First Flush
Festival
We're proud to continue our Green Mission at the
First Flush Festival with the use of Bio-degradable Corn Cups to
serve Iced Tea to festival attendees. These eco-friendly
cups, made from the renewable source of corn, completely compost in
45-60 days.
Our Green
Mission
One of the most important things that the Bigelow family as well
as everyone at the Charleston Tea Plantation tries to do is make a
difference. How do we do that? We do it in many ways, and
it is the philosophy started by Ruth Campbell Bigelow and very
much continued by the Bigelow family that has influenced us. Today
it is ingrained in the culture of our company as articulated in the
Bigelow Tea "Mission Statement". It is simple "do the right
thing and good things will follow".
This pertains to all aspects of our business. It
starts with growing the tea made in America. We
at the Charleston Tea Plantation are serious about
protecting the environment, giving back to our community and taking
care of our employees and their families...for future
generations.
Here are just a few of the things we do to protect our
planet and to improve our community...
Environment
We do NOT use any pesticides (herbicides, fungicides
and insecticides)!
Thanks to our custom designed irrigation system we are able to
rely soley on rain and pond water to hydrate our young
tea plants. This type of water conservation is extremely
beneficial to the future of our planet.
Waste (stems and fibers) from made tea is used as mulch in the
tea fields This mulch not only helps the soil to retain
water, it also inhibits weed growth, keeps the soil temperatures
from becoming too hot or too cold and even protects sloping ground
from soil erosion. This type of organic mulch breaks down
overtime, providing an environment that encourages the growth of
earthworms and other beneficial insects.
We have installed XLERATOR® electric hand dryers
in our public restrooms. These hand dryers are a better
choice for the environment. Not only do they prevent the
negative environmental impacts caused by the manufacturing and
disposal of paper, they also use 80% less energy than any other
conventional hand dryer.
Employee Commitment
Incorporated annual "Green Goals" into employee and department
goals to ensure green initiatives are a company-wide priority.
Post "Weekly Green Tips" throughout the office to inspire
employees to implement such things as recycling and energy
conservation in their personal lives.
Encourage employees to use both sides of paper in the printers
and copy machines throughout the facility.
Track department paper use on monthly basis to continue to
reduce unnecessary paper copying.