Problem

Worldwide consumption and production — a driving force of the global economy — rest on the use of the natural environment and resources in a way that continues to have destructive impacts on the planet.

Economic and social progress over the last century has been accompanied by environmental degradation that is endangering the very systems on which our future development — indeed, our very survival — depends.

Each year, an estimated one-third of all food produced – equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes worth around $1 trillion – ends up rotting in the bins of consumers and retailers, or spoiling due to poor transportation and harvesting practices.

Sustainable consumption and production is about doing more and better with less. It is also about decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, increasing resource efficiency and promoting sustainable lifestyles.

Sustainable consumption and production can also contribute substantially to poverty alleviation and the transition towards low-carbon and green economies.

Solution

HOUSE of WARIS Botanicals was catalyzed by the radical little idea of examining what thoughtful living means in our world today. We care about how we treat our bodies and the planet and want to affect positive change within our community and beyond.

For the past few years, I have been visiting farms and tea estates, learning about sustainable sourcing, developing exciting botanical blends, and working with herbalists to make you something special.

Besides the sourcing and blending, I wanted to put careful thought and consideration into our packaging. Instead of using the same tin or box that every other tea and herbals company uses we started from scratch and designed our own tin. It took a long time to create something so simple.

First I was going to put it in a box.  But creating more garbage in the world really bothered me. So I wanted to create something that you wouldn’t want to throw away. Something you would put jelly beans in, rubber bands (do people still use rubber bands?), pencils, widgets, and knick-knacks. But we cut all of that out. It’s just the beautiful tin you see here. If you reuse your tin, you’ve helped us eliminate waste. Our teabags are made of a biodegradable, natural, non-toxic material called Soilon and the seams are sealed with ultrasonic technology, so no glue is used. We want to make sure our tea bags are as safe, and compostable, as the ingredients inside.