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?