Archive for the 'Sustainability' Category
In case there are those of you out there who wonder why an online tea company like Arbor Teas is so zealous about our environmental performance (and our impact on global warming), a recent article in Fresh Cup Magazine (one of the primary journals of the tea and coffee industry) just connected all of the dots for you. While we at Arbor Teas believe that running our business in a sustainable fashion is just the “right thing to do,” the Fresh Cup article points to a more potentially self-serving motivation. Early evidence (such as that identified by the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes, or the IPCC) suggests that the effects of global warming are likely to have very serious impacts on the world’s ability to keep growing great tea (not to mention a long list of other agricultural products). While it’s not as though tea production will come to a screeching halt tomorrow, this certainly isn’t good news.
Global Warming’s Impact on Tea-Growing Regions
There is a substantial and growing body of evidence supporting the fact that atmospheric temperatures are on the rise worldwide. Unfortunately, a majority of the available data is skewed toward developed nations. Since much of the world’s tea production takes place in the developing world, there is less scientific data to evaluate when considering global warming’s potential impacts. However, anecdotal evidence from growers suggests that the tea-growing world is experiencing the same climate trends as have been identified by scientists elsewhere.
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August 25 2008 | Sustainability | No Comments »
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 »
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 | Sustainability and Green Business | 2 Comments »
As part of this year’s Earth Day activities in the City of Ann Arbor, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama delivered a special Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability. It was sponsored by the University of Michigan Office of the President and by the Center for Sustainable Systems in the School of Natural Resources and Environment. As an alumnus of the School of Natural Resources, I was very fortune in being able to get tickets for Aubrey and I to attend. His Holiness has long held views on the subject of the environment and has talked about it in the past. One prior address carried these statements:
“We are also being drawn together by the grave problems we face: overpopulation, dwindling natural resources, and an environmental crisis that threatens our air, water, and trees, along with the vast number of beautiful life forms that are the very foundation of existence on this small planet we share. I believe that to meet the challenge of our times, human beings will have to develop a greater sense of universal responsibility. Each of us must learn to work not just for his or her own self, family or nation, but for the benefit of all mankind. Universal responsibility is the real key to human survival. It is the best foundation for world peace, the equitable use of natural resources and, through concern for future generations, the proper care of the environment.”
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April 20 2008 | Sustainability and Miscellaneous | 1 Comment »