Comments on: The ethics of Tetley Tea Bags

By: PAUL JENKINSON

PAUL JENKINSON — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:02:00 +0000

Hi Robert, very nice to notice your article. Our company has been around some 20 years and sells mainly recycled produce within the pet industry. We are currently packaging a small amount of the tea bag waste that you are talking about, but i am genuinely needing to source another 100 tonnes per week plus. If you have any leads i would be vey grateful if you would forward them. Regards Paul

By: Robert Sharp » Blog Archive » The Ethics of Tetley Tea: Response

Robert Sharp » Blog Archive » The Ethics of Tetley Tea: Response — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 02:53:52 +0000

[...] I’m delighted to announce that Tetley have responded fully and promptly to last week’s letter, where I asked some questions regarding Tetley’s environmental and ethical policy. A two page letter from Customer Services Advisor Mary Reid (printed on recycled paper I may add), fully outlined Tetley’s activities in this area. It is our firm belief that estates who supply our tea treat their workers fairly… However, we recognise that ‘believing it’ is simply not enough. The issue is of unversal interest and it is to everyone’s benefit - both the estates overseas and packers like ourselves in the UK - to make sure that practices in the producing countries are more visible to the consumer, who may be many thousands of miles away. [...]

By: Clarice

Clarice — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 23:54:24 +0000

We could buy only FairTrade tea, but then we would be like vegetarians: A minority who might have a clearer conscience but the phenomenon we object to would still continue. I think the only consistent position is to buy FairTrade tea but also to pursue and put pressure on the non-fair trade brands, whose lower prices and market dominance will likely secure the loyalty of the majority of buyers who might be a) disinterested in such issues and/or b) rather poor and can’t afford to pay for Fair Trade.

By: Sunny

Sunny — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 03:55:32 +0000

That is true, but you could buy from a multi-national that prefers to employ people with better wages, or gives its workers better conditions.

We have vertical companies now - going from producing the product all the way to retail. So if we buy fairtrade tea, the assumption is they don’t screw their workers at least, even if Tetley do.

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 11:57:53 +0000

This is another facet to the whole ‘ethical consumer’ concept, brought to the fore by the Make Poverty History campaigns earlier this year. If the inequalities are introduced in the country of production, not implemented by some multi-national company, then the accusation that we are screwing the workers doesn’t ring true.

At what point in the chain does someone take responsibility for these inequalities? Is it the consumer, the companies and their ‘corporate social responsibility’, or governments?

By: Sunny

Sunny — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 03:19:06 +0000

I think Tetley is owned by an Indian company. If yes, that means:
1) They definitely won’t reply to your letter and in all honestly will view your letter with mild alarm.
2) They will have reduced the wages of their employees since they took the company over. Indians are best at screwing over Indians

By: Kathy

Kathy — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 10:08:11 +0000

Well let’s get real and dispense with the tea “bag” all together - back to basics and tea-leaves, I need to know what my future holds after all

By: Robert

Robert — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 02:11:56 +0000

I’m not sure you know, the pyramids perculate so well…

And we haven’t even begun to talk about Green Teas yet. This is clearly a major research project.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 00:17:53 +0000

Pyramid shaped bags are also available which I would have thought would again take more energy and resources for not much of a significant return.