Backyard Compostable Packaging

On Earth Day 2010, Arbor Teas became the first tea company in the United States to deliver a full line of organic loose teas in backyard compostable packaging! With the release of this next-generation packaging, we at Arbor Teas advanced our environmental mission, continuing to lead the tea industry through our staunch commitment to sustainable business practices. For the first time ever, tea drinkers were able to compost their tea leaves AND tea packaging together in their home composting system!

Then in early 2015, Arbor Teas began using a compostable label adhered with a compostable adhesive. The addition of this compostable label and adhesive makes the ENTIRE package (label and all) backyard compostable! **

The body of our packaging is composed of a cellulose film made from wood pulp sourced from sustainably managed, non-GMO trees. Most of the compostable packaging available in today’s marketplace is only truly compostable in industrial settings optimized for rapid breakdown. By contrast, the film used for Arbor Teas’ new packaging can actually break down in a backyard compost setting.

Because of greater variation in moisture and temperature, backyard composting environments have historically been incapable of breaking down so-called “compostable” packaging materials, such as corn-based plastic cups and take-out containers. However, the material in Arbor Teas’ packages requires a less optimized environment for biodegradation, representing a major advance in low-impact packaging.

The film is certified to both the European (EN13432) and American (ASTM D6400) standards for compostable packaging, and has been submitted to an additional independent test protocol (Miti Test ISO14851) confirming its biodegradation at ambient temperatures and in aqueous environments, relevant for home composting in bins or compost heaps.

The labels of our packaging are composed of a hemp-based or sugar cane-based paper. The label is adhered with a compostable adhesive that meets the requirements of DIN CERTCO and BPI for biodegradability and compostability, in addition to being compliant with the American (ASTM D6868) for compostable products. This compostable adhesive is perhaps the most innovative, yet least noticeable part of our entire package! **

Not only are our packages compostable, they’re also lighter than the Arbor Teas’ predecessors (paperboard tube and kraft bag) and lighter than many other options on the market. Overall, we were able to reduce the weight of our packaging materials by more than 60%! This translates to a meaningful reduction in the carbon footprint of Arbor Teas’ operations. And, in response to customer requests, this packaging also accommodates more tea . On average, Arbor Teas packages contain 27% more tea than they did previously. The result: MORE TEA, LESS PACKAGING!

**Prior to 2015, Arbor Teas used a removable paper tag adhered with a stretchy band to identify each tea in the compostable packing. This original label was not ideal, as customers could neither compost nor recycle the entire label. So, why did we use it? Because, unfortunately, there was no compostable adhesive available on the market prior to 2015. As a result, any label affixed to the compostable package would have rendered it non-compostable.