No industry is exempt from the necessity of social and environmental responsibility in today’s world, and tea is no exception. Many of the tea producing areas around the globe are among the most vulnerable to social and environmental exploitation. At Newby, sustainability is one of our core pillars and we are constantly striving to ensure that we are helping create a better future.

 

Newby Teas – Born to be different

Newby was founded out of a passion for tea. We were created to show the world how good tea can be, and to preserve and share the culture of this wonderful drink. Newby Teas is not for profit - one hundred percent of proceeds go to charitable causes. A company like no other - we are not motivated by financial gain, nor would we cut corners or engage in irresponsible actions in pursuit of money - instead, we dedicate ourselves to the people who create and enjoy fine tea.

Newby Teas is largely owned by the N. Sethia Foundation, a British registered charity that is engaged in varied projects around the world. Projects include women’s education institutions in India that are helping to create a more equal society; the funding of cutting edge medical research, from autism to diabetes; and disaster relief such as during the COVID pandemic. 

We are also a proud member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, a leader in the promotion of sustainable practices in the tea industry. The Ethical Tea Partnership works with partners as well as tea growing areas to increase economic prosperity and equality among tea growing communities as well as promote positive environmental practices across all aspects of growing and selling tea.

 

Sourcing

Responsibility begins how we source. We only source tea from gardens who maintain high standards in terms of tea quality, but also in terms of how they treat their workers and the environment. Certain tea growers cater to the mass produced tea market, where financial gain trumps all social and environmental consideration. In these gardens, rampant pesticide use and inconsiderate farming techniques are used in order to maximise profits at the cost of the soil and wildlife.

Unfortunately in these rural areas where tea is grown, these profit driven tea gardens are often where workers are exploited. By only working with growers that uphold high standards we support respectful treatment of staff in these parts of the world. Irresponsible sourcing is inadvertently supporting the trend of human rights abuse and environmental degradation. Good quality tea demands a good price. Instead, we work with top craftsmen who produce some of the best tea in the world, whose values are in line with our own.

 

Testing

Our responsibility doesn’t end with sourcing. Every tea we buy is tested for pesticides. We believe that nobody should sell tea that might potentially contain poisonous chemicals, but unfortunately this is all too common. As a charitable company, our aim is to bring joy to the world through tea, which is an inherently healthy drink. To sell low quality tea that contains chemicals would be in direct conflict with our mission.

Another consideration is fluoride. Fluoride is a dangerous chemical that naturally occurs in many natural products, but can be particularly concentrated in tea. Small amounts of fluoride is harmless and even healthy, but too much can lead to dangerous diseases such as osteoporosis and skeletal fluorosis. There is a well-documented correlation between low quality teas and high levels of fluoride. Many budget teas contain a person’s daily recommended limit of fluoride in a single cup and thousands of people are brought to harm through the selling of unsafe tea. At Newby, we want to bring this awful trend to the public’s attention, and ensure that our teas are safe to drink. Each year our fluoride report shows that many tea brands, even those that claim to sell luxury teas, produce teas with dangerously high levels of fluoride, while Newby Teas contain the lowest levels.

 

Environment

Growing good quality tea requires healthy soil, and an understanding that what’s beneficial for the environment is beneficial for the tea plants. We only work with farmers who practice the craft of fine tea, and this means working with nature to create a product whose natural character shines. Over-reliance on artificial fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides damage the environment and can only lead to an inferior quality tea, so we do not work with these growers.

We use plant-based biodegradable materials for all our teabags, and as much of our packaging as possible. We use non-toxic, natural materials such as natural food dye instead of plastic or petroleum based inks for our tea bag tags. Where biodegradable packaging is not currently possible, we use recyclable materials instead. We are constantly searching for ways to reduce or make the swap to environmental materials.

 

Social and environmental responsibility is so important. There is always more we can do, and it is a constant journey of discovery and improvement. Buying from an ethically minded brand, for any consumer goods, is taking a step towards equality and prosperity, both at source and beyond. Buying quality tea from a trusted brand is the difference between sustainable trade and socially and environmentally damaging trade.