Leading Sustainability: First CarbonNeutral Tea Company, Positive Impact

Sustainability

Sustainability is at the core of everything we do

As pioneers of sustainability, we are the world's first CarbonNeutral Tea company, committed to making a positive impact. We work with our customers with the commitment to take care of the planet while creating the most sustainable teas.

Caring for Our Communities with the VTV foundation

Paying it Forward – Education for Kids Who Need a Helping Hand.

Set up in 1980 to further our founder’s ambition of serving the needs of society, the VTV Foundation raises funds for a number of charitable causes. It helps underprivileged Sri Lankan children realize their educational goals, and provides emergency assistance, including medical care, to any and all who need it.

Since it’s inception, the Foundation has educated over 20,000 schoolchildren. Currently, it is sponsoring the educational expenses of 420 students.

The Foundation also sponsors science teachers in schools situated in plantation areas. There is a severe shortage of qualified science teachers in these areas.

As a result, very few of the children who reside there move on to science-based careers. The VTV Foundation has been working with the Ministry of Education to ensure that well-trained science teachers are placed in these schools, giving these kids access to a world of better opportunities.

Caring for Our Communities with the VTV foundation

We are sustainable and certified

As an ISO 14001-certified organisation, our operations are optimised in order to conserve limited resources such as water and electricity.

The World’s First CarbonNeutral Tea Company

As a pioneer in sustainable tea, we are proud to be the first in the world to achieve CarbonNeutral status and humbled to see the impact of our efforts on our industry, our community, and our planet.

A Signatory to the UN Global Compact

The United Nations Global Compact encourages companies worldwide to foster sustainable and socially responsible business practices. As a signatory, we are committed to reporting our sustainable practices on a regular basis.

Our efforts have been recognized at the United Nations Social Pioneer Awards, where we were honoured to receive the “Responsible Business” award, and at the UK Environment and Energy Awards, where we were nominated for “Sustainable Business of the Year”.

Sustainability at every step

The sustainable cultivation of tea is only the first step.
We endeavour to reduce our carbon footprint, every step of the way.
That’s why we constantly monitor energy usage in our factories, ensuring that we reduce wastage and increase efficiency.

To dig deeper into our sustainable practices, explore our CarbonNeutral Report.

We protect forests

We are one of the leaders of the Hiniduma Conservation Carbon Programme - which aims at planting over 90 species of trees, in order to strengthen Sri Lankan biodiversity. Situated in the southwest of Sri Lanka, the Hiniduma rainforest is one of the last pristine rainforests remaining in the country, after the encroachment of agricultural communities in the area.

A collaboration with the Conservation Carbon Company (CCC), Rainforest Rescue International (RRI), and local farmers, the project began with 10.88ha. of rainforest land with a goal of eventually expanding to 20,000ha. of virgin rainforest. Ultimately, the Hiniduma Conservation Carbon Programme will not only support biodiversity but will also have a positive impact on up to 1,500 farming families.

To support the project, we bear the cost of every tree planted. We plant one tree for every 100 packs of Olinda Green Tea sold, steadily realizing our vision of a clean, green, and healthy ecosystem in the southwest of Sri Lanka.

Protecting the Soil

At Eswaran, we partner with Greenfield bio-partners for biodiversity enhancement in our tea gardens. Through sustainable practices, we support native flora, fauna, and microorganisms. We also implement regenerative agriculture to sequester CO2, rebuild soil, restore biodiversity, and improve the water cycle. We're committed to battling climate change effectively.

Protecting Communities

Guided by Love and Courage, we value our people as essential to our business. We empower them to achieve their dreams through programs focusing on education, welfare, and skill enhancement.

Protecting our water resources

Water while being a foundation resource to our business, is also a diminishing one and we are committed to ensuring that our water usage does not impact the world adversely.

We are the world’s first water foot-printed tea product, and we constantly monitor and improve our water utilization.

Together with our partners at Greenfield Bio Plantations, we augment the processes to optimize our water usage and reusing water in our manufacturing cycle.