Have you ever wondered what happens to tea grounds after they are used?  From the statistics of global beverage consumption, tea, coffee, and cocoa are known as the 3 largest non-alcoholic beverages in the world. Especially in tea beverages, the demand has soared tremendously in recent decades, leading to another significant global issue- “tea waste”. Every year, global tea production creates millions of amounts of tea waste in the supply chain. The utilization of tea grounds has gradually become a crucial topic that the whole world is facing currently and cannot be neglected in order to achieve the ultimate goal of sustainable tea.

According to Taiwan Tea Research & Extension Station, tea grounds have been commonly used in several areas and are known as having functions for coffee grounds. Studies have shown that the protein in tea is difficult to dissolve in water, which allows tea grounds to maintain its protein after being used, making it a perfect fertilizer by providing plants with sufficient nutrients and tannic acid during the growing cycle.  Another usage, such as being used as a deodorant on poultry litter, is also another use of tea grounds widely seen nowadays.  

Throughout time, global tea industry players have never stopped looking for the best tea ground recycling solution in order to build up a circular economy. Chatime, as one of the industry leaders, also sees it as an ultimate goal of the brand’s future sustainability development. Imagining one day you might be able to pick up fresh tea grounds from your nearby Chatime brewery and be part of making the world a more sustainable place. How does that sound?