Single-use teabags produce vital waste and enormous quantities of plastic tea luggage go into landfills. With the rising demand for prime quality tea and matcha, customers are transferring away from tea luggage but in addition struggling to seek out high quality tea from a model they’ll belief.

Sho Tasaki and Celia Yu based Senbird Tea in 2018 after being confronted with such a dilemma. Senbird Tea gives avid tea drinkers the Japanese tea expertise with an eco-friendly method that can also be zero waste.

With a curated, natural assortment of free leaf Japanese teas, Senbird Tea additionally focuses on packaging design that maintains the standard of the tea, whereas being lovely sufficient to reward and share with others. The New York-based firm has since attracted a loyal buyer base throughout direct-to-consumer and e-commerce channels. This 12 months, Senbird Tea made its retail debut in native Japanese markets in New York Metropolis corresponding to Yamadaya, Japan Village, and Midoriya, and cafes and eating places throughout the US.

As one of many few tea corporations which have joined 1% for the Planet, an organisation whose members contribute a minimum of one % of their annual income to environmental causes, Senbird Tea can also be difficult the established order on the environmental entrance by providing refillable tea tins to encourage an eco-friendly method to tea ingesting, whereas additionally supporting sustainable, natural tea farming in Japan.

I just lately sat down with Sho Tasaki and Celia Yu to be taught extra about Senbird Tea’s aim to revolutionize the tea business with a dedication to sustainability, custom, and innovation.

Christopher Marquis: How was Senbird Tea based, and what impressed the creation of the model? Are you able to share the story behind the identify “Senbird” and its significance?

Sho Tasaki: My love for tea began in my childhood with my grandmother in Japan, who was a tea ceremony teacher. She taught me concerning the tradition of Japanese tea and the significance of a wholesome thoughts and physique. After assembly my co-founder Celia and each being tea lovers, we regularly traveled to Japan and tasted unbelievable Japanese teas. As a result of we had been shocked by the restricted selection and high quality again house in the US, we set out for a visit on to the supply of Japan’s greatest tea – the tea farmers themselves. Throughout these visits, we realized concerning the artwork and traditions of tea making in small batches. Impressed by the data and dedication of our farmers, we based Senbird Tea to share the goodness of Japanese tea.

Celia Yu: The identify Senbird pays respect to Sen No Rikyu, the tea grasp and pioneer of the Japanese tea ceremony. Nevertheless, “Sen” can also be referencing Sencha, the basic Japanese inexperienced tea that we all know and love. We wished to honor Japanese tradition so the Senbird brand is impressed by Japan’s flag, the pink solar (hinomaru; 日の丸) that rises and units every day. Within the heart is a chook with wings formed like tea leaves representing the ability of tea in supporting a wholesome thoughts, physique and spirit.

Marquis: How does Senbird Tea collaborate with tea farmers and artisans to make sure the standard and authenticity of its merchandise?

Tasaki: At Senbird Tea, we’re dedicated to sourcing the best teas whereas selling sustainable and moral farming practices. We collaborate instantly with family-owned and small-scale tea farmers, who use natural strategies to domesticate their crops. These farmers acknowledge that the soil is likely one of the most necessary features of manufacturing high-quality tea, they usually take nice care to keep up its well being and fertility. Actually, one of many farmers we work with even makes use of fermented yogurt and soybeans as pure diet for the teas.

Yu: By partnering with these devoted farmers and artisans, we’re in a position to make sure the authenticity and high quality of our merchandise. Every tea is rigorously chosen and crafted in small batches to protect its distinctive taste and aroma. We preserve strict high quality management measures to make sure that the teas are recent and scrumptious.

Along with supporting sustainable farming practices, we’re dedicated to truthful compensation for the farmers and artisans we work with. By eliminating the middlemen and dealing instantly with these suppliers, Senbird Tea can provide prospects the best teas whereas additionally selling social and environmental duty.

Marquis: What position does Japanese tea tradition play in shaping Senbird Tea’s product choices and model philosophy?

Tasaki: Being Japanese American, my heritage has performed a major position in shaping Senbird Tea’s product choices and model philosophy. Celia and I had been impressed by the respect and reverence for tea that’s deeply ingrained in Japanese tradition. We sought to create a model that not solely provided premium teas, but in addition mirrored the values of mindfulness, simplicity, and concord which might be central to Japanese tea tradition.

This affect is obvious in our product choices, which embrace a variety of conventional Japanese teas corresponding to sencha, gyokuro, and matcha. These teas are recognized for his or her nuanced flavors, wealthy histories, and well being advantages. Senbird additionally gives a collection of tea equipment, together with conventional teaware and utensils, that enable prospects to expertise the total ritual of getting ready and having fun with Japanese tea.

Yu: Past our merchandise, we’re dedicated to selling mindfulness and wellness by way of tea, encouraging prospects to take a second to decelerate and savor the expertise of ingesting tea. Senbird Tea emphasizes sustainability and moral sourcing, reflecting the Japanese worth of respect for the surroundings and social duty. That is why we’re revolutionizing the tea business with refillable tea tins – the primary within the business. These hermetic tea tins characteristic a modern, minimalist design that look lovely in your cabinets and are made for gifting.

Japanese tea tradition is a guiding affect in Senbird Tea’s dedication to high quality, authenticity, and social duty. Our dedication to those values has earned us a loyal following amongst tea fanatics who share our ardour for mindfulness and sustainability. We need to encourage extra moments of appreciation with each cup of tea.

Marquis: Are you able to describe why Senbird makes use of refillable tea tins and what’s the means of refilling Senbird tea tins?

Tasaki: Senbird’s use of refillable tea tins is rooted in our dedication to sustainability and zero-waste tea ingesting. We perceive the affect that single-use packaging can have on the surroundings and we attempt to reduce it as a lot as potential.

By utilizing refillable tea tins, we cut back the quantity of waste generated from packaging supplies. Actually, our hermetic tea tins are designed to lock out moisture and light-weight, which retains the aroma and taste of tea recent for longer. Moreover, our refillable tea tins are fabricated from sturdy supplies that can be utilized over and over, guaranteeing that they’re made to final.

Yu: The method of refilling Senbird tea tins is straightforward and handy. Upon getting completed your tea, you’ll be able to go to our web site and choose the refill possibility in your chosen tea. We’ll then ship you a refill pack that can be utilized to refill your tea tin. The refill pack is created from sustainable supplies and is designed to reduce waste. You’ll be able to then merely pour the tea into your tea tin and luxuriate in your recent tea!

Tasaki: It is price noting that our use of refillable tea tins is the primary within the Japanese tea business. We consider that by setting this instance, we will encourage different corporations to undertake sustainable practices and cut back their environmental affect. At Senbird, we’re dedicated to main the best way in direction of a extra sustainable future and our use of refillable tea tins is only one instance of how we’re working in direction of that aim.

Yu: We’re additionally a proud member of 1% for the Planet, a worldwide community of companies that donate 1% of their annual gross sales to environmental organizations. By taking part on this program, we’re capable of assist a variety of environmental initiatives that align with our dedication to sustainability.

Marquis: What has shopper response to the tea tins been?

Yu: The response to our refillable tea tins has been overwhelmingly constructive! We’ve acquired many compliments from prospects concerning the comfort of the refill course of, the standard of our teas and exquisite design of the tea tins, and the constructive affect on the surroundings. One buyer shared, “I all the time reuse my tins and want extra corporations do refills as a result of I can’t hold all of the containers in my place however I like repurchasing the tea that I like.”

Tasaki: Prospects recognize that the tea tins are refillable and that they’re contributing to a sustainable future by utilizing them. We’re proud to be the primary within the Japanese tea business to make use of refillable tea tins and we’re thrilled to see that our prospects are embracing this eco-friendly method to tea ingesting.