Archive for the 'Green Business' Category
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 »
In advance of our upcoming trip to the World Tea Expo this week, I had the pleasure (and privilege) to be interviewed by Ann Arbor’s very own Homeless Dave. But here’s the thing… Homeless Dave conducts all of his interviews on an adult-sized teeter-totter! The interviews are then transcribed and posted to his website, Teeter Talk. Since I’ll be participating in a panel discussion on social and environmental responsibility at the World Tea Expo, Dave and I spent a bit of time talking about Arbor Teas social and environmental commitments, as well as many tangentially-related topics. Click here to the read the interview!
May 28 2008 | Green Business and Media | 1 Comment »
Green. Fair. Two of our favorite words. Well, this year, their not just principles we live by, but a neat outdoor festival highlighting the Earth-friendliest that Ann Arbor has to offer – from clean energy to green construction, to – yes – even environmentally-savvy tea companies! Ann Arbor’s Green Fair will take place on June 13, from 6pm to 9pm. Make sure to stop by – there might even be free samples!
May 28 2008 | Green Business and Media | No Comments »
We’re very proud to tell you all about the recent recognition Arbor Teas received for our sustainability initiatives in this month’s edition of Fresh Cup Magazine! Fresh Cup is a prominent magazine serving the tea and coffee industries, gobbled up on a monthly basis by all of us trying to keep up on the latest and greatest. As with our mention in Organic Spa Magazine last year, it’s quite humbling to be discussed in the media beside the “big guys” like Honest Tea and Rishi Tea, to name a few. Hopefully this means we’re accomplishing what we set out to do: deliver the highest quality loose teas as sustainably as possible. Don’t worry, we won’t let the hype go to our heads (although our hats are fitting a bit tighter lately!).
April 19 2008 | Green Business and Media | No Comments »
Well, we must be doing something right, because this June we’ve been asked to sit on a panel at the World Tea Expo to address social responsibility in the tea industry! Not bad for a little two-person on-line tea company, huh? The World Tea Expo is North America’s most prominent tea event – a marketplace for the products and ideas that fuel the tea industry. We’re absolutely thrilled to have been invited, and want to make the most of the opportunity. Although the session is meant to be a spontaneous discussion focused around certain guiding questions/topics, we’d like to arrive with a few “talking points” or key issues that [we think] should be emphasized during the discussion. And we’re looking to you, faithful readers (and socially-conscious tea drinkers) for a little help! Along the lines of social responsibility, what issues do you see as a priority for the tea industry? Fair trade and other social justice-related issues? Organic farming and other environmentally-sensitive production issues? You tell us, and we’ll tell the industry! Keep in mind that the audience will be primarily composed of tea importers, wholesalers, retailers and other industry representatives. Any feedback would be great – we’ll keep you posted as the event approaches!
February 13 2008 | Green Business and Media | No Comments »
As many of you may already now, we’re always looking for ways to reduce the environmental footprint of our little tea company, Arbor Teas. So in early 2007, after we decided to become USDA organic certified and abandon the “conventional” offerings that remained in our catalog of teas, we turned our attention to our packaging. We had a sneaking suspicion that the tin-plated steel cans that we were using at the time weren’t the most environmentally-sound alternative, and it just didn’t make sense to us to deliver teas that were produced organically (or even biodynamically) in packaging that was damaging to the environment.
Going Back to School
To get us on the right track, we teamed up with a group of graduate students studying industrial ecology at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment (SNRE, my alma mater). They performed an environmental life-cycle analysis on the tin-plated steel packaging we were using at the time, as well as other “greener” alternatives. Their analysis confirmed our suspicions that other options were available that would serve our needs while being easier on the environment. continue reading »
November 29 2007 | Green Business | 1 Comment »
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