Let Sustainability Be Our Cup of Tea

Hey there, LinkedIner, so thrilled you are here.

Honestly, I would like to start out by thanking you for giving me a moment of your valuable time when these days everyone is trying to grab your attention.

Whether you are a novice traveller or a tea newbie, a thoughtful globetrotter or a conscious tea lover, but also if you would like to become either one, you are in the right place - I promise.        

Now listen, even if you are someone who has not been much blessed by trips of a lifetime or let alone by the highly wellbeing elixir and you are just feeling a little bit climate anxious, I bet this article is also for you as I´m going to share how some businesses are battling climate change. Read on and brighten up!

The thing is, I wholeheartedly agree with the United Nations that “we must speak up to get more people to act and push for corporate and political action. Talking to your networks helps build momentum and mutual motivation”.

Seriously, I want to spread environmental awareness about sustainable travel and tea drinking since I strongly feel that not only do we owe it to ourselves to stand up for the planet, but also to the present generations and to all posterity who will certainly be beyond grateful. I mean it.

Whichever category you fall into, chances are you have no clue why I am combining topics such as tea and trips that are utterly different. What if tell you, you could discover unexpected similarities between them?

First up, tea is my lifestyle and travelling my passion – a beauteaful soul-soothing blend to indulge in effortless sips of joy, that nurture my body and mind while infusing my days with pleasure.

Trust me, every single cuppa and trip make me feel at home with myself as they are truly one of my most enjoyable forms of self-care that help me keep mentally fit. Maybe you can relate to my feelings.

Plus, travelling as well as savouring tea are simultaneously relaxing and energizing so they bring out the best in people. Isn´t it freaking amazing?

Ultimately, life itself is a journey of experiences where each cup of tea is an imaginary upleafting voyage. You know what? Sustainability is a non-negotiable and never-ending journey where every single person has a moral obligation to double down on efforts to take care of each other.

I know what you are thinking, “When is she going to deliver the welcome news?”

Apologies – being a loyal tea devotea and a very keen travel enthusiast, I ´m afraid I simply got a bit carried away trying to set the scene so without further ado, let´s dive in.

Cozy up with your fav cuppa tea as I´m about to spill the tea on sustainabilitea, hoping it might pick your interest on some green brands you need on your radar, which could be a perfect fit for your tea journey to treat yourself and your dearest ones.

Birchall Tea, UK´s first fully solar-powered tea factory, is one of the largest exporters of East African black tea whose Great Rift won Gold in The Leafies 2024. Since they are commited to reducing their impact, the speciality Prism Tea Bags range that is made from renewable cellulose, together with the tea bag envelopes are compostable. They´ve also achieved the Carbon Neutral International Standard so all tea products are Carbon Neutral.

Harney & sons Fine Teas is a NY company whose customers can offset the carbon footprint of their orders and products through its partnership with CloverlyTech . As a member of 1% for the Planet , they strive to keep our planet sustainable by donating one percent of their total sales to environmental organizations of their choice such as Rainforest Trust , Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy , among others. Finally, their tins are highly recycable metal.

Wild Orchard Regenerative Teas , the first brand with a tea farm partner in South Korea to become Regenerative Organic Certified. Regenerative farming is one of the most effective ways to sequester carbon. Their single origin teas scooped 2 The Leafies 2023 awards and they were also winners of the 2024 World Tea & Coffee Expo Beverage Challenge. Furtheremore, their loose leaf pouches are fully recycable while their tea bags are bio-based, biodegradable and have a compostable packaging.

Jay Shree Tea Industries Ltd. is a Specialty Tea Institute member with head offices in Kolkata that ethically sources teas in 27 estates across India & East Africa. They have bagged 5 The Leafies 2024 - international awards which reward tea quality, innovation and sustainability - launched by UK Tea Academy and Fortnum & Mason . Safeguarding the environment is deeply rooted in the company´s culture so alongside an afforestation programme of 70,000 teak trees in Darjeeling, conservation of fauna ensures ‘organic’ nurture of the tea bushes. 

Good & Proper Tea | B Corp™ is a UK specialty tea supplier which measures their carbon emissions with Zevero . “Joining ETP reflects their commitment to ethical sources” so the teas are Organic or Fairtrade. Moreover, their warehouse is exclusively powered by renewable energy, their plastic-free tea bag range comes from Rainforest Alliance estates while the plastic-free boxes are certified by A Plastic Planet . Lastly, they champion the eco merits of loose leaf which will brew the best of cups.

According to Nigel Melican , co-founder of the European Speciality Tea Association (European Tea Society) , “On average, a loose tea has about 20 g C02 per cup while a tea bag is 10 times higher so the selection made by a tea consumer plays an enormous environmental role”.

Now then, do you want to hear what´s brewing in the travel industry?

As stated by the UNWTO Tourism And Culture , the accomodation sector is responsible for 21% of CO2 emissions from the tourism sector. However, the best part is we can minimize the environmental impact of our travels by staying green. (yep guaranteed)

See, my friend, since my wanderlust has already taken me to Ireland, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and this year back to Mexico – among other bucket list destinations - I have handpicked some top-tier eco-luxury hotels which could be your go-to for a dream escape to relax and reset. Check this out.

The St Regis Kanai Riviera Maya is designed with a minimal construction footprint to preserve the natural reserve while their on-site plant nursery supports the replenishment of local ecosystems. They also have a Bio Digester system for energy conservation and offer their own water in reusable glass bottles. Additionally, the hotel promotes responsible consumption as well as waste reduction among guests and employees through recycling programmes.

FOUR SEASONS HOTELS AND RESORTS PTY. LTD. Papagayo offers guests to offset their emissions by increasing forest cover in Costa Rica with FONAFIFO carbon credits. They can also enjoy coral restoration hand-on experiences, that is, coral snorkelling, gardening and planting. Besides, the team has cut food waste by 50% with Winnow Solutions, LLC ´s artificial intelligence technology and the excess food is donated to the Food Bank of Costa Rica.

Amanera, an Aman golf resort in Dominican Republic, engages guests with nature to understand the benefits of gathering green waste to make compost. Visitors can also immerse in a Taino medicine walk with a spa guide to learn how to harvest and prepare natural healing blends from the island’s flora. Another sustainable initiative is to donate to a local charity when guests reuse towels and linens to save water, energy and spare the seas of detergents.

Ashford Castle - part of The Red Carnation Hotel Collection is undertaking different measures to reduce their carbon footprint like 100% renewable electricity, solar panels in the leisure facility, a GeoCertify, LLC golf course, elimination of single-use plastics as well as local and organic ingredients. They have also curated Irish sustainable experiences like Cré where guests tour the Kitchen Garden to forage and taste produce while learning about seasonality.

A huge shout out to the above-mentioned forward-thinking hotels, tea companies and organizations that are doing well by doing good including Tourism New Zealand for encouraging visitors to care for NZ while travelling.

It goes without saying that climate change is not a storm in a tea cup so we shouldn´t underestimate its impact on human health and security. Instead, we need to do our bit going the extra mile to figure out actionable solutions.

You might be well aware that oceans regulate the global climate by absorbing more than 90% of the excess heat created from human greenhouse gas emissions, which implies that reducing our carbon footprint can help cool down our blue planet.

All in all, both tea and travel can be a driving force for good so opting for purpose-driven brands is an easy peasy way to put sustainainability into practice to lessen our ecological footprint. How cool is that?

Remember, the ritual of tea is a symbol of hospitality that connects it to travel. All we´ve got to do is reconnect with our whole integrated self and with nature so as to thrive one tea-filled trip at a time.

That brings me to a call to action because here´s the truth: like it or not, time is ticking away. And yes, it all lies in the power of our meaningful informed decisions.

On the flip side, every action we take will have a ripple effect allowing us to be one step closer to a cleaner, kinder and more resilient world where sustainability is no longer a nice-to-have.

So with that in mind, how about taking our travel and tea experiences to new heights by making mindful travel choices while taking tealight in sustainable cuppas (and love the heck out of it, too)?

I´m a firm believer in the power of genuine connections to ignite change. Therefore, with the holiday season on our doorstep when there´s a collective sense of togetherness, we´d better get ready because I´m pretty optimistic that is what the future has is in store for us.

Let´s get intentional about taking in ownership of a healthy planet by navigating such bold challenge together. You see, it takes community to leave the world in a matcha better shape than we found it.

Just think about it. If it´s not us, then who? If it´s not right now, then when?

And last, but most importantly, don´t chai away (LOL) from using your voice to foster a sense of appreciation for the environment as a means to motivate others to show up in order to leave a positive footprint.

Can we count on you to be a part of the solution?

Happy Sipping & Stays!