Compostable Sachet Update

Compostable Sachet Update

Here’s where we stand on updating our nylon sachets to compostable materials.

Check out our June 2023 update! 

 

We are getting serious about the transition away from nylon. For the last few weeks, over 90% of our sachets are made from compostable sugarcane. Over time, we will complete this transition. We are still running Hot Cinnamon in the old nylon sachets. Over time, we will run trials for that.

Below is a refresher on our last update:

One question we often get here at Harney & Sons is if we use plastic for our sachets. First, we welcome these questions because we share our customers’ concerns for what we put in our bodies and the environment, and second because we want to be fully transparent about our products. So thank you for asking!

To begin, let’s note the correct definition of “plastic” -- plastic is something that can be molded or shaped easily (unlike rock). Plastic materials have often come from petroleum byproducts. Things have changed over the last decade or so, however, with cornstarch becoming a plant-based source used in plastics. But even cornstarch used some genetically modified material, so while a better solution, not the perfect one. Progress is being made, however, as non-GMO sugarcane has become available in the last few years. 

Today, we’re pleased to be able to say that almost 40% of the material used to enclose our teas is from compostable sugarcane. In August of this year, it was zero percent, so we feel like we’re making good progress!

At this point, we are using these new bags on our 50-count sachets and Classic line. While we want to offer this new material for all our sachet teas, it will take some time to get to 100%. It will not surprise anyone to hear that the pandemic significantly slowed down our ability to get up to speed as quickly as we wanted to, but we are getting there!

As I shared in  our August update, we had three new machines installed that can run this new material, which is how we went from 0-40%. Our remaining machines are currently being retrofitted to be able to run this new material. It’s a bit like installing seat belts on a 1960’s car or think about how they had to make a carbon dioxide scrubber on the damaged Apollo 13 rocket using only what they had on board. There is experimentation. Earlier this month, we had a visit from the Japanese manufacturer. He is a U.S.-based salesman, not a technician since they cannot travel from Japan to the U.S. yet. He was able to come up with a workaround that should make all the old machines able to handle this new material. We’re eager to try the solution out -- fingers crossed!

Meanwhile, we are running nylon on the remaining machines. Our goal is to get them converted to sugarcane material ASAP.

I also recently met with scientists at the Cary Institute. The Institute will start an inquiry into making industrial compostable material biodegrade in a home compost pile, which it currently is not. This would be a game changer. Don’t you love science?!

Harney & Sons is also working on converting other petroleum-based packaging into compostable material. As you can see, there’s a lot going on, and as soon as we’ve got news to share, we’ll shout it from the rooftops! Thanks for your patience as we slowly turn this battleship around.

 

16 comments

Ryan

Editing my previous comment — I just found the update linked above, which has newer information. I originally thought that it was just a note, rather than a link, and that it referred to an update here on this page. I recommend others follow the link and read the update before commenting.

Editing my previous comment — I just found the update linked above, which has newer information. I originally thought that it was just a note, rather than a link, and that it referred to an update here on this page. I recommend others follow the link and read the update before commenting.

Ryan

I’m not sure what is meant. 4 out of every 10 tea bags you sell are compostable? Or 40% of a given tea bag is made of compostable material (but as a result, the bag has to be thrown away because it’s not entirely compostable)?

If the latter, I do get that you need to make incremental progress, but that’s still a long way away. If you mean the former, then where do we look on your packages to figure out which we’ve got? I’ve got a lemon verbena package, 50-count, and nothing on the package tells me one way or the other.

I’m not sure what is meant. 4 out of every 10 tea bags you sell are compostable? Or 40% of a given tea bag is made of compostable material (but as a result, the bag has to be thrown away because it’s not entirely compostable)?

If the latter, I do get that you need to make incremental progress, but that’s still a long way away. If you mean the former, then where do we look on your packages to figure out which we’ve got? I’ve got a lemon verbena package, 50-count, and nothing on the package tells me one way or the other.

Deborah

Wonderful news that you are working hard to make your products more earth-friendly! I have long enjoyed your high quality teas, but can’t bring myself to buy plastic sachets. I’m also glad to hear that you are making your packaging biodegradable. Please continue this work—and market these important changes. I know many for whom the move away from plastic packaging would be a selling point when considering consumer purchases.

Wonderful news that you are working hard to make your products more earth-friendly! I have long enjoyed your high quality teas, but can’t bring myself to buy plastic sachets. I’m also glad to hear that you are making your packaging biodegradable. Please continue this work—and market these important changes. I know many for whom the move away from plastic packaging would be a selling point when considering consumer purchases.

Anthony Gadient

If we look at what plastic is doing to our oceans, there is nothing more important than moving to non-plastic/compostable solutions wherever possible, and a mandated 100% recyclable plastic everywhere else. Thank you for your efforts to move to a non-plastic compostable solution. I encourage you to get to 100% compostable materials as fast as possible.

If we look at what plastic is doing to our oceans, there is nothing more important than moving to non-plastic/compostable solutions wherever possible, and a mandated 100% recyclable plastic everywhere else. Thank you for your efforts to move to a non-plastic compostable solution. I encourage you to get to 100% compostable materials as fast as possible.

Greg Kinnear

Meanwhile, Numi—whose teabags, strings, and labels have long been fully compostable—now uses plant-based compostable wrappers, as well. But this is great…any progress is good progress.

Meanwhile, Numi—whose teabags, strings, and labels have long been fully compostable—now uses plant-based compostable wrappers, as well. But this is great…any progress is good progress.

Greg Buchold

Glad to hear that you are switching to a non-nylon tea bags. I’m a scientist working at a cancer center and I worry about plastic tea bags being swallowed by wildlife like fish and cetaceans, the endocrine disruptors that leach from plastic that tea drinkers might be consuming when they steep the tea bags in water, and having to cut the tea bags apart to compost the tea remnants without putting plastic in my compost pile. I do love your hot cinnamon tea and the Williamsburg Holiday Heritage tea blends. They are great to sooth my throat when I get sick, I’m assuming due to the numbing qualities of clove oil. I had hoped to visit the shop in New York when I was visiting the Hudson Valley but just didn’t have time to swing by. Hopefully next time.

Glad to hear that you are switching to a non-nylon tea bags. I’m a scientist working at a cancer center and I worry about plastic tea bags being swallowed by wildlife like fish and cetaceans, the endocrine disruptors that leach from plastic that tea drinkers might be consuming when they steep the tea bags in water, and having to cut the tea bags apart to compost the tea remnants without putting plastic in my compost pile. I do love your hot cinnamon tea and the Williamsburg Holiday Heritage tea blends. They are great to sooth my throat when I get sick, I’m assuming due to the numbing qualities of clove oil. I had hoped to visit the shop in New York when I was visiting the Hudson Valley but just didn’t have time to swing by. Hopefully next time.

Juli

What is wrong with paper tea bags? I recently purchased a tin of hot cinnamon sunset. I really love the tea but won’t be buying it again. The plastic pouches was a huge disappointment.

What is wrong with paper tea bags? I recently purchased a tin of hot cinnamon sunset. I really love the tea but won’t be buying it again. The plastic pouches was a huge disappointment.

JimaLee

Thank you! I really appreciate the update. And I recognize the difficulties in moving away from plastic and into a sustainable solution. What a challenge for all of us, on all fronts. I also want to thank you for working toward a better solution for packaging. These are the efforts that will continue to make me look to Harney’s for all my tea. Don’t you love Harney’s?!?

Thank you! I really appreciate the update. And I recognize the difficulties in moving away from plastic and into a sustainable solution. What a challenge for all of us, on all fronts. I also want to thank you for working toward a better solution for packaging. These are the efforts that will continue to make me look to Harney’s for all my tea. Don’t you love Harney’s?!?

Wanda Pease

This is good news although I am not a fan of the movement against GMO crops except that the rule that allowed the genes of natural organisms to be patented (I alone have a lifetime patent on the genes that make up me!). Still the move to a completely compostable material is wonderful!

This is good news although I am not a fan of the movement against GMO crops except that the rule that allowed the genes of natural organisms to be patented (I alone have a lifetime patent on the genes that make up me!). Still the move to a completely compostable material is wonderful!

Mark

paper would be better. tagless. no glue. no staples.

paper would be better. tagless. no glue. no staples.

Dawn Traver

Thank you so much for your efforts to change your teas’ packaging. I’d love to be able to throw the whole used teabag into my compost bin one day.

Thank you so much for your efforts to change your teas’ packaging. I’d love to be able to throw the whole used teabag into my compost bin one day.

Elizabeth Crick

Very commendable!
Will you please consider allowing the purchase of tea bags as a refill to your tins? I really hate just throwing out your tins; I like the look of them and would really like to refill them, with the same tea when I finish the tin. It also would be the environmentally best thing to do!

I hope you will seriously consider this suggestion! What I do now is re-buy a same name tea, different company, to fill my Harney tin. I would much rather support you!

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Very commendable!
Will you please consider allowing the purchase of tea bags as a refill to your tins? I really hate just throwing out your tins; I like the look of them and would really like to refill them, with the same tea when I finish the tin. It also would be the environmentally best thing to do!

I hope you will seriously consider this suggestion! What I do now is re-buy a same name tea, different company, to fill my Harney tin. I would much rather support you!

Sincerely,
Elizabeth

Jody

Love this update! It’s cool to see how you folks are trying to keep your products both healthy for consumers and for the world we were given to steward. :) Thanks for your hard work on this!

Love this update! It’s cool to see how you folks are trying to keep your products both healthy for consumers and for the world we were given to steward. :) Thanks for your hard work on this!

Carolyn Lowe

I cannot imagine what it is like trying to keep up with regulations, be a conscientious manufacturer, a good employer, be cost efficient, and please your customers.. Hats off to you! Thanks for supplying excellent products!

I cannot imagine what it is like trying to keep up with regulations, be a conscientious manufacturer, a good employer, be cost efficient, and please your customers.. Hats off to you! Thanks for supplying excellent products!

Pat O'Brien

Bravo and congrats on your efforts in making the shift to materials that are less harmful to the planet. Thank you!

Bravo and congrats on your efforts in making the shift to materials that are less harmful to the planet. Thank you!

Dan Herrera

Love Science and the focus you guys have on moving to a earth friendly sachet material. Also love your Earl Grey so win, win! Keep up the great work.

Love Science and the focus you guys have on moving to a earth friendly sachet material. Also love your Earl Grey so win, win! Keep up the great work.

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