Our contribution to zero waste & sustainability
You may have heard that Scotland’s single-use plastic ban has come into force on the 1st of June, 2022. As we aim to be as environmentally friendly as possible, we applaud this idea and are proud to live in Scotland, the first nation to have taken this step. Well done.
Talking about zero waste and being environmentally friendly …
When we started to serve hot drinks in our shop in 2014, we were using Vegware cups and lids, which are fully compostable. Our stirrers were and still are wood. And we are still using them.
Any takeaway plates for cake etc., are also compostable and in no way plastic coated. Any cutlery you may need for your takeaway cake or scones is made of birchwood, not plastic.
Getting eco-friendly packaging for our tea was challenging, as one could only get a composite product with paper, foil and / or plastic. This constantly bugged me, and I looked high and low to find zero waste products as alternatives.
The first compostable bags came on the market and were incredibly expensive compared to the bags we used. So I tried to sit on my hands and waited for the prices to go down.
Finally – 100% compostable bags for packing tea
I was over the moon when one of my suppliers started to offer them for purchase. Still more expensive than the other bags, but not as bad as before.
The bags we now pack our tea in are made of grass paper. And they are 100% compostable.
Fast-growing grass from regional production replaces more than 50% of the pulp used in conventional paper, usually extracted from wood. This minimises the carbon emissions and water consumption during the treatment of the raw material drastically.
Instead of 6000 litres of water per tonne of pulp, only 2 litres are needed; carbon emissions are up to 75% lower than in classic paper production.
NatureFlex™ is a new film based on renewable raw materials, which is 100% compostable and has all necessary barrier properties for flavour protection. The perfect team for sustainable packaging.
Bring your caddy for a refill
To be even more sustainable, you can also come with your caddy to get it filled with your favourite tea. If you do so, you will get a small discount. If you bring a caddy you bought at our shop for a refill, you will get a bit more discount.
Bring your bottle or cup for takeaway drinks
Of course, you can also bring your cup for your takeaway drinks. Or to top up your water bottle free of charge.
We recycle and reuse wherever possible
Sometimes you may receive a package from us that was used before. But, you know, sometimes you come across a good box, which you keep because it is a really good box. So why not reuse it? It is okay if it is clean and not totally bashed. Our suppliers use sturdy packing paper or peanuts made of cornstarch when shipping to us. We keep that and reuse it to pack your items for a safe journey.
All this has happened over the last few years. We were already actively eco-friendly before others even talked or bragged about it.
