Over one hundred years ago, 20,000 tea chests arrived in Glasgow, addressed to Sir Thomas Lipton. Packed with delicious leaves from the Dambatenne Tea Plantation in Ceylon’s high country, it marked the humble beginnings of Lipton tea.
Today, Lipton is owned by Unilever, the biggest tea company in the world. Their plantations produce 72,000 tonnes of tea a year – or enough to fill 29 billion tea bags. And Sir Thomas would be happy to know they’re using their unique position to be a positive force for both planet and people.
Unilever has joined forces with the Rainforest Alliance and the Ethical Tea Partnership as part of their commitment to sustainability. This means that when you offer any range of Lipton tea to your customers, you can tell them it’s sustainable from crop to cup.The quickest way to share this information? Simply add the ‘green frog’ logo to your menus/menu boards to show your customers that the product is Rainforest Alliance Certified. Many other businesses, including Starbucks, have already successfully introduced this clever selling technique. When your customers see the certificate, eco-conscious message will make them feel good about buying your teas.
You’ll probably have already noticed the Rainforest Alliance certification on Lipton products – environmental protection, social equity and economic viability are at the heart of the work we do with our tea farmers. Not only does this support their future livelihoods, it protects the planet for the future.
Want to see it in action? Watch this short film about Kericho, our largest tea estate in Kenya, where we employ 16,000 people, help support 60,000 dependents, and provide housing and schools. Discover how we’re helping our farmers achieve their dreams including training to become marathon runners, conservationists and inventors, too.
