Thank you for sharing your concern about Bigelow’s packaging and your interest in protecting the environment and our planet.

To answer your specific question, the current flow pack is not biodegradable. However, at this time, over 76% of our entire packaging and raw materials are recyclable and biodegradable including our outer box, tea bag and tea string tag.

Please know that we share your concern and we’d like to assure you that we are constantly searching for materials that will have less impact on the environment yet still provide the protection that makes our product the finest quality and freshest available on the market today. We are pro-actively working very closely with our suppliers to reach the goal of 100% biodegradable as quickly as possible.

Sustainability is a major focus of purchasing, manufacturing and the entire company; an example of our efforts include the installation of a $1.5 million solar array on the roof top of our corporate headquarters.

Please also refer to our “SustainabiliTea” Statement on our website, bigelowtea.com.

Cindi Bigelow, President

How about a BEST goal of reducing packaging to the minimum needed and making 100% of your packaging recyclable?

I thoroughly enjoy your organic green tea which comes boxed in plasticized packets of four bags each. My only difficulty is with recycling the packaging. The plactic packets have no recycling number on them, and Chicago recycling centers will accept no plastic without a plastic recycling number (within the triangular recycling symbol) stamped on it.

I understand the value of packaging in protecting the delicate flavor and shelf life of your quality product. But I also place a very high value on sustainability in my consumer choices. If your pouches are recyclable, would you add recycling number marking to the packaging specifications as soon as possible? If they are NOT recyclable, would you investigate another material (a different plastic or foil) that will do the job of protecting the lovely flavor and antioxidants of your tea and be 100% recyclable?

Please write me back to let me know that someone in packaging specifications has seen this and is addressing it. Like many folks interested in organic products, I have both personal and planet health in mind in my purchasing decisions, and I will spend more for a healthy and sustainably packaged product. I am advocating for packaging change in products I like very much, but I will sadly forego future purchases from unresponsive companies. Please show me Bigelow values sustainability!
-Curt Hicks