5th February 2024
Our Carbon Action Plan
Our packaging is for the most part designed with reusability in mind, such as our ziplock bags, refillable tea caddies, and magnetic labels.
Try our Beigang Maojian in our One Cup Teaiere.
As we continue work on our Carbon Reduction Roadmap, to meet our Net Zero targets, we’ve made the decision to move away from using the Carbon Neutral claim for our teas.
This does not mean that we are reducing investment in our Carbon action – in facts it’s the opposite. We are investing significantly more in our carbon work this year, but using the funds to focus more urgently on carbon reduction measures. This follows guidance from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), the gold standard for corporate emissions reduction, which wants companies to prioritise directly reducing their own emissions rather than relying on offsets.
Carbon reduction has always been our priority. With over 3/4s of our carbon footprint sitting in our supply chain, we know that working closely with suppliers, and supporting them in their own carbon action journeys is vital.
In the past, we used the term ‘carbon neutral’ where we’d purchased carbon credits to support projects which were closely connected to the people and places our teas come from. In 2022 that was solar cooking stoves for communities in rural India. Last year, we it was supporting sustainable development in India through the promotion of wind energy. We chose this project, because we know that one of the key greenhouse gas emission hotspots in tea production is the use of energy in processing the leaves on the gardens, and so a project supporting renewable energy in one of our key sourcing countries aligned well with our reduction goals. These projects hold huge value, and we plan to continue supporting similar projects, but instead of using offsets, all future projects will be targeted to the gardens we are buying from and their own carbon reduction needs.
As part of our commitment to Net Zero, we measure and report on the greenhouse gas emissions associated with our operations and product value chain, in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard. We have completed carbon footprints for 2021 and 2022, and as a result have a clear understanding of where our carbon ‘hot spots’ lie. We are now working on our footprint for 2023, where we plan to get even more granular using data directly from our biggest suppliers.
We will focus on continually reducing our carbon footprint across scopes 2 and 3 by: increasing our energy efficiency; optimising our processes and products through continuous research and development; engaging with our suppliers and employees.
We have close relationships with all the producers we buy from. We believe it is essential that we establish and deliver our reduction targets in collaboration with our suppliers and partners, as most of our emissions are produced within our product supply chains. We also know they will be disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis. Climate change impacts are already being felt by tea producers - temperature changes and unpredictable and extreme weather events such as heavy rain, drought, hail, and frost. We have updated our supplier Code of Conduct to help establish where our suppliers are with their own carbon reduction commitments, and to work with them to ensure that together, we achieve them.
Our highest priority is encouraging the switch to loose leaf tea, made easy with our Loose Leaf Starter Kits.
Fixation – The withered leaves are rolled then gently heated. This step halts the oxidation process, preserving the tea's natural flavours and preventing excessive enzymatic activity
Why are Yellow Teas so Rare?
Yellow teas are so rare because they’re difficult to make. Many producers prefer not to risk it, instead prioritising the more popular green tea style. When they’re made well though yellow teas offer a bright mellow character unlike any other tea type.
MenHuang - The heated leaves are wrapped in special cloths or paper to allow for slight oxidation and fermentation. This is a critical step that gives yellow tea its distinctive character and yellow colour
Buying loose leaf helps reduce packaging altogether
WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW?
Reduce: Choose Loose
Our primary focus is on reduction in packaging. An integral part of our approach is empowering and enabling our customers to choose loose leaf tea over tea bags wherever possible. Loose leaf tea not only delivers the best drinking experience but uses less packaging and reduces waste. That’s why 100% of our teas are available as loose leaf and we give customers the tips and tools to enable the easy switch.
Invest & Test
Although the jury is still out on whether bioplastic compostable packaging is genuinely better for the environment than an easily recyclable traditional plastic, we’re investing in trialling biodegradable packaging options. We have materials currently in test phase and are guided by industry experts, such as WRAP , a leading climate action NGO in the UK, on compostable plastic packaging.
Mr Wang's tea bushes are between 6-8 years old and grown without the use of pesticides
How to handle our packaging?
All of our tea bags are made from plant-based material, and are biodegradable in industrial composters.
Compost: Teabags
Our whole leaf tea bags have always been free from traditional oil-based plastic. They are made of a plant-based material PLA. PLA is biodegradable in industrial composters, so just pop your used teabags in your council food waste bin.
Recycle: Packs
Our loose leaf & unenveloped tea bag pouches are recyclable in the soft plastics recycling waste stream. In the UK, some councils collect this roadside, but many don’t, so we recommend taking empty packs to your local soft plastics recycling points. These are usually found at large supermarkets, to find out where your closest soft plastics recycling point is put your postcode in here .
The future
We will continue to trial novel packaging materials, and work with experts to understand the full lifecycle impact of each. We won’t make a switch until we are confident that a new material is truly better for the environment and can protect our tea quality sufficiently. We are committed to championing behaviour change, to get as many people as possible enjoying the many benefits of a great cup of loose leaf tea.
Only the freshest and tenderest buds are picked in March prior to the local Qingming festival
The vital stats
Origin: Yuyeang City, Hunan province
Cultivar: Camellia sinensis var. sinensis
Name: Beigang Maojian
Style: Wang has taken a local cultivar similar to our Baojing Gold and yellowed the fresh spring leaves in the traditional way
Picking Season: Spring 2023
Leaf: Dark olive twists of leaf with silvery-grey tips
Production: Made Without Pesticides
Infusion: Yellow-green
Our Beijgang Maojian's dry leaf is dark olive whole leaf twists with silvery-grey tips
Drying – After the desired oxidation level is achieved, the leaves are carefully dried to remove any remaining moisture. This helps stabilize the tea and prepares it for packaging and storage
The flavour profile ?
Packs a bright punch, a thick, syrupy infusion with the prized barley sugar flavours of candied lemon and a sherbert tang.
The Right Time to Drink it
Given its light body sweetness and umami finish, it makes a refreshing afternoon pick-me-up.
The Best Way to Enjoy it
Single Serve, One Cup Method using 250ml teapot and cup:
Firstly, heat your teapot before you add the leaves – as this is a highly aromatic tea, it’s worth doing this. All you need to do is fill the pot with hot water, swirl it around briefly, and then discard it. When you add your leaves, the heat will activate them and you’ll get a good blast of the tea’s aromas.
An undiscovered yellow tea that Wang has revived for the modern world. It's a great introduction to this mellow, complex and rewarding tea category.
Drying – After the desired oxidation level is achieved, the leaves are carefully dried to remove any remaining moisture. This helps stabilize the tea and prepares it for packaging and storage
For a single serve, use 4g (or 3tsp) of tea for 250ml.
Much like their green tea cousins, yellow teas also appreciate a cooler water temperature. The easiest way to do this is add about 20% cool water to the leaves first, and then top up the rest with freshly boiled water to level out the heat.
Infuse for three minutes, and, as always, pour out the whole infusion into a good mug or glass. Since it's been made cool, you’ll be able to drink it immediately, take a moment to notice the flavours changing as your infusions cools even further.
This is our go-to method: 4g/2tsp per 250ml; 80˚C; 3 minutes per infusion.
Mr Wang and Tom admire the view of the tea garden - the rain is welcomed after a long drought in Hunan
Who is it for?
With it’s authentic barley sugar flavour, this is a great introduction for anyone wishing to get a handle on this mellow, complex and rewarding tea category. It’s also a welcome alternative if you find green tea too grassy, but you’re still after something refreshing and light.
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Switch Up Your Tea
