Scottish blend to remove plastic from packaging

Tea brand Scottish Blend has announced plans to become more environmentally sustainable by updating its packaging across its entire retail range to remove all outer plastic wrap.

Scottish Blend tea is to remove plastic from its packaging.

The distinctive pyramid tea bags, now made from fully biodegradable plant-based materials, have saved almost six tonnes of oil-based plastic from waste.

Since the tea bags were redesigned, the company has made a saving of the equivalent of removing over one million plastic carrier bags from circulation.

Fiachra Moloney, tea director at Unilever UK&I, said: “Here at Scottish Blend, we care about communities and the environment. That’s why we’re committed to making the very best possible tea for our community of Scottish Blend drinkers.

"That means not only blending our tea to taste great in Scottish water, but a switch to a more environmentally friendly cuppa too.

“We know our consumers are actively looking for sustainable products. Our fully biodegradable and compostable teabags and our plans to remove the outer plastic wrap will let our community enjoy a cuppa in peace, knowing they’re having a more positive impact on their local environment.”

Scottish Blend’s factory, where the tea is blended and packaged, is also carbon neutral, with 100 per cent of the energy used coming from renewable sources.

The tea, which was was introduced in 1990, is a special blend of PG Tips created specifically for Scottish customers.

It is most popular amongst its Highland consumers, with 68 per cent of its tea drinkers describing themselves as patriotic, and is best known for being specially crafted to blend best with the soft waters typical of Scotland.

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.