Sustainability

 

ACTING SUSTAINABLE

Since the foundation of the company, acting responsibly towards humans and nature is an existential part of the company’s culture. Being sustainable has become our fundamental attitude to combine entrepreneurial actions with moral values.

Our history shows the constant development from a traditional tea trade to a value-oriented tea trading company with complex business ideas / -fields and a huge diversity of cooperation partners.

What is unique, is the interactive exchange between the people in the countries of origin who make our tea, the people who buy the tea, and those who sell itenthusiastically in their tea shops. Numerous trips to the tea gardens around the world have given us insight into the challenges involved at the teas origin and vice versa. This insight allows us to successfully communicate the complex requirements of the western world in regards to food safety to the tea farmers in the countries of origin. 

An important building block on the path to sustainability is the further development of our product range to include more products from organic cultivation and with our own projects, in producing countries, through which we can provide direct, concrete development assistance, in the best sense.

  

 

Organic tea as a sustainability factor

 

 

Tea is one of the cleanest and healthiest foods in the world. Almost all our products are vegan, vegetarian and about half of our tea assortment is of organic quality, due to our decision to change the production methods for the benefit of humans and nature.

More and more people choose to buy organic tea, since not only the taste is a reason for purchase, but also consume responsibility.

Our teas with organic certification come from controlled organic production according to the EU regulation on organic farming. The organic labels guarantees a production according to ecological criteria. "Organic" or "ecological" are designations protected by law. Compliance with the latest regulations is strictly and regularly monitored.

Share of organic products in the Tea Gschwendner assortment:

 

Proportion of organic tea in the tea range

 

 

Eco-control center

the teas marked "organic cultivation" in our assortment are regulaly checked by the officially recognized control center DE-013 for compliance with the EU eco-regulation. 

 

 Our teas with organic seal:

 

 

The current organic seal of the European Union guarantees compliance with strict criteria for organically grown products throughout the EU. These are for example:
not produced by and with genetically modified organisms
not produced with the use of synthetic pesticides
not produced with the help of easily soluble mineral fertilizers
contain no more than 5% conventionally produced ingredients
In accordance with the import regulations for raw materials and products from third countries and strictly batch-related controls.

 

Popular "old" logo

 

 

Even before the introduction of the European organic logo in 2010, Germany had the hexagonal German organic seal; its introduction was a significant step in the development of the organic market. It can be used on a voluntary basis in addition to the mandatory EU organic logo that all prepackaged, organically produced food from the EU must bear.
In terms of its requirements, the German organic seal is comparable to the EU organic logo.

 

Sustainable packaging

 

The protection of the product is most important when it comes to packaging, Our goal is to insure the highest product safety and taste, while using sustainable packaging materials. For responsible tea delight in each cup!

 

MasterBag® Pyramid

For the best convenient tea pleasure we are not only using high-quality premium tea, but also sustainable packaging materials like FSC® paper.

Pyramid bag made of 100% biodegradable plastic (industrially compostable according to European standard EN 13432).

Cardboard box made of FSC®-certified material comes from responsibly managed forests and controlled origin.

Envelope The paper of the pyramid protective cover also comes from certified responsible forestry. Thanks to good barrier properties against external influences, the protective cover offers protection for the freshness and aroma of the tea at the same time.

 

 

 Herbal Tea Packaging

An unique design with a higher recognition value and an improved product and transportation protection was as important as sustainability for the redesign of our herbal tea packaging.

Box made of 40% grass fiber made from sun-dried grass from regional meadows. 100% recyclable. Disposal with paper waste.

Transparent bag inside made from 89% renewable raw materials (cellulose from responsible forestry) - industrial and garden compostable according to European standard EN 13432 and "OK Compost Home" standard.