Sustainability: Our Tea for Good Commitment

At Pluck, we have been internationally recognized by the Tea Associations of Canada and the US for being one of the most sustainable tea companies in the world. 

Our Product:

We source our teas from Ethical Tea Partnership approved gardens from around the world. We engage in direct - trade relationships wherever possible, (Japan, Rwanda, Kenya, Taiwan, etc) and employ trusted tea brokers to consolidate shipments of teas in other parts of the word to save carbon and time to market. Learn more about our sourcing here.

Pluck tea bags are made by us in Toronto, are plant – based, and 100% compostable and petroleum plastic – free. Our tea bag material is made from non-GMO corn based material. Learn more here. 

All of our whole leaf teas are blended and packed in Toronto, using only natural ingredients.

Our Organic teas are third party certified by Pro – Cert.

Local Matters.

We source many ingredients (berries, herbs, etc) that are grown right here in Canada.  Cranberries, lavender, sunflowers, lemon verbena, mint, grape skins, and apples are all examples. 

Our local sourcing mandate has won us the distinction of being a ‘Preferred Purveyor’ within the Feast ON program, a designation that highlights restaurants with a commitment to local food procurement. We are the only tea company that has met their strict standards for the program.

Upcycling to Divert Food Waste

Rather than turning to international industry wholesalers for our ingredients, wherever possible we develop upcycling programs in partnership with local local food makers.  Citrus peels from organic juice makers, ice wine grape skins saved from Niagara vineyards, and cacao shells from bean – to – bar chocolate makers are all current examples.  These ingredients are reformatted and dried to our specifications, and make their way into many of our most popular restaurant tea and retail tea blends.

Our People:

At Pluck we prefer employing people over machines.  We hand – blend and pack teas daily with our growing production team at our own facility in midtown Toronto.  We pay above the legal minimum wage, and have done so since day one. Having our amazing team's eyes on our ingredients allows us to ensure optimal freshness and quality. (In contrast, many tea companies pack by machine offshore.)

Packaging

Our packaging is made in Ontario for us by a Canadian company, using top quality materials that are also produced in Canada. In October 2020, we look forward to launching our 100% compostable packaging.

Our retail tea boxes contain recycled paper, and are recyclable.  We avoid packaging in retail tins, as they create waste and are shipped empty across long distances. We use a resealable inner bag within these boxes to preserve freshness.

Wholesale Sustainability

Our glass jars and racks for office tea customers are all made in Toronto.  This rack allows for a ‘zero waste’ sustainable tea solution at work.

We do not overwrap (envelope) individual tea bags, we provide stainless steel tongs for service, reducing waste substantially. (Also reducing ‘shrinkage’ when wrapped tea bags are offered in an open area... who hasn't slipped a couple of extra tea bags into their purse or pocket at a convention?!)

Our shipping cartons are made in Toronto, to our precise specifications to maximize filling and reduce waste.

Our Buy - Back Program for Restaurants

Through our restaurant Tea for Good buy – back program, we purchase existing tea inventories from new foodservice customers and donate those to local women's shelters and warming centres in Toronto. 

Our Place:

The Pluck Tea blending and packing facility is located near to our largest customer concentration in midtown Toronto.

We are third party certified for GMP (Good Manufacturing Processes) and HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Procedures) practices.

Our production area is lit naturally by skylights, and in the early morning and late evenings by LED lighting, reducing our energy consumption substantially.

Upon move – in, we organized and continue to lead a recycling program for all tenants in the building, as none existed on arrival.

Tea for Good.  It’s our promise to you.

 

Pluck Tea was thrilled to be recognized by the Tea Association of Canada and the US with the 2018 sustainability award at the North American Tea Conference.