A hot cup of tea has the power to offer exactly what most need, at the start of a long day, or at the end of an exhausting day – comfort, joy, and warmth! And with the introduction of the best sustainable tea brands, you can now relax even more knowing that you’re sipping in good conscience.
After a tiring day at work, most of us crave a hot cuppa. However, little is spoken about the ethics of cultivating and collecting the leaves. In this article, GoodGuilt sheds light on some of the best tea brands that offer tasty, healthy, and eco-friendly tea! No more guilt-tea!
What Makes Tea Sustainable?
“Sustainable” is a broad word, but in the chai’s context, it means:
A modern view of how sustainable tea can benefit both our health, as well as the people who pick and pack that tea. The tea grown is organic, without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or insecticides.
Quick Tips To Making Your Tea Greener
- Opt for loose leaf tea or compostable tea bags to help reduce waste.
- Re-steep (use your tea leaves at least twice) to get the most out of your tea. Ironically, many avid tea drinkers even believe the tea tastes better after the second or third steep.
- Compost the steeped tea bags or tea herbs as they’re the best nutrient-rich fertilizer for your garden or potted plants.
- Use an electric kettle as it transfers heat into the water very efficiently, preventing the loss of heat.
- Invest in some amazing recyclable cups and tea infusers.
- Choose an ethical or sustainable tea brand like the ones mentioned below!
Sustainable Tea Brands Every Tea Lover Should Know!
The below-mentioned sustainable tea brands offer the best tea you’ve probably ever had! The tea is of exceptional quality, with the harvesters fairly paid, packaging that’s recyclable and plastic-free. The leaves are cultivated slowly, produced with care, and kept whole.
1. T Project
Teri Gelber, a master tea blender’s obsession with flavor and pursuit of perfection, shines through in her signature blends and seasonal teas. One of the best tea brands, T Project, is named after classic rock and folk tunes from the 1960s and 1970s. Their one-of-a-kind, small-batch teas will bring joy during your daily chores, thanks to a deft arrangement of exquisite, hard-to-find ingredients.
Our Pick: Because The Night is a bronze beauty that is a perfect blend of warming spices like cinnamon and cardamom.
2. Equal Exchange
Since 1986, Equal Exchange has been a game-changer in the tea and coffee industries, being one of the first to bring fair trade coffee to the States. The eco-friendly tea brand is a for-profit worker cooperative in which every employee owns an equal share. Also, they have over two dozen flavors for all types of tea enthusiasts, from herbal and black teas to the best organic green teas!
Our Pick: Organic Chamomile Tea, with the right blend of mild and floral flavor, will soothe your spirit and calm your mind.
3. Numi
Numi is one of the best tea brands that only sources the highest-quality, fair trade certified teas for you! Their tea leaves are handpicked by farmers and grown organically without the use of GMOs. Further, the leaves are sorted and placed in paper filter bags for maximum sustainability. An avid tea drinker can never get enough of Numi’s 30 delicious zero-waste tea bag blends!
Our Pick: Breakfast Blend is a complex, hearty, and balanced morning cup made with Fair Trade Certified™ organic black teas blend.
4. Guayaki
Guayaki isn’t your usual tea brand. It is a sustainable tea company that offers more than just black and green teas. Their top-tier specialty is Yerba Mate! Most prefer Yerba for its chocolatey flavor, caffeine-like kick, and numerous health benefits. However, we’ve always relished Guayaki’s eco-friendly tea, which they describe as “rich, robust, and balanced,” with a complex earthy body and a smooth, mellow finish.
Our Pick: Traditional Loose Leaf is a traditional yet not-so-traditional loose leaf tea with coffee-like strength and tea-like health benefits.
5. Yogi
It wasn’t until long ago that imagining flavors, benefits, or types in tea, was unthinkable! Then, entered Yogi – and all traditional tea drinkers had yet another reason not to quit the beverage. The brand sources high-quality botanicals and spices for their remarkable sustainable teas. We also applaud the brand for not cutting corners with its packaging, made entirely of recycled paper. Kudos, Yogi!
Our Pick: Throat Comfort combines Wild Cherry Bark with Orange Peel and Licorice Root for a soothing and sweet herbal tea blend.
6. Pukka
At Pukka, the heartfelt desire is to create a healthier, happier world through the incredible power of organic herbs. Being a zero-waste tea brand, its tea bags come in a recyclable envelope and are stitched using organic cotton string. Choose between the brand’s best organic green tea, berry tea, and others — all made from the highest quality herbs that burst with the very best that nature has to offer.
Our Pick: Supreme Matcha Green renews liveliness and stimulates your senses with this supercharge of powerful ingredients.
7. Arbor Teas
Are you a fan of loose-leaf tea, but want it delivered in sustainable packaging? Arbor Teas has got your back! This sustainable tea brand is not only organic but also fair trade. Its loose-leaf tea is enclosed in backyard compostable packaging made of cellulose material, which is impressive. As if that weren’t enough, Arbor transports by sea freight and avoids air shipping to reduce carbon emissions.
Our Pick: Organic Spearmint is sweet and minty. It’s a USA-grown herbal tea with a golden honey color, sweet aroma, and sugar-sweet taste that lingers in the mouth.
8. Art Of Tea
Art of Tea makes this list of best tea brands for their hand-blended, custom-created, world’s finest organic teas and botanicals. The brand’s seeds were planted in 1996, and since then, you can find the best organic and zero-waste tea at this LA-based, leading tea purveyor. Tea patrons can choose from various eco-friendly tea options of loose-leaf tea like green, black, herbal, yerba mate, and customized blends.
Our Pick: Bright Eyed is an electrifying loose-leaf blend of turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and other fragrant spices, inspired by Ayurvedic principles.
Thankfully, some sustainable tea brands are doing great things for the environment. And we’re glad tea lovers will have yet another reason for relishing their cuppa, starting today!
Are you more of a coffee person? Then these amazing eco-conscious coffee finds will not disappoint.
