Tetley

How ethical and sustainable is Tetley?

Tetley is a well-known tea brand most of us will be familiar with. However, it’s astonishing how unethical a cup of this brand’s tea can be – Tetley has one of the lowest scores on the Ethical Tea Ratings Table and in our research as a whole. If you are looking to purchase ethical tea, recommend choosing a different brand.

What is Tetley and what does it do?

Since 1837, Tetley has been producing tea. A vibrant, international tea business that is socially just and environmentally sustainable is what the company claims it wants to contribute to. Tetley asserts that this is the reason why the company joined the Ethical Tea Partnership and only purchases tea from Rainforest Alliance-certified farms.

The company Tetley was founded in Yorkshire, England. Tetley first developed a line of caffeine-free tea in 2007, and then in 2014 they unveiled the “Super Tea” line with “added vitamins.”

Tetley was purchased by The Tata Group in 2000.

Where does Tetley score well as a brand ethically?

Tetley does rank well in our Animal Welfare category. This means that the brand has no substantiated claims against it for animal testing or animal cruelty.

How can Tetley improve its ethical rating?

Tetley has many areas to improve in. The brand desperately needs to take action to improve its overall ethics.

This includes introducing organic and Fairtrade products, as Tetley currently receives a bottom rating in both of these categories.

Additionally, as Tata Group also openly supports GMO research and uses GMOs in its products, Tetley receives a bottom rating for Genetic Modification.

Ethical Accreditation for tea brands with The Good Shopping Guide

Although Tetley needs to revise its business ethics in order to qualify for The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Accreditation, there are many ethical and sustainable tea brands out there.

See our Ethical Tea Ratings Table to see the tea brands that have successfully qualified for this certification of business sustainability and ethics. If you own or work for a tea brand with ethics at its heart, why not get in touch to find out more information about Ethical Accreditation? Or, to get your Ethical Accreditation journey started today, fill out our initial assessment form.