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Tea
Choose fair trade and organic tea
Choice Organic Teas
After working closely with TransFair USA to establish guidelines for fair trade tea certification, Seattle-based Choice Organic Teas became the first US tea merchant to adopt Fair Trade Certification in 2000. Impressively, over half of Choice's teas are fair trade and available by the bag or loose leaf.Equal Exchange
Equal Exchange, founded in 1986, is the oldest and largest for-profit fair trade company in existence. The company's dazzling selection of coffee, tea, chocolate, and other goods are not only fairly traded from small co-ops in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, but are also organic. Hungry for more? Read on about this remarkable company.Global Exchange
Since 1988, San Francisco-based Global Exchange has been a trusted purveyor of socially conscious goods including Fair Trade Certified coffee, tea, and chocolate. Interested in sharing the joy of fair trade edibles? Gift baskets and packs are also available.Grounds for Change
Specializing in organic, Fair Trade Certified, and shade-grown coffees, Grounds for Change donates a portion of total sales to environmental and social organizations and offsets 100 percent of the non-renewable energy used to power its roastery and other facilities. The company also offers fair trade and organic teas, yerba mate, and chocolate.José Tea
Meet José. He's a slick, smooth, stylish, and oh-so fragrant Argentinian (headquartered in beautiful Buenos Aires) but you can find him in spas, hotels, restaurants, and high-end retail stores across the world. Passionate but subtle, earthy yet exotic, he aims to please. Best of all, José is organic.Revolution Tea
Practice sustainable steeping by trying out Revolution's organic teas that are available as single cup infusers, whole pot infusers, or Pyramid Biodegradable Tea Bags. Travel tins are also available for tea-timers on-the-go. Options include Scottish Breakfast, White Chai, Huckleberry Red Herbal, and more.Rishi Tea
Rishi Tea's wide but carefully edited selection of artisanal teas are sure to make any tea connoisseur lunge for their kettle. While conventional choices from around the globe are available, so are exotic Fair Trade Certified and USDA Certified Organic ones.SerendipiTea
Along with organic and biodynamic choices, SerendipiTea offers many fair trade teas in all of your favorite varieties like chai, chamomile, Earl Grey, and Darjeeling. Can't make up your mind? Use the Tea Selector to search by ingredient, origin, and tea type.Ten Ren Tea
Ten Ren, a large and well-known tea producer in the Far East, sells a vast selection of teas to sippers worldwide. The company offers organic tea bags and organic loose tea with price points ranging from $5.00 to $65.00.The Republic of Tea
The Republic of Tea offers Tangerine, Cranberry Blood Orange, Apricot Decaf, Ginger Lemon Grass, and Wild Blueberry Fair Trade Certified Teas. Samplers, refills, and bulk options are available to match any tea drinking habit, whether it's twice a day or twice a month.Zhena's Gypsy Tea
From Coconut Chai to Breakfast Bliss to Gracious Green, all Zhena's Gypsy Teas are both organic and Fair Trade Certified. Read more about Zhena's green credo, eco-friendly tin packaging, or even how to throw your own Gypsy Tea Party.
Use a tea infuser or strainer
Aletta Tea-Zer Bottle
For eco-friendly tea on the go, try this stainless steel travel mug with removable tea infuser. It even includes a secret compartment in the lid to store additional loose tea to make a fresh cup later.Bodum Personal Tea Press
Not a traditional infuser, but another eco-friendly way to lose the tea bag. With this unique tea press, just add your favorite loose tea and boiling water. When it's just the strength you like, push the plunger down. Holds 12 oz.Bodum Tea Egg Infuser
This stainless steel infuser does more than just steep: use it to scoop your loose tea leaves and stir your tea once steeped. Dishwasher safe.Casa Stainless Steel Tea Strainer
Skip the infuser altogether and just throw loose tea into boiling water in your tea pot. Than, use this stainless steel strainer to collect the tea leaves as you pour the tea from pot to cup. The strainer's rim is designed to rest on the top of a tea cup for easy use.Coffee Cakes Glass Teapot with Stainless Steel Infuser
Brew a whole pot of tea with this 35 oz. glass tea pot with a stainless steel infuser that is easily removed once the tea has reached desired strength. Comes with a bamboo loose tea scoop and bamboo trivet to protect your tabletops. Pot and infuser are dishwasher safe.Organic Needle Cotton Reusable Tea Bag with Tagua Nut Tag
Not ready to part with the idea of an actual tea bag? Try these handmade, reusable organic cotton tea bags. Sold in sets of four, these tea bags are equipped with a tagua nut tag at the top, which you can pull to cinch the bag shut, preventing spills.Stash Bamboo Infuser
Brew tea the traditional (and eco-friendly) way with this woven bamboo tea infuser. Just fill with loose tea, steep, and enjoy.Stash Mesh Tea Ball
Go back to basics with this stainless steel mesh tea ball. Chain and hook attached to easily cling to the edge of your mug. Available in a variety of sizes and shapes, including heart shaped.Steepware Steeping Cup
This handcrafted, lead-free porcelain cup, lid, and infuser combo is designed to fit comfortably in your hand and steep loose tea leaves, cup by cup, at lower temperatures. It is dishwasher and microwave safe and comes in a variety of bold colors. Steeping mugs and automatic tea pot also available.Tea Gschwendner Large Tea Filter
Equip any tea pot with a reusable infuser with this tea filter. Designed to be placed inside a tea pot, this filter is made from a fine mesh to keep tea leaves inside the filter.Tovolo Tea Infuser
No mess tea-steeping is a breeze with this stainless steel tea infuser and angled base, providing a place to set the infuser down after use and collect drips. Dishwasher safe.
Buy a reusable mug
Aletta Tea-Zer Bottle
For eco-friendly tea on the go, try this stainless steel travel mug with removable tea infuser. It even includes a secret compartment in the lid to store additional loose tea to make a fresh cup later.Ceramic travel mug
This sleek ceramic coffee mug—in red, white, cobalt blue, black, or pink—holds 20 ounces of your favorite beverage and closes up to keep it warm with a plastic lid insert. It’s microwave and dishwasher safe and fits in your car cup holder, too.Contigo Fushion Mug
Made with a stainless steel base and ceramic body, this mug is long-lasting and comfortable to use. With a nice “sippy” lid, it’s also BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and holds 14 ounces of your selected drink.I Am Not A Paper Cup Thermal porcelain cup
If you like the look of the traditional paper coffee cup, reach for one of these reusable look-a-likes made from double-walled porcelain (so your fingers won’t burn) and perfect for coffee or tea. It comes with a silicone lid and both the mug and lid are dishwasher and microwave safe.Pics USA Personalized mug
Pick up one of the customizable mugs as a gift or for your own daily commute. You can insert photos, embroidery, etched metal, and other cool, personal images to make your mug your own. They’re high quality and lined with stainless steel.Planetary Design French press coffee mug
This stainless steel mug comes in a variety of fun colors, is built to last, and very inexpensive. This version comes with a French press lid (with a variety of differently shaped base options, too), but you can also purchase models with regular “sippy” lids as well as a fun tea brewer.Recycled glass mug
Bring coffee (or tea) back to your desk at work or to your favorite reading chair in this stylish glass mug made of 100 percent recycled glass. It’s both dishwasher and microwave save and comes in light blue, royal blue, or light green colors.Sigg Metro Mug
Poor your favorite hot beverage in this double-walled, stainless steel mug that’s 100 percent effective against leaching. It’s easy to clean, durable, crack-resistant, and even recyclable. Comes in a variety of colors and holds 250 mL.Tea infuser mug set
Set yourself up to make tasty freshly-brewed tea with this tea infuser mug set. Made in a fair trade cooperative in Vietnam, it comes with a mug, lid, and strainer, so it’s perfect for loose tea. And it’s safe for the microwave, dishwasher, and even the oven!
Comments
3:33pm
I'm part of the Environmental Stewardship committee at St. Andrews United Church in Calgary. I have recently discovered that it takes 140 gallons of water to produce the coffee beans necessary in brewing a single 225 ml cup of coffee.
I would like to offer the paritioners at St. Andrews a less wasteful alternative, and was considering a carafe (or two) of green tea.
Unfortunately, I have no idea whether or not this is an improvement over coffee.
Any insight your members could provide would be much appreciated.
Cheers Glen