Working on the
environmental footprint
Tea's environmental footrpint
Understanding the environmental impact of our supply chains
Every cup of tea has a story and a footprint. From farming and processing to transport, blending, packaging and brewing, each step in the journey releases greenhouse gases. At Van Rees Group, we map these emissions across our operations and the wider supply chain. This insight helps us start meaningful conversations with suppliers, partners and customers about shared challenges and opportunities for a more sustainable tea industry.
Carbon emissions in the tea supply chain
Every stage in tea’s journey from crop to cup generates carbon emissions
The largest share comes from activities both upstream and downstream of our operations. Upstream, emissions mainly come from tea growing, including land use, fertilisers and possible pesticide applications to protect the crops. They also come from production, especially from heat generation for drying. Downstream, emissions are linked to packaging small volumes and teabags, as well as the energy used to boil water for household consumption.
We estimate that only around 4 to 5 percent of carbon emissions in the journey from the crop to our facilities comes from our activities. This includes transportation from origin to consumer markets, blending, bulk packaging and warehousing.
Overview: carbon emissions across the tea supply chain
