9 Sustainable Tea Brands To Make Your Day Matcha Better

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Spilling The Tea On The Best Organic Tea Brands

Turn on the eco kettle and fly high with Bird & Blend’s organic whole leaf tea that comes in compostable tea bags or reusable tins made with solar power.

As innovators and modern botanical alchemists, our personal favorite brand Rishi incorporates ancient artisanal practices with modern organic cultivation techniques to brew a truly standout cuppa.

Family-owned and operated Senbird provides certified organic tea from authentic Japanese farms as the world’s leading Japanese tea producer, supplier, and innovator.

Images by Bird & Blend Tea Co

Bird & Blend Tea Co.’s Sustainable Tea

Price Range: $5–$60

For over a decade, Bird & Blend Tea Co. has soared as an independent tea mixology brand and cemented themselves a place among the best loose leaf tea brands.

They offer over 100 tea blends, which you can shop by type (green, black, herbal, chai, rooibos) or benefit (sleep and relaxation, wellness, energy, sweet treat, mocktail, caffeine-free). Most are organic and 99% are vegan.

By using high-quality whole leaf tea, whole pieces of fruit, spices, herbs, and many other deliciously natural ingredients, flavor innovation is always at the forefront. 

Their top-selling Chocolate Digestive offers a velvety smooth delight with pops of caramel and chocolate to awaken the senses, while in contrast, teas like their Dozy Girl Chamomile are often sold-out thanks to the comforting combination of lavender, rose, and chamomile. 

Bird & Blend Tea Co.’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Certified B Corp Bird & Blend began out of a university dorm room and to this day, remains a small and family-like TEAm. They carefully conjure each blend, which are then small-batch handcrafted and packed with love in a UK warehouse. 

The brand pays above Fairtrade prices, ethically sources all tea traceably, offers biodegradable tea bags, and uses plastic-free packaging that’s recyclable or compostable—including reusable tea tins made locally using solar power.

Their ChariTEA Programme supports dozens of initiatives with over £129,702 raised to-date they regularly host events like tea mixology workshops.

Images by Sustainable Jungle

Rishi’s Sustainable Loose Leaf Tea

Price Range: $16-$105

Vanguard practitioners of botanical arts and tea, Rishi sells premium organic tea imported directly from growers from around the world.

Combining botanical apothecary, sustainable ancient artisanal practices, cocktail mixology, sommeliers’ oenology, and culinary arts from global food cultures, you’ll find black, botanical, chai, green, matcha, oolong, pu’er, and white teas, including some garden direct varieties—each one available in various sizes of loose leaf packets or single-serve tea bags.

For years, we’ve been hooked on their Ayurveda-inspired Turmeric Ginger tea, an awesomely organic caffeine-free botanical blend whose centering energy of golden turmeric root is enhanced by zesty, anti-inflammatory ginger and strengthening licorice root. The added lemongrass adds the perfect hint of natural sweetness—which we like to enhance further with just a touch of local organic honey.

As with single origin coffee and fine varietal wine, Rishi offers artisanal products that are often small-batch and unique. Their celebrated Tea Club is a monthly subscription service with curated tea delivered to your doorstep based on your preferred tea type. 

Their eco-friendly tea bags are made of commercially compostable plant-based PLA, while the loose leaf varieties come in plastic pouches, but you can buy one pound bulk bags that last FOREVER. Seriously, one bag of these lasts us over a year, especially if you try to get two steeps from one serving as we do.

Rishi’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

In Sanskrit, Rishi means, “One who is a seer, sage or seeker of truth,” which this brand accomplishes with its socially responsible, certified USDA Organic, direct trade teas that are as much a beverage as they are a medicine.

Founder Joshua Kaiser travels thousands of miles each year to diverse points of tea harvesting to maintain personal relationships developed over the years with farmer and artisan families making traditional teas for generations.

Each blend profile goes into extreme depth on where everything is sourced, along with its botanical applications.

Images by Art of Tea

Art of Tea’s Ethical Tea

Price Range: $18–$88

Tea becomes art with Art of Tea’s fresh, hand-blended, organically grown botanical brews that are sourced from the top 2% of all teas produced worldwide. No wonder it’s found at places like Wolfgang Puck, The Beverly Hills Hotel, and Caesars Palace.

Their offerings are organized into different categories like classic, wellness, dessert, single origin, or types, like matcha, oolong, black, and green—all of which feature significant (and artful) varieties.

To get started, we recommend trying their award-winning White Coconut Crème Tea or Earl Grey Crème Tea, both of which are their top-selling blends thanks to their light-bodied, smooth, and creamy flavors with a fragrant, robust finish. 

Their loose-leaf tea comes in stylish, reusable tin jars, while the tea bags are 100% microplastic-free and commercially compostable.

Art of Tea’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Master Tea Blender Steve Schwartz isn’t just the founder of Art of Tea; he also has sold-out lectures on tea and tea blending touring worldwide. Steve continues to travel the world today, developing close relationships with farmers and distributors while ensuring employees and teas are treated with deep respect. 

Teas are directly sourced from a range of places like China, India, Japan, Taiwan, and Egypt. With 85% of their teas USDA certified organic, those that don’t usually come from small farms that cannot afford the certification.

These tea blends are also lab-tested to ensure that they meet Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) standards.

Images by Sustainable Jungle

Senbird’s Ethically Sourced Tea

Price Range: $9–$76

Senbird Tea is a Japanese-American tea brand offering farm-direct sourced organic tea that is steeped in ancient traditions of Japanese tea and its transformative potential of a harmonious mind, body, and spirit.

You may never have thought about brewing tea from buckwheat, soy beans, and brown rice, but do yourself a favor and let this brand open your eyes—and taste buds.

We’ve experienced this trifecta of goodness firsthand with their teas, thanks to their Herbal Tea Set, of which the standout was the Genmaicha—its bold toasted rice and nutty taste are balanced perfectly by a hint of sweetness. For a little caffeine boost, you can combine it with green tea—as if often done in Genmaicha blends—but we love it on its own for its soothing, toasty flavor perfect for a chilly winter night.

Each of their tea types comes with a “Meet the Farmer” to ensure transparency, plus all of their loose leaf organic tea comes packaged in reusable tin canisters, for which they offer low-waste refill pouches.

They also sell monthly tea subscriptions, authentic teaware from Japanese artisans, gift sets, and wholesale. 

Senbird’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

“The ‘art of tea’ is a spiritual force for us to share,” quotes Senbird of 16th century Japanese tea master Sen no Riky, whom they cite as a main influence. Their high-grade, authentic Japanese teas are inspired by the profound wisdom and unwavering dedication of old-time tea farmers that they wish to share with the world.

All of Senbird’s tea is certified organic by Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS) from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF).

Everything sold is pure loose leaf tea with no added flavors, colors, or preservatives and they choose not to offer tea bags in an effort to support a sustainable planet.

Images by Loose Leaf Tea Market

Loose Leaf Tea Market’s Sustainable Tea & Packaging

Price Range: $5–$44

Loose Leaf Tea Market was born from Kita Centenella’s journey out of addiction and into the healing power of plants. Their handcrafted, organic wellness teas are believed to help people with emotional issues, sleeplessness, gut issues, anxiety management, weight loss, and everything in between.

Just ask Kita’s regulars Bette Midler and Uma Therman who adore these teas.

The Happy Place Tea is a deliciously healing example, where organic mango, citrus, ginger, and herbal ingredients blend with tons of antioxidants touted to soothe indigestion, promote relief from inflammation, and in turn lift moods.

These teas are potent and a little goes a long way, so they can be brewed multiple times. Simply add a couple extra minutes of steep time for each renewed brew.

Here, you won’t find tea bags, as all teas come loose in compostable paper tubes or paper bags as 30 cups, 90 cups, or 200 cups. Discounted subscriptions are also available.

Loose Leaf Tea Market’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

All available 30 loose leaf tea blends are made with 95% certified organic ingredients and sustainably sourced medicinal herbs that are free of additives, artificial ingredients, preservatives, gluten, GMOs, and heavy metals (as per third-party testing).

Everything is then handcrafted with love in Phoenix, Arizona.

The vegan and woman-owned company donates to the House of Dawn, supporting young mothers to care for their children, complete college, and become self-reliant through parenting and life skills counseling, mental health services, and more.

Images by DAVIDsTEA

About DAVIDsTEA’s Sustainable Tea Bags

Price Range: $3-$59

Don’t be chai—DAVIDsTEA invites you to “the world’s best tea party”.

In addition to the usual blends—herbal, white, green, black, matcha, oolong, mate—there are also wellness, detox, sleep, and superfood tea blends.

Standouts include Lemon Lullaby, Reishi Relax, and their iconic ECOCERT organic and Fair Trade Certified-Organic Cold 911 Tea. It’s a highly aromatic peppermint and eucalyptus blend that’s soothing and cooling, plus it features all-organic peppermint, apple, eucalyptus, juniper berries, and orange oil.

For those concerned with DAVIDsTEA’s tea sustainability, over 60% of the brand’s tea collection is certified organic by ECOCERT or USDA, plus 90% of their collection is vegan, and is 100% conflict and cruelty-free. You’ll also find some marked Fair Trade options. 

The brand’s iconic turquoise hued tea bags are made from biodegradable materials and the sachets are commercially compostable. Some teas are sold in a reusable tin and all feature packaging that is at least recyclable.

DAVIDsTEA’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

A proud member of Ethical Tea Partnership, creating long-term, systemic change in the tea industry, DAVIDsTEA’s single-origin tea is sourced from around the globe, including from many family-owned tea gardens and Fair Trade Certified farms.

To give back, they’ve partnered with Mamas for Mamas—a charitable organization that supports caregivers in crisis with support, access to programs, and essential self-care products.

They also launched the DAVIDsTEA Impact Fund in 2020, which contributes to their local and global give-back initiatives, like the South African Homework Facility, providing a safe space for the children of tea farmers to study.

Images by Woodland Herbal

Woodland Herbal’s Medicinal Tea

Price Range: $11–$102

Woodland Herbal is a family-run Ohio-based Etsy shop that harnesses the passion and knowledge of four generations of herbalists to produce medicines, salves, tinctures, extracts, and tea.

The brand’s sustainable loose leaf blends are crafted for specific purposes that provide more than comfort, with everything available from insomnia and anxiety, to focus, lucid dreaming, depression, cognitive function, relaxation, organ support, immunity, tension, detox, and more. 

All ingredients—including herbs, spices, and mushrooms—for their tea are organically and ethically grown, sourced, and then made in small batches by the family. 

Their 5 Tea Special comes with sampler tins of the loose leaf blends of your choosing—we recommend Delicious Detox, Nature’s Immunity, Sweet Dreams, Tummy Tonic, and Sunshine. 

Woodland Herbal’s Ethical and Sustainable Practices

Woodland Herbal functions as a woodsy herbalist hub dream, with events, art, gardening, apothecary, tea house, and Herb School fusing under the umbrella of their nature-focused healthy tea brand.

They’re in the process of converting an acre of previously deforested land into a pollinator-friendly wildflower oasis. For every item sold, they plant 100 wildflower seeds to join the 25+ million they’ve planted so far. 

All teas come packaged in compact, reusable tea tins and all orders on Etsy are 100% carbon neutral.

Images by Pukka Herbs

Pukka Herbs’ Ethical Tea

Price Range: $5-$30

Pukka Herbs’ teas combine herbal wisdom with the latest scientific research, and many are caffeine-free, aside from their green, matcha, or black tea varieties—plus they’re all vegetarian, (some containing honey) and 100% cruelty-free.

Sip through a large selection of delicious organic herbal teas, with high-grade herbs used to support women’s health, digestion, relaxation, activity, sleep, cleansing, mood, immunity, energy, skin, and more. 

For those who are strictly loose leaf drinkers, these teas only come bagged—but fortunately it’s in home compostable tea bags with organic cotton string.

We suggest exploring the herbal magic of Pukka with their Favorites Tea Collection, which features eco-friendly teabags of their five most popular proprietary blends: Supreme Matcha Green, Three Mint, Night Time, Lemon, Ginger & Manuka Honey, and Relax.

Pukka Herbs’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Bristol-based Pukka Herbs was founded by a Master Herbsmith bringing the power of authentic herbs into people’s lives, which makes sense given pukka is Hindi for “real, authentic, or genuine”.

They source more than 200 certified ingredients from farms around the world using regenerative agriculture practices, plus they have USDA Organic, Fair for Life, and Fair Wild certifications. They’re also certified carbon neutral and plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2030.

All compostable tea bags are packaged in FSC-certified envelopes and boxes printed with vegetable-based inks. 

With their 1% for the Planet membership, a portion of their profits go towards tree planting and women’s empowerment, with over £5.4 million of their sales donated since 2015.

Images by Numi Tea

Numi Tea’s Organic Tea

Price Range: $8-$183

With the slogan “Activating Purpose,” Numi Tea began in a small apartment two decades ago. Today, they’re one of the most renowned ethical tea brands with upwards of fifty USDA-certified organic tea blends—everything from green and chocolate tea to organic turmeric golden lattes and herbal tisanes. 

Most of their tea comes in bags, with loose leaf options available for their bestsellers, which are suited to be everyone’s cup of tea. 

Their legendary (and trademarked) Aged Earl Grey Tea™ uses organic Assam with real bergamot—an aromatic Italian citrus fruit—for several weeks to make the balanced and bright black tea. Each sip delivers a robust flavor with subtle citrus notes.

The Assam comes from the largest organic Fair Trade tea estate in India, where Numi’s “Together for H2OPE” project delivers clean water and sanitation to over 6,500 farming families, plus purchased clean-burning cookstoves.

Their best-selling delicious Jasmine Green Tea is sourced from their first Fair Trade garden in China, where tea sales have increased workers’ wages 30-40%.

While most tea is bagged, they use unbleached, hemp-based sustainable tea bags sealed in industrial compostable, sugarcane-based wrappers, cotton tea strings, and a tag with 100% recycled materials and soy-based inks. 

Numi’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices

Ethical superstars Numi were one of the first 30 Certified B Corps, and their teas are Fair Trade Certified, USDA Organic, and Verified Fair Labor. The latter is a certification Numi created themselves with Scientific Certification Systems, and it aims for producers of tea, chocolate, and sustainable coffee to work under safe conditions and receive fair economic returns. 

Numi’s farmers can democratically select how premiums are used in their communities. 

Numi is also Climate Neutral Certified and they’ve partnered with the Climate Collaborative to establish an advocacy and clean energy support program.

To date, The Numi Foundation has contributed $1+ million to schools, college scholarships, road improvements, cooking stoves, maternity benefits, mosquito nets, and more.