ethics and sustainability
do your tea temples contain plastic?
No. And they never have. Our tea temples and the string attached are made from corn starch, a natural carbohydrate extracted from corn. The label on the end of the string is made from simple, old-fashioned paper. As a result, our tea temples are biodegradable and theyโre compostable with your council food waste collection. Theyโre not home compostable though โ they need higher levels of heat than your typical home compost can generate.
why can't I compost your temples in my garden?
Our tea temples are fully derived from plants (corn starch!) so they are fully biodegradable and compostable, but they require a higher level of heat, water, oxygen and micro-organisms to fully break down than your home compost can provide. So itโs best to put them in your council food waste collection bin for industrial composting where they will be broken down into natural elements within 12 weeks.
will the tea temple/natureflex fully breakdown?
Yes! Both our tea temple and our NatureFlex bag compostable under industrial composting conditions (with your council food waste collection).
what are our cartons made from? What is FSC packaging?
The outer cartons of our 15s, 50s, and Matcha tins are made from FSC certified paper. FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council. They are a brilliant organisation who only source wood from sustainably managed forests. We know that the paper they source comes from forests that will be protected and conserved for generations to come.
Whatโs more, the ink we use to print on our cartons is vegetable-based, so youโre covered on all fronts. Just donโt try to eat it.
To find out more about the fantastic work the FSC does in helping to preserve woodlands worldwide, check out their website here.
what is Natureflex?
The clear inner bag that keeps your tea temples fresh and air tight is made from a wonder-material called Natureflex. The geniuses at Futamura (not the TV show) have figured out how to convert renewable wood pulp into airtight packaging, which means that this clear inner bag is both biodegradable and compostable! It might feel strange because it looks like plastic (!) but the natureflex bags can be composted at home or with your local council food waste collection.
To find out more about Natureflex, check out Futuramaโs website here.
are your tea temples Genetically Modified / contain GM corn?
Our little tea temples go through quite a process! Theyโre made from a material called Soilon, which is poly-lactic acid (doesnโt sound very friendly but it is essentially a material that resembles nylon but is made by fermenting corn starch). Rest assured; our products are considered non-GMO under EU regulations. If they werenโt, weโd have to let you know on the label.
are there microplastics in your tea temples?
In short, no! Our tea temples arenโt made from nylon. They are made from corn starch and are 100% biodegradable and compostable with your local council food waste facility. They are certified plastic-free along with all of the packaging in our range of tea temples โ even the clear inner bag that looks like plastic.
are teapigs tea organic?
We select our teas based on taste and quality so if we can find an organic tea that matches our quality standards, we will use that tea. To maintain our quality standards, we have to source teas from various growers. Sometimes the teas may be organic, sometimes not.
are teapigs tea fairtrade?
The best quality teas aren't necessarily Fairtrade. But it is important to trade fairly. We pay a premium price for our teas, and we source from quality tea estates that have a sustainable business model. In addition, weโre members of the Ethical Tea Partnership, our everyday brew (or English breakfast) is 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified and we have our own ethical scheme that gives backs to tea growing communities (weโre really proud of it!)
what are the conditions of your growers?
Our teas are sourced from premium, sustainable, well-run tea estates. Weโre also member of the ethical tea partnership who work to ensure tea estates are run fairly and sustainably. You can read about their workย here.