Here are our favourite things we learnt from the survey.
Whilst we love to hear that the appetite for our national drink is so huge, we know that we need to reduce the waste that this habit is creating. It’s good news though – the latest research indicates this number will decrease this year, with more tea lovers, concerned about the sustainability of their tea habits, making the switch from tea bags to loose tea.
A consumer survey* we commissioned at the end of December 2020 has revealed that since lockdowns hit last March, there has been not only an increase in tea drinking in the UK, but our nation of tea lovers has been making more considered decisions about their teas:
- • Choosing to drink more loose leaf tea; and
- • Taking time to hunt out teas from specific origins.
We learnt lots from the survey – and you can read about what excited the press more here.
Here’s what Ed, JING founder thinks about the results:
“It is great to see that with more time in recent months, people have been making more considered choices and exploring the world of loose leaf teas, which are not only better for tea drinkers, but also for the planet.
“Whilst there is a time and a place for tea bags, loose leaf tea gives you access to a world of teas with real ‘wow factor’ and depth of flavour, sourced from single gardens with unique terroirs and created by artisanal craftsmen whose skills have often been passed down over centuries.
“I’ve been lucky enough over the past 20 years to partner with some of the world’s greatest tea masters and to source some exceptional teas not normally seen outside their homelands, allowing people to experience flavours and places previously unknown to them. To see more tea drinkers embracing this world is a joy – and all for a fraction of the price of a takeaway coffee or soft drink.
“We encourage our customers, whether drinking at home or in a hotel or restaurant, to switch from tea bags to loose leaf tea where they can, especially as the survey revealed the large number of teabags Brits get through each year.”
'Whilst there is a time and a place for tea bags, loose leaf tea gives you access to a world of teas with real ‘wow factor’ and depth of flavour,' says Ed.
What can you do to make your tea habits more sustainable?
If you are concerned about the sustainability of your tea, the two easiest positive changes you can make are:
- • Asking where your tea was grown – and choosing single origin
- • Drinking loose tea instead of tea bags.
Why is Single Origin better?
Not only will your tea taste more distinctive; but you’ll be supporting tea communities to receive higher returns, which contributes to rural development, poverty reduction, food security and more. Discover more on the value of single origin here.
Choosing single origin not only means you'll get more distinctive tasting tea, but it also enables tea producers and their environments to thrive.
Worried that loose tea will be messy or time consuming or want to know where to start?
We’ve put all of the tools and tips that make loose tea simple discover more here.
Something we learnt from the survey might reassure you too. When probing what held back people from drinking loose leaf at all or more often, the survey found 64% of tea bag-only drinkers say they avoid loose leaf tea as they believe it to be ‘too messy’, though this doesn’t bear true as people start to drink loose given that a mere 9% of those who drink only loose leaf tea find it messy!
We’d love to hear from you – have you drunk more tea in the last year? Have you changed your tea habits and made the switch from tea bags to loose? Do you want to know more about the origin of your tea? Perhaps let us know what’s important to you when choosing your tea? What are your favourite flavours? Leave your thoughts, comments and questions for us below!
*Survey
The survey amongst 2,000 British tea drinkers was conducted via OnePoll in late December 2020. Of the 2,000 British tea drinkers surveyed, each tea bag user requires an average of four tea bags a day for their cuppas – a total of 1,460 each year. Across the UK, this means almost 167 million teabags are binned or composted every day.
