Archive for June, 2008
Arbor Teas has taken a variety of measures to reduce the overall environmental “footprint” of getting our teas to our customers. Among these is our annual contribution to CarbonFund.org to offset those carbon emissions generated by our business that we haven’t figured out a way to avoid (yet). We are very proud to offset the carbon emissions of our entire operation, including the shipment of our products from origin, to us, then out to our customers. CarbonFund.org has estimated that our “carbon footprint” for the coming year will be just over two tons of carbon dioxide. That sounds like a lot, but I suppose in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a drop in the bucket. So, to help shrink the size of that “bucket” even more, we just offset nearly 15 times our expected carbon emissions for the year – 35 tons in all!
June 30 2008 | Green Business | 1 Comment »
Buying your tea from Arbor Teas is only the first step to enjoying tea in an eco-friendly fashion! Here are a few suggestions to make your tea habit a positive experience for you and the planet:
- Compost your tea leaves. Even after they’ve been steeped several times, tea leaves continue to be rich in nutrients which, when composted, can be valuable additions to gardens and potted plants. Just save your used tea leaves in a small container on the kitchen counter, and periodically toss them into your backyard compost bin!
- Recycle you tea packaging. Our paperboard canisters are specially-designed to be completely recyclable – just punch out the top and bottom and flatten (if your community requires it) and toss it into the paper recycling bin!
- Heat only the amount of water you need. Water takes a tremendous amount of energy to bring to a boil, so be conservative when filling the kettle! By heating only the amount of water you plan to use, you can keep your energy consumption to a minimum.
- Try cold-brewing your iced tea. Most households in America have a refrigerator plugged in at all times, so why not take advantage of it? Next time you’re making some iced tea, consider leaving the stove off and cold-brewing it in the fridge! It’s going to be on anyway, right? Admittedly, cold-brewed tea has a slightly different flavor profile than normal, hot-brewed tea, but if you’re making lots and lots of iced tea each week, this could be a modest energy-saver. Just put an infuser of your favorite tea leaves in a pitcher of water in the fridge for 10 to 12 hours (basically overnight). Remove the leaves when you’ve reached the desired strength, and you’re ready to go!
Got another idea? Leave a comment on this post or e-mail it to us at Green-Up@ArborTeas.com!
June 29 2008 | Sustainability | No Comments »
The term “First Flush” is a reference to teas made from the first plucking of the newest, youngest growth on the tea bushes at the start of each year’s harvesting season. While this term can be (and periodically is) applied to the first plucking of any tea, the first flush distinction is most often made in the case of teas hailing from the famed Darjeeling district of northeastern India. This is largely done because the flavor and character of early-season teas from Darjeeling differs rather dramatically from those made later.
Tea harvesting in Darjeeling begins in mid- to late-March. But by the time those young little tea leaves are plucked, processed, packed and shipped (typically via boat) it can take a little while before they see their way to the United States. Well, we are happy to say that our first flush Darjeeling from the Makaibari Estate is finally here! This classic afternoon tea (often referred to as the ‘champagne of afternoon teas’) is typically characterized by a light, floral cup with a bright, lemony infusion and punchy astringency. This holds true for the 2008 vintage, however this year’s harvest is a little more mellow, with just a bit less astringency. This may be owed to the slightly larger, less broken-down leaf fragments, but may also be due to other variables such as the weather experienced in Darjeeling this season. Regardless, this very distinctive tea is sure to satisfy longtime first flush Darjeeling fans and newcomers alike!
June 29 2008 | Products | 1 Comment »
After our last post on Kombucha, we got a lot more response from our customers than we expected. Seems as though many of you are already devoted converts! Although there are more and more brands of bottled kombucha available on the shelves of your local natural foods store every day, some of you expressed interest in making kombucha at home. Being the helpful sort of folks that we are, we thought you might get some use out of a recipe.
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June 29 2008 | Kombucha and Tea Fun | 8 Comments »
As regular readers of SustainabiliTEA know, we recently returned from the World Tea Expo, where we were invited to address the subject of social and environmental responsibility in the tea industry. Before heading off to Las Vegas, our idea of a “successful” trip was this: sit in front of a room full of tea business owners/employees, describe our efforts to improve the social and environmental impact of our company, and maybe get some other people in the industry thinking along the same lines (or maybe even give them some tangible ways to take action). Well, the discussion during and after the session suggests that maybe this initial concept of “success” was achieved. There were many questions about green packaging, carbon offsets, organic certification and fair trade licensing, which, at least to us, hinted at a greater interest in (and awareness of) these issues. But the real “feel good moment” occurred a few hours later on the trade show floor.
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June 29 2008 | Green Business and Sustainability | 2 Comments »