The main reason is the collaboration with farmers on tea plantations in Sri Lanka, Nepal, en Malawi, among other places. They work with care for nature and attention to their workers, who pick the leaves by hand. It’s a slow, artisanal process that simply cannot be compared to the mass production of cheaper supermarket brands.

Because Tea Kulture purchases small volumes, costs add up quickly. Think of high shipping costs from remote areas, customs fees, and excise duties. Large brands, on the other hand, benefit from economies of scale. When they produce packaging in large quantities, the price per unit drops significantly. For a smaller organization, those costs per package are much higher.

Tea Kulture consciously chooses smaller quantities and fair partnerships. This makes the products less accessible to some people — and that’s understood. Still, the belief prevails that it’s better to consume less, more consciously, and better. The people who grow the tea and the nature in which it grows deserve that attention. Only this way can a product emerge that not only tastes exceptional but also contributes to a better world.

Tea Kulture consciously chooses not to use labels like organic or fair trade, because they don’t always tell the full story. Many small tea plantations have been working for generations in a way that is pure and respectful to people and nature. They don’t use pesticides or artificial fertilizers but simply lack the resources to purchase expensive certifications.

The farmers prefer to invest their limited resources in their workers and families. Fair wages, better living conditions, and care for the community come before costly certificates.

For many brands, such labels are little more than a marketing tool. At Tea Kulture, it’s about real relationships. The people behind the tea are known, as is their way of working with land and harvest. That trust and careful selection carry more weight than a logo on a package.

An understandable question. Traditional tea bags often contain plastic and aren’t compostable. That indeed doesn’t fit Tea Kulture’s philosophy.

That’s why Tea Kulture’s tea bags are made from corn PLA, a bioplastic based on corn starch. They contain no plastic, release no microplastics into your tea, and are compostable in industrial composting facilities.

Is it the perfect solution? No, not yet. But it’s a conscious step in the right direction: enjoying tea with less environmental impact. The search for even better alternatives continues.

Want to know more about the choice for these tea bags? Read the full story.

Tea Kulture does everything to keep its impact as small as possible and chooses sustainable materials wherever possible. Yet the stand-up pouches are made of plastic. Not for convenience, but to protect the tea from light, air, and moisture. This keeps quality and taste optimal and prevents waste.

Important to know: the pouches are made of mono-plastic. This innovative material offers the best protection for the tea and is fully recyclable.

Compostable and bioplastic solutions have been thoroughly researched but often turn out to be less sustainable than they appear. In Belgium, it’s even prohibited to process compostable bags in a home garden compost. That’s only possible in industrial composting facilities, but they rarely end up there. Moreover, these materials currently offer insufficient protection to keep tea fresh for long.

The choice for mono-plastic is a conscious step. It’s currently the most sustainable solution that guarantees tea quality and enables recycling. Still, Tea Kulture remains critical and actively searches for better alternatives to become completely plastic-free in the future.