Outwoken: Sustainable Tea

Outwoken Tea is a sustainable tea company that was founded on top of a landfill. Now, they serve a variety of sought-after flavors.

About Outwoken, The Sustainable Tea Company

Choose from looseleaf tea or a tea of the month subscription box as a way to explore tastes from around the world.

Female -Founded

Outwoken Tea is a female-founded company.

Find more sustainable brands and businesses listed in the directory.

Sustainability Efforts:

Outwoken’s sustainabili-tea (see what we did there?) priority is visible from production to the packaging and in between.

Environmental Sourced

What makes Outwoken a sustainable team company? One of the answers is how they ensure the tea is sourced from environmentally-friendly family farms in developing countries. Outwoken sources their tea from economically depressed areas of China, Columbia, and Africa and then uses the money their partnership generates as a way to support the local communities and economy by investing in and improving schools, farms, and creating jobs. Learn more, here.

Compostable

When making a purchase, the entire order is comfortable. Outwoken uses compostable boxes, bags, and considers sourcing special ink that is printed on the labels.

Carbon Offsetting

Carbon offsetting is important for the sustainable tea company. Outwoken partners with One Tree Planted. And, with every purchase, a portion of the money spent goes to helping reforest the earth. Outwoken also works with South Pole to track and offer the carbon footprint associated with shipping.

Sustainable Milestones

Outwoken has prioritized innovation and sustainability. The sustainable tea company has been able to operate with the principles of zero waste and as a result, has achieved the following:

• Use boxes that are 95% post-consumer use, recyclable, and naturally biodegradable.
• Print with inks that are biodegradable — including using compostable algae ink. 
• Use protective wrapping paper that is SFI certified, naturally biodegradable, recyclable, and made from renewable materials.
• The tea bags are certified compostable and are made from FSC-certified wood-based cellulose, toxic-free, non-GMO, and 97% renewable content.
• The tape used in shipping or other areas of business is biodegradable, made from renewable plant-based materials, and rubber adhesives.
• The shipping labels are certified compostable adhesive labels which use the Dymo label writer so there’s no ink needed.
• Other materials such as descriptive papers are plantable. Instead of throwing it out, this can be replanted into a pot or the earth and regenerated.

Environmental Justice & Community

Outwoken prioritizes both local and international environmental justice initiatives and community building. The organization is involved in sustainable and ethical education, consulting, and partnerships. Some of the work Outwoken has led or contributed to includes:

• Partnered with local coalition Plastic Free MKE to reduce single-use plastic, locally.
• Partnered with Milwaukee River Keepers, adopted a rive, and participated in local clean-ups.