Brewing Force for Good: Global Tea Company T2 Joins Sustainability Movement

Australia’s premium tea brand, T2, has achieved B Corp accreditation, with a global focus on reducing inequality, creating healthier environments, building stronger communities and creating jobs with dignity and purpose.

According to the global tea company, this significant achievement marks an important shift in “the power of businesses to use growth as a means to a greater good”.

The brand’s latest campaign Drinking Responsibly champions T2’s purpose to do good for people, planet and product. T2 believes its efforts will set the benchmark for other businesses to step up and drive purpose beyond profit.

To highlight this, T2 has launched a video piece as a call to action to other businesses on how to redefine success with sustainability and purpose at the forefront.

T2 commenced its business transformation in 2017 with the aim of driving positive impacts, which would lay the foundation for its journey to secure the coveted B Corp certification.

The swift achievement of B Corp accreditation is a testament to the significant progress T2 has made across employees, communities and the environment.

“We are delighted to announce the T2 B Corp accreditation, which reflects our mission to be
leaders and agents for positive change in the tea category and industry at large,” said T2 Global CEO Nicole Sparshott.

“At T2, we consider our impact in every step of our business, from first leaf, to the last sip.

“Our mission is to continuously strive to do good across the business to ensure that all actions taken benefit both people and planet.

“Achieving B Corp certification embodies T2’s company purpose to be good, do good and feel good across planet, people and product,” Sparshott said.

T2 now joins a worldwide B Corp community of business leaders that are prioritising their social and environmental responsibilities.

T2 extends its purpose values to its people through its cultural philosophy to celebrate difference by making a difference. This is evident in the business’s engagement of specialist recruitment agencies to sustain a diverse team in age, background and identity.

“We pride ourselves as a business that puts people first – by acknowledging our differences we can reduce inequality, create healthier environments, build stronger communities and create jobs with dignity and purpose,” said Sparshott.

Short for Benefit Corporation, the B Corp certification is managed by B Lab, a non-profit entity that focuses on corporate, social and environmental responsibility to use business as a force for good.

Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.

T2 has demonstrated the use of profits and growth to create an inclusive and sustainable business, including:

• In 2020, T2 expects to source over 70% of tea ingredients from certified sustainable
  sources, with the balance on track to be certified sustainable in 2021.
• Over 90% of T2 packaging is now recyclable, reusable or compostable, on track to reach 100% in 2021. As an example, T2 retail bags are now made from uncoated paper without any plastic lamentation, making them 100% recyclable – which will divert over 100 tonnes of waste from landfill annually.
• The carbon footprint in the brand’s operations has been measured and offset.
• All teawares and accessories are now sourced from suppliers that are ethically audited by the SMETA 6.0 or BSCI standards.
• Implementing ‘blind recruiting’, which means that shortlisting job candidates is done without the hiring manager knowing an applicant’s name, date of birth, gender, educational institution or hiring appearance.
• Supporting charities such as The Smith Family and campaigns to drive inclusion and
  opportunity in Australia and globally.

Sparshott said T2 believes they have a responsibility to uphold sustainable practices so future generations can continue to enjoy the tea beverage for all cultures.