Esah Tea, a reputed Assam-based D2C tea brand, is launching the world’s first micro-plastic-free cotton tea bags. They are uniquely totally chemical-free, biodegradable, and totally handmade. This product reflects the unwavering commitment the brand holds toward making a sustainable and healthy course for its customers. The price for a tea bag is at only ₹5 per bag, thereby making it among the cheapest products in the market. This comes amidst highly alarming findings by researchers from Canada’s McGill University, which showed that conventional plastic tea bags release a stunning 11.9 billion harmful microplastic particles per cup.
The innovation by Esah Tea is thus very timely, considering the high extent of implications that result from microplastic consumption. Such small particles have already been shown to be dangerous to health in case of ingestion, inhalation, or absorption through the skin. Scientific studies show that microplastics can have impacts at the cellular level. Other risks associated with exposure to microplastics on a regular basis involve the disruption of the immune system, neurotoxicity, reproductive problems, and even carcinogenic effects.
Mr. Bijit Sarma, Founder and CEO, Esah Tea, said on the launch day, “At Esah Tea, we have always believed ourselves to be more than just purveyors of fine tea; we are custodians of a rich heritage of tea stretching back centuries. The launch of microplastic-free cotton tea bags is not merely a product launch; it is more of a paradigm shift in how we look at the production and consumption of tea. We have raised the bar for the health and environment experience when consuming tea. It very clearly epitomizes our ideology, our strongly held belief that extraordinary quality and responsible production will not share a place with the environment. I am deeply grateful to our R&D team whose day and night efforts have produced our toxin-free tea bags. We invite conscious consumers to sip responsibly and sustainably with Esah Tea.”.
Its product line includes more than 20 variants of Esah Tea: Honey Lemon Green Tea, Organic Assam Breakfast Tea, Organic Handmade Black Tea, and a host of flavored ones like Organic Blue Tea, Organic Lychee Black Tea, Organic Chamomile Green Tea, Organic Peach Green Tea, Organic Vanilla Chai, Rose Lychee Black Tea. It also comes with variants of instant chais like Cardamom, Masala, Kadak Chai, along with a health-conscious variant, the Instant Mango Turmeric Latte. It will cost INR 199 to INR 399 and be available across the country on its website and leading e-commerce platforms like Amazon. Actually, it is available in some select retail outlets in the larger cities, that being: In Delhi: BKD, Rajmandir, Shubham Store, Kisan Mandi. In Gurgaon: Modern Bazaar, Sodhi’s Supermart, Ravi and Rohit Departmental Store etc.
Esah Tea has been growing at a tremendous rate ever since January 2021 when it was instituted. From just ten premium outlets, there are now more than 600 outlets across the country where one can get an Esah Tea. It exports to more than 10 countries outside Indian borders, such as the USA, South Korea, Abu Dhabi, and the UK. With over 100,000 online and offline customers, quite a unique strategy goes into their making—including free in-store tea tasting—a brand that churns out quite impressive feedback, resulting in immediate purchases. Looking at the future, Esah Tea looks towards expansion and sustainability for reaching a presence in more than 5000 outlets across India by 2024. It has, in turn, envisioned cultivation of more than 20,000 acres of land with organic tea cultivation in Assam while onboarding more than 1000 local small tea growers by 2025.
