than stuffing them with air cushions or other excess material. Therefore, the boxes can sometimes look a little odd in shape when you receive them!

Our postal packaging is marked with FSC symbol - Forest Stewardship Council . It is an international organization that works for the labeling of products that come from sustainable forestry. FSC is based on cooperation between different interests - economic (forest owners and forest companies), environmental (environmental organisations) and social (local populations, indigenous peoples, employees). The certification ensures that the forest grows and is managed in a responsible way that promotes biological diversity.


Food waste

Our products have a long shelf life, preferably 2 years, but they are exposed to the effects of air, moisture and light. We use packaging that preserves the durability of the products. We also aim to sign the "Industry agreement on reduced food waste".

As we have a limited number of products that have a high turnover rate, it gives us a good overview and control of our own inventory. This means that we do not buy in more than we know we can sell and thus never throw anything away.