Our Approach to Ethics and Sustainability
Our Approach to Ethics & Sustainability
At t leaf T, we strive to bring our customers authentic, trusted, and remarkable tea experiences. We also take seriously our responsibility to act with integrity, in the way we source our teas, in the packaging choices we make, and in being open and honest about where we still have room to improve.
Sustainable Packaging and Processes
We are committed to reducing our environmental impact through sustainable packaging materials and production methods.
- We use 100% plant-based (sugar cane) and non-petroleum derived PLA (polylactic acid) NeoSoilon® pyramid tea bags.
- We seal our recyclable cardboard boxes with paper kraft tape.
- We use biodegradable pallet wrap that breaks down in landfill.
- We wrap breakable products with paper-based fill instead of plastic.
- We up-cycle used cardboard boxes wherever possible.
- Our stand-up pouches can be recycled through the Soft Plastics Recycling Scheme, look for a collection bin at your local supermarket.
t leaf T uses PLA (polylactic acid) pyramid tea bags, which are 100% plant-based and non-petroleum derived. These NeoSoilon® pyramid bags are made from sugar cane.
While PLA behaves like a plastic in terms of sealing and durability, it contains no petro-based nano plastics, unlike most conventional paper tea bags, which require a small amount of petro-based plastic to achieve heat sealing. Our PLA tea bags are commercially compostable.
Our pyramid tea bags are commercially compostable, but not yet home compostable. The technology for home-compostable tea bag material does exist, but currently causes the material to break down within weeks, making it unsuitable for a long-shelf-life product like tea.
Some suppliers do claim their PLA bags are home compostable, but in practice most home composts don't reliably reach the temperatures needed for full breakdown.
We are watching this space closely and will make the switch when a practical solution becomes available.
PLA pyramid tea bags have been available since the mid-2000s. They are 100% plant-based and non-petroleum derived. PLA is extracted from corn or sugar cane and spun into thread, which is woven into the clear bag material. It behaves like a plastic in that it can be sealed using ultrasonic vibrations at a specific temperature, welding the seams together without any petro-chemical plastics. Our NeoSoilon® pyramid bags are made from sugar cane and are commercially compostable.
Paper tea bags have been around for nearly 100 years. Because paper fibres do not naturally bond, heat sealing is required to close the bag, and to make this possible, manufacturers blend approximately 2% petro-based nano plastic into the bag material. The result: around 98% of the bag will break down in home composting, but the remaining 2% is petro-based nano plastic that is neither compostable nor biodegradable. That makes paper tea bags unsuitable for us.
Nylon pyramid bags have been in use since around 1996, predating the availability of PLA. They look appealing, but the material is entirely petro-based plastic, not compostable or biodegradable, and designed to persist in the environment for hundreds of years. Nylon is substantially cheaper than PLA, which is why cost-driven producers tend to favour it. It is not an option we would consider.
Ethical Sourcing
We source our teas and infusions through direct relationships with quality suppliers around the world, choosing integrity and quality over cost.
- We have built direct supplier relationships over more than 20 years, founded on trust and shared commitment to quality.
- We source premium teas and infusions from quality producers around the world.
- Our New Zealand Botanicals range features ingredients sourced from within New Zealand.
- A selection of our teas are BioGro certified organic, independently verified from producer to shelf.
- Every tea we sell is hand-processed and hand-packed at our Petone, Lower Hutt facility.
t leaf T sources premium teas and infusions from quality suppliers around the world, from the tea gardens of China, Japan, India, and Sri Lanka, to herbal and botanical producers across Europe and beyond. Our New Zealand Botanicals range features ingredients sourced from within New Zealand.
We have built direct relationships with our suppliers over more than 20 years. We choose suppliers based on quality, trust, and shared values, not lowest cost. Those long-standing relationships give us confidence in the integrity of what we sell, and mean we can answer questions about origin, processing, and quality with real knowledge rather than guesswork.
Every tea and infusion we sell is hand-processed and hand-packed at our Petone facility. We believe this care at the final stage reflects the care taken at every stage before it.
A selection of t leaf T teas are BioGro certified organic. BioGro is New Zealand's leading organic certification body, and certification requires rigorous chain-of-custody standards from producer to shelf, guaranteeing that what is labelled organic has been independently verified as such.
Where a tea is certified organic, this is clearly noted on its product page. We continue to explore expanding our certified organic range as the right products and suppliers become available.
Our People
Our team is at the heart of everything we do at t leaf T. We are committed to providing a safe, fair, and supportive workplace where people are genuinely valued.
- The safety and welfare of our team is a core value, we hold ourselves to a high standard in the way we manage and maintain our workplace.
- We are committed to fair pay and good working conditions for everyone who works at t leaf T.
- Many of our team members have been with us for many years. Their loyalty and dedication is something we are genuinely proud of, and we believe it reflects the environment we work hard to maintain.
- Every tea we sell is hand-processed and hand-packed by our small, skilled team, we value the care and expertise that only comes from people who are genuinely passionate about what they do.
Our Customers
Our relationship with our customers is built on trust, honesty, and a genuine passion for tea. We mean what we say, we don't over-promise, and we work hard every day to earn the confidence our customers place in us.
- We are proud to hold a 5-star Trustpilot rating, a reflection of the service and quality our customers experience every time they order from us.
- We dispatch orders placed before 3pm on the same business day, because we respect our customers' time and take our commitments seriously.
- We share our knowledge and passion for tea openly, encouraging customers to explore, ask questions, and discover new experiences without feeling overwhelmed.
- Every tea in our range of over 160 teas and infusions has been tried and tested by our team, we will not sell something we don't believe in.
- We are continuously improving, listening to our customers, learning from their feedback, and evolving our range and service to better serve them.
- If we make a mistake or something isn't right, we pride ourselves on dealing with it fairly and promptly. Just let our team know and we will do whatever we can to sort things out.
We may not be perfect, but we are honest. At t leaf T, we make considered decisions about how we source, pack, and deliver our teas, and we will keep being open about those decisions, the reasons behind them, and where we’re still working on improvements.