Sustainable tea goes beyond choosing organic leaves. The best sustainable tea brands prioritize responsible farming, fair wages, transparent sourcing and lower-waste packaging. Many also offer loose-leaf tea or plastic-free tea bags, helping reduce unnecessary packaging and potential microplastic exposure. In this guide, we’re sharing some of our favorite organic and sustainable tea brands, plus what to look for when choosing a better cup.
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What Makes Tea Sustainable?
Like many agricultural products, tea has an environmental and social impact long before it reaches your cup. From how the tea leaves are grown and harvested to how workers are treated and the final product is packaged, there are several things to consider when shopping for more sustainable tea.
Of course, no tea brand has to check every single box to be a better choice. We like to look for brands making meaningful improvements across farming, sourcing, labor, and packaging; and, most importantly, being transparent about how their tea gets from the farm to your kitchen.
1. Organic Farming
Tea is an agricultural crop, so how it is grown can make a big difference. Organic tea is produced without most synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, which can help reduce chemical inputs entering surrounding soil and waterways.
Organic and regenerative farming practices may also focus on improving soil health, supporting biodiversity, and creating healthier growing environments over time. Practices like composting, cover cropping, natural pest management, and maintaining diverse plant life can help build more resilient tea farms.
When shopping, certifications like USDA Organic can make organic claims easier to verify. However, certification can be expensive, particularly for small farms, so we also appreciate tea companies that provide detailed information about their growing practices even when they aren’t certified organic.
2. Ethical Labor & Fair Wages
Sustainable tea isn’t only about the environment. The people growing, harvesting, and processing tea should be part of the conversation, too.
Tea is often grown in regions where low wages and poor working conditions have historically been concerns. That’s why we look for brands that prioritize fair wages, safe working conditions, worker protections, and long-term relationships with farmers and producers.
Fair Trade certifications can provide additional standards around labor and producer livelihoods. Some tea companies also use direct trade or direct sourcing, working closely with individual farms, cooperatives, or producers rather than relying entirely on complicated supply chains.
Direct trade isn’t automatically more ethical, though. Transparency matters. We want brands to explain what direct sourcing actually means to them, how farmers are compensated, and what they’re doing to build lasting relationships within the communities where their tea is grown.
3. Sustainable Packaging
Even sustainably grown tea can come with a surprising amount of packaging. Individually wrapped tea bags, plastic pouches, boxes, and other single-use materials can quickly add up.
One of the simplest lower-waste options is loose-leaf tea, especially when it comes in recyclable cardboard, reusable tins, or minimal packaging. Some brands are also introducing compostable packaging, refill programs, and plastic-free materials.
If you prefer the convenience of tea bags, look for plastic-free tea bags made without polypropylene or other plastic-based sealing materials. We also prefer brands that skip individually wrapping every tea bag when it isn’t necessary.
Packaging isn’t everything, but less material (and materials that can realistically be reused, recycled, or composted) is generally something we like to see.
4. Transparent Sourcing
One of our favorite signs of a more sustainable tea company is simple: they tell you where their tea comes from.
Tea can pass through multiple suppliers and intermediaries before reaching the consumer, making it difficult to know how it was grown or under what conditions it was harvested. Greater traceability helps shoppers understand where the tea was grown, who grew it, and how it was produced.
Some of the most transparent tea brands share the specific country, region, estate, cooperative, or even individual farm responsible for their tea. They may also explain their sourcing relationships, farming practices, processing methods, and how producers are compensated.
We don’t expect every small tea company to have a perfect supply chain, but we do value brands willing to tell us what’s happening behind the scenes. Transparency doesn’t automatically make a product sustainable, but it’s much easier to trust sustainability claims when a brand gives us the information to back them up.
Are Tea Bags Sustainable?
Tea bags can be a convenient way to brew your favorite cup, but are they actually sustainable? The answer really depends on the tea bag.
While a simple paper tea bag might look harmless, some conventional tea bags contain small amounts of plastic used to help seal the bag or keep it from falling apart in hot water. Others are made almost entirely from plastic-based or bioplastic mesh.
If you’re trying to find a more sustainable option, we recommend looking beyond the words “natural” or “compostable” on the box and checking what the entire tea bag (including the filter material, string, tag, and sealant) is actually made from.
Of course, you can avoid the tea bag question altogether by choosing loose-leaf tea and a reusable tea infuser, which is one of our favorite ways to reduce waste while enjoying tea.
Do Tea Bags Contain Plastic?
Some do, and some don’t.
Certain conventional paper tea bags use a small amount of plastic, such as polypropylene, to heat-seal the edges and prevent the bag from opening while it steeps. Plastic mesh and pyramid-style tea bags can also be made from synthetic materials.
This is why a tea bag that looks like paper isn’t necessarily completely plastic-free.
Fortunately, more tea companies are moving toward plastic-free tea bags and clearly stating the materials they use. When shopping, look for brands that disclose not only what the tea bag itself is made from, but also what is used to seal it.
What Are Plastic-Free Tea Bags Made From?
Plastic-free tea bags can be made from materials like paper, cellulose, and other plant fibers. Some may use cotton string and paper tags, while others eliminate strings and tags altogether to reduce unnecessary materials.
But this is where things can get a little confusing.
A brand may advertise a tea bag as “plant-based” or “compostable,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean every component is free from bioplastics. It’s worth checking the entire construction of the tea bag, particularly the material used to seal it.
For the simplest option, we love an unbleached paper tea bag without plastic sealants; or skipping disposable bags altogether and using loose-leaf tea with a reusable stainless steel infuser.
What About PLA Tea Bags?
You may come across tea bags made from PLA, or polylactic acid, particularly when shopping for pyramid-style or “compostable” tea bags. PLA is typically made using renewable plant-based feedstocks, such as corn or sugarcane, rather than conventional fossil-fuel-based inputs.
However, there’s an important distinction to make: plant-based doesn’t automatically mean plastic-free.
PLA is still a type of bioplastic. And while certain PLA products may be marketed as compostable, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can toss them into your backyard compost bin and expect them to disappear alongside your food scraps.
Many compostable bioplastics require the controlled heat, moisture, and other conditions found at industrial composting facilities to properly break down. Access to these facilities also varies considerably depending on where you live.
This doesn’t necessarily mean PLA is always a “bad” material. Using renewable feedstocks can offer advantages over certain conventional plastics, and certified compostable materials may have a place within a better waste system. But we don’t love when “plant-based,” “biodegradable,” and “compostable” are treated as though they automatically mean plastic-free or home compostable.
For us, transparency is key. If a tea brand uses PLA, we’d like them to tell us; and explain exactly what their tea bags are made from, how they should be disposed of, and whether they require commercial composting.
If avoiding plastic and bioplastics altogether is your priority, loose-leaf tea paired with a reusable infuser is probably your best bet.
Our Top Picks for Organic, Sustainable Teas:
1. Dona
Best for: Matcha, chai & thoughtfully sourced teas
Price: Loose Leaf $16 for 30 cups / Matcha $40 for 15 cups
Dona is a small, independently owned tea company based in Brooklyn with a focus on traceable ingredients and equitable sourcing. The brand works directly with small-scale farmers to create shorter, more transparent supply chains. Beyond loose-leaf teas and its popular chai concentrates, Dona is also a great choice for matcha lovers. Their ceremonial matcha is sourced from small producers in Japan and traditionally stone-milled, while their plant-based tea sachets come packaged in recyclable paper canisters.
Why we like it:
- Prioritizes direct trade & small-scale farmers
- Focus on traceable sourced ingredients
- Matcha from small Japanese producers
- Loose-leaf tea available
- Plant-based tea sachets
2. The Tea Spot
Best for: Loose-leaf tea & reusable tea gear
Price: Loose Leaf ~$25 for 37 Cups
The Tea Spot makes sustainable tea drinking easy with its collection of premium loose-leaf teas and reusable Steepware. The brand works with regenerative farming partners and small-batch producers, while encouraging loose-leaf brewing as a simple way to cut down on tea bag packaging. The Tea Spot is also a Certified B Corporation and Public Benefit Corporation.
Why we like it:
- Certified B Corporation
- Focus on loose-leaf tea
- Prioritizes regenerative farming partners
- Small-batch tea production
- Reusable Steepware available
3. Rishi Tea
Best for: Organic & Direct Trade tea
Price: Loose Leaf $21 for 12 Cups
Rishi Tea specializes in premium teas and botanicals sourced directly from growers and artisan producers around the world. More than 95% of the ingredients they import are Certified Organic, and their Direct Trade model helps build long-term relationships with farmers while improving traceability. Their collection includes loose-leaf teas, matcha, botanical blends, concentrates, and tea sachets.
Why we like it:
- More than 95% of imported ingredients are Certified Organic
- Direct Trade sourcing model
- Loose-leaf teas available
- Wide variety of teas and botanicals
Worth knowing: Rishi’s tea sachets are made with PLA, a plant-derived bioplastic. They are designed for commercial composting conditions rather than typical backyard composting, so loose leaf is our preferred option from the brand.
Is Loose-Leaf Tea More Sustainable?
In many cases, loose-leaf tea can be a more sustainable choice than individually packaged tea bags, particularly when it comes to reducing packaging and single-use materials.
Traditional tea bags can come with quite a few extras; the bag itself, string, tag, staple, individual wrapper, and outer box. Loose-leaf tea eliminates many of these components and can often be purchased in larger quantities or even in bulk.
One of our favorite ways to enjoy loose-leaf tea is with a reusable stainless steel tea infuser. Instead of throwing away a tea bag every time you make a cup, the same infuser can be washed and reused for years.
Depending on the type and quality of the tea, some loose tea leaves can also be steeped multiple times, allowing you to get more cups from the same leaves.
Loose-leaf tea can also make it easier to reduce packaging waste. Look for brands offering tea in reusable tins, recyclable paper packaging, refill pouches, or bulk quantities. If you have a local tea shop or bulk store, you may even be able to refill a container you already own.
Some of the potential sustainability benefits of loose-leaf tea include:
- Less overall packaging
- No individual tea bags
- No strings, staples, tags, or wrappers
- Ability to purchase tea in bulk
- Reusable tea infusers instead of disposable bags
- Tea leaves that may be steeped multiple times
- Reusable storage tins and glass jars
Of course, loose-leaf tea isn’t automatically sustainable. Packaging is only one part of a tea’s environmental footprint. How the tea is grown, who produced it, how workers are treated, how transparent the supply chain is, and how far the tea travels still matter.
A conventional loose-leaf tea grown with intensive agricultural practices and little supply-chain transparency isn’t necessarily a better choice simply because it skips the tea bag.
For us, the best option is one that brings these qualities together: responsibly grown and ethically sourced loose-leaf tea with transparent sourcing and minimal packaging. And if you can purchase it in bulk and store it in a jar or tin you already own, even better.
Organic Tea vs. Conventional Tea
If you’re trying to choose a more sustainable tea, you may be wondering whether organic tea is actually better than conventional tea. The biggest difference comes down to how the tea is grown and which agricultural inputs can be used.
What Is Organic Tea?
Organic tea is grown according to established organic agricultural standards, which restrict the use of certain synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Organic farming may instead rely on practices like composting, crop rotation, natural pest management, and other methods designed to support healthier soils and ecosystems.
For shoppers, certified organic tea can also make certain claims easier to verify. In the United States, for example, looking for the USDA Organic seal provides an established standard rather than requiring you to rely solely on a brand’s use of words like “natural” or “clean.”
However, it’s important to remember that organic doesn’t automatically mean sustainable in every way.
Organic certification primarily tells us about how an agricultural product was grown and processed according to the applicable organic standards. It doesn’t inherently guarantee that tea workers received living wages, worked under fair conditions, or that farmers received a fair price for their crops.
That’s where certifications and sourcing practices such as Fair Trade, direct sourcing, supply-chain transparency, and long-term farmer relationships become important.
What Is Conventional Tea?
Conventional tea isn’t required to follow organic farming standards, which means growers may use synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers that would be restricted or prohibited under organic certification.
That doesn’t automatically make every conventional tea unsustainable, though.
A smaller tea producer, for example, might use thoughtful farming practices without carrying an organic certification. Certifications can be expensive and time-consuming, particularly for small farms and producers.
This is why we like to look at the bigger picture rather than relying on a single label.
When choosing tea, consider how it was grown, where it came from, who produced it, how workers are treated, how transparent the company is about its supply chain, and how the finished tea is packaged.
Is Organic Tea More Sustainable?
Organic certification can be a helpful sustainability marker, particularly if reducing certain synthetic agricultural inputs is important to you. But we don’t consider the word “organic” the end of the conversation.
Ideally, we like to see tea brands combining responsible farming practices with ethical sourcing, fair labor standards, transparent supply chains, and lower-waste packaging.
What Certifications Should You Look for on Tea?
Tea certifications can make it easier to identify products that meet certain environmental, agricultural, or social standards. But not every certification means the same thing. Some focus primarily on how tea is grown, while others address labor conditions, producer livelihoods, biodiversity, or a company’s overall environmental and social practices.
Here are a few certifications you may come across when shopping for more sustainable and ethical tea.
1. USDA Organic
The USDA Organic seal tells you that a tea has been produced according to USDA organic agricultural and processing standards.
For tea growers, this means following requirements that restrict the use of many synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and prohibit GMOs, among other standards. Organic agriculture also emphasizes practices intended to support soil health and ecological balance.
However, USDA Organic certification shouldn’t be confused with an ethical labor certification. Organic tells us much more about how the tea was grown than how much the people who grew or harvested it were paid.
2. Fairtrade & Fair Trade Certified
If you’re particularly concerned about the people behind your tea, look for Fairtrade or Fair Trade Certified products.
While specific standards depend on the certification program and supply chain, Fair Trade systems address issues such as working conditions, producer protections, pricing and premiums, labor rights, and community development.
Because tea production can involve complex global supply chains, we think the social side of sustainability deserves just as much attention as the environmental side.
It’s also worth remembering that Fair Trade and organic are two different things. A tea can be Fair Trade without being certified organic and organic without being Fair Trade.
3. Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance certification is another label you may find on tea. Its certification program includes environmental and social requirements related to areas such as biodiversity, natural resources, farming practices, human rights, and farmer livelihoods.
Rather than focusing solely on whether a crop is organic, Rainforest Alliance takes a broader approach to improving agricultural supply chains.
Again, this doesn’t necessarily mean a Rainforest Alliance Certified tea is organic. If organic farming is particularly important to you, look for an organic certification separately.
4. Regenerative Organic Certified®
You may also come across Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC), although it isn’t as common on tea as some of the certifications above.
ROC builds upon organic standards while incorporating requirements across three main areas: soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness. For tea, the most relevant considerations are typically soil health and social fairness.
Regenerative agriculture is especially interesting because it moves the conversation beyond simply avoiding certain inputs and toward how farming practices can actively support healthier soils and more resilient agricultural systems.
If a tea brand carries ROC certification, we consider it a particularly interesting certification to look into—but its absence certainly isn’t a dealbreaker.
5. Certified B Corporation
B Corp certification is a little different from the other certifications on this list because it evaluates the company rather than certifying that the tea itself is organic or sustainably grown.
Certified B Corporations are evaluated by B Lab across areas of a company’s social and environmental impact, accountability, and transparency.
We like seeing tea companies become Certified B Corps because it can provide another layer of accountability around how a business operates. However, a B Corp logo doesn’t mean the tea inside the box is organic, Fair Trade, or grown using regenerative practices. You’ll still want to look at the individual product and the company’s sourcing information.
Does Sustainable Tea Have to Be Certified?
Not necessarily.
A lack of certification doesn’t automatically mean a tea brand is unsustainable. Certifications can be expensive and require significant resources, which may make them less accessible to smaller farms, independent growers, and small businesses.
That’s why we don’t judge a tea solely by the number of logos printed on its packaging.
We also look for transparent sourcing, clearly stated farming practices, information about where the tea was grown, fair labor policies, direct or long-term relationships with growers, and honest communication about packaging and environmental impact.
Certifications can make sustainability claims easier to verify, but they’re just one piece of the puzzle. Sometimes a smaller tea company that can tell you exactly where its tea came from, who grew it, and how that person was compensated can offer incredibly meaningful transparency; even without a long list of certifications.
And remember: organic and Fair Trade aren’t interchangeable. Organic certification primarily addresses how ingredients are grown and processed, while Fair Trade standards focus more heavily on social and economic considerations for farmers and workers.
A tea carrying both certifications (or a brand providing strong transparency around both its environmental and social practices) can give you a much fuller picture of what’s behind your cup.
