We believe that as a responsible tea grower and Malaysia’s largest tea producer, sustainability needs to be part of the everyday fabric of our company’s operations. Over the course of BOH perfecting our tea craftsmanship, we have strived to find ways to improve our products without harming the environment.
One of the best ways anyone can help to environment is to recycle correctly. Even though efforts are being made to encourage recycling, making it easier for consumers and communicating the correct message can help instill this practice. Hence, recyclable product packaging is an area we are investing significantly in when it comes to sustainability as we want to do our part to promote recycling.
Shifting to Recyclable Materials for our Tea Bag Sachets, Loose Tea Wrappers.
- Our black teas and flavoured teas which comprise tea bag sealed sachets and loose tea wrappers are both made using Polypropylene (PP), which is recyclable under classification Code No. 5.
- For our Instant Tea range, we are gradually adopting recyclable pouches. We are also working to change our Instant Milk Tea stick packs to also use recyclable materials once we can ensure our teas have satisfactory protection.
Reducing dependence on Plastic with Tear Box structure & Wastage with Biodegradable / Compostable Filter Paper
1. Reducing Dependence on Plastic
- We changed 17 of our products to a new tear box structure.
- The advantage of a tear box is the elimination of plastic shrink wrapping around the box as tear boxes are completely sealed until it is purchased and opened.
- As these boxes are made with paper, they can easily be disposed in paper recycle bins.
2. Going biodegradable for our tea’s filter paper
- Probably the most important component after our tea is the filter paper (more commonly known as the tea bag). Filter papers have to allow the tea infusion process to occur efficiently whilst at the same time, the material needs to be structurally sound to not dissolve in the water.
- For BOH, we have 3 variations of filter papers for our teabags, potbags and pyramid bags which are all biodegradable.
- With biodegradable filter paper, you can put them in soil or compost bins and over time, it will decompose naturally. Prop tip: use the tea in the tea bags as plant fertilizer.
Reusable Tin Packaging for Premium Tea Range
- The BOH Pyramid Teas range which comprise the Garden Teas, Herb & Fruit Spa Teas and Botanical Beverages are BOH’s premium teas which use the best teas from our gardens and some of the finest ingredients available for aromatic, flavourful and distinctive teas.
- These teas are packaged in delightfully crafted tin canisters which are both reusable and recyclable.
- The design of the tea canisters makes them popular gift items which you can reuse as containers or decorations for your homes.
Other Initiatives
Using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paperboard
- BOH began adopting FSC certified paper for our tear boxes in 2021 which ensures that the paperboard we use come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits.
- More about FSC: https://www.sgs.my/en/agriculture-food/forestry/audits-certification-and-training/fsc-forest-management-certification
- As a consumer, you can feel at ease that the boxes you buy are not only recyclable but come from responsible and well manages sources.
Communicating Recycle Message to Tea Drinkers
- Another key component to effectively put our sustainability efforts into practice is education. We use our own packaging, online platforms such as the BOH Website and our social media pages @bohteamalaysia
- We created a logo in English and Bahasa Malaysia with a descriptor of which part of our packaging is environmentally friendly. Our aim is to place this device on all of our packaging and part of our awareness plan. Hopefully with constant and clear communication, we can encourage more people to recycle.