When we launched Joy’s Teaspoon, all of our teas were offered solely in tins. The tins were simple – silver with air-tight lids – and we carried three sizes. They were also recyclable and easy to re-purpose, easy to stack in a cabinet, and great looking. I swore we would never sell our teas in anything else.
Then, about six months ago, we transitioned to Kraft paper-lined bags. There are a handful of reasons why we switched, but I want to touch on the Top 4. We still offer all of our teas in one tin size. We didn’t entirely do away with them, but we wanted to have the bags be the primary packaging for our teas.
First of all, the bags are lighter. This is important for both shipping from our vendors as well as shipping out to our customers. Gas for shipping is one of the largest contributors to our carbon footprint. By reducing the weight of packages coming into, and leaving, Joy’s Teaspoon, we help to reduce that footprint.
Secondly, the bags are made from post-consumer recycled materials and are simple to recycle, unlike the tins, which are created from fresh materials.
Third, we were able to lower the prices of all of our teas by offering them in the bags. Believe it or not, those tins are pricey, even in a wholesale setting. The bags cost 10% of what we were paying for the tins and we were able to extend that price break to our customers.
Finally, because we bag/tin our teas as they are ordered, and we store our teas in airtight, light-blocking containers, the freshness of the tea when shipped has not suffered.
We’ve had a great deal of feedback since changing to bags. Many of our customers appreciated the price break, which leads me to wonder: How important is the make-up of the packaging when you are purchasing tea? Do you look for teas in tins? Do you, like me, have a bunch of tins to put the tea into, making the packaging unimportant? Does the packaging have any bearing on what you purchase?
The post A different kind of tea bag appeared first on T Ching.