WBENC’s Post

Tea Rebellion: Anatomy of a Purpose-Driven Brand | Annabel Kalmar, founder of Tea Rebellion, a small direct-trade single-farm tea retailer, describes the DNA of a purpose-driven tea venture and the challenge of changing how tea is traded, marketed, and consumed. She says the goal is to be a sustainable, transparent, award-winning tea brand. Tea Rebellion, founded in 2017, does not sell blended or flavored tea. Farms are co-branded, and marketing draws attention to the farm and identity of growers. "To affect change, we need to credit the maker of the product," she says. "To drive impact, I choose to work with tea farmers with a clear goal of sustainability and impact in their communities. Several of these farmers are female-run or committed to the empowerment and well-being of women," she says. | Dan Bolton | Tea Biz Blog | Podcast | Episode 159 | #tea #teapower | https://lnkd.in/dMyrph98

"We are bold, or we die" On International Women's Day, I noticed ads for the Cabrini movie and went to go see it the next day. Without spoiling it for those who haven't seen it (I recommend it), the movie and the woman it's based on tell the hard truth: in order to solve big problems, we need to think and act in big ways. We've invited big corporations to join us in doing that, and I appreciate that companies like Whole Foods Market, Toast, DoorDash, Uber, and others have joined us in creating a solution that could significantly reduce single-use packaging waste. Hundreds of restaurant operators in NYC, NJ, Colorado, LA, and the Bay Area have already chosen to join us...but there's a big gap that is becoming glaringly apparent: chains and big restaurant groups have been slow to adopt reusable packaging, even though they know that the compostable packaging they often choose instead is basically just greenwashing. We've had preliminary conversations with many chains, and during a call one of them even said something like "wow, you've solved for every challenge that comes with reusable packaging." And then, after telling us they would add all their locations in the New York metro area, that would-be partner ghosted. Here is the even colder, harder truth: big corporations assume that we will be there when they decide they're ready. That's not necessarily the case. Without commitments from partners who currently use the highest volumes of single-use packaging, we could die. So I'm choosing to be bold instead. We're ready to work with sweetgreen, Chopt Creative Salad Company, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Just Salad, Slutty Vegan, Panera Bread, Union Square Hospitality Group, Shake Shack, CAVA, Yum! Brands, Branded Hospitality Ventures, Modern Market Eatery, STARR Restaurants, Maman NYC, Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, Starbucks, Wonder, Health Nut, and any other restaurant ready to better understand how reuse could fit into their operations. Reuse is easier than it seems, it's a great customer acquisition and retention strategy, and we've designed our system to be cost-effective, too. We're ready to show you.

"We die by being bold." Playing devil's advocate, let's understand why the adoption of reuse has been so slow among the companies Lauren mentioned, then explore the missing puzzle pieces to make it clear that there are no excuses to *not* adopt reuse. Emotions run wild when integrating new practices into operations. Anxiety, impatience, distraction—they all dance alongside the bottom line. While reuse is there, leaders ruminate: • What if things go awry, and we lose money in Q3 of 2024? • Sure, Lauren's ideas are intriguing, but we have way too many priorities to focus on *right now*. • Are our customers really clamoring for reuse? They seem content with compostable silverware. • Will shareholders approve? Should one shareholder with a significant equity stake pull out, we’ll face serious legal, financial, and operational ramifications. Lauren's crew has the functionality of reuse down, no doubt. But until companies confront their emotions, progress will remain sluggish. They’ll repeatedly tell her crew, "Wow, you've solved every challenge that comes with reusable packaging." Behind closed doors, they’ll say, "We don’t have the bandwidth for this. Let’s sideline it." They’ll flip Lauren’s words and insinuate: "We die by being bold." Yet, there's one undeniable, irreconcilable truth, as Lauren proclaimed: "We are bold, or we die." A movement is rapidly growing for reuse, offering social support to integrate it into your company. Trivium Packaging, in collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), found that 74% of consumers crave products in refillable packaging [1]. That's a staggering number, and it's backed by a survey of 15,000 customers spanning 3 continents! Worried about financial losses? Lauren's team specializes in reuse logistics—they've got your back. Concerned about the time and effort involved? They're on it. "But what about the shareholders?" With the climate emergency, we stand at the brink of environmental, social, and economic upheaval. Let's not let short-term gains discussed behind closed doors blind us to the urgent need for change that Lauren and so many reuse advocates are proclaiming. Your chance to make a monumental impact is here. I join Lauren in extending the invitation to sweetgreen, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Starbucks, and all the rest to embrace reuse and pioneer a sustainable future. Edit: Added references.

Tea Rebellion: Anatomy of a Purpose-Driven Brand | Annabel Kalmar, founder of Tea Rebellion, a small direct-trade single-farm tea retailer, describes the DNA of a purpose-driven tea venture and the challenge of changing how tea is traded, marketed, and consumed. She says the goal is to be a sustainable, transparent, award-winning tea brand. Tea Rebellion, founded in 2017, does not sell blended or flavored tea. Farms are co-branded, and marketing draws attention to the farm and identity of growers. "To affect change, we need to credit the maker of the product," she says. "To drive impact, I choose to work with tea farmers with a clear goal of sustainability and impact in their communities. Several of these farmers are female-run or committed to the empowerment and well-being of women," she says. | Dan Bolton | Tea Biz Blog | Podcast | Episode 159 | #tea #teapower | https://lnkd.in/dpfUcx4P

Companies that are Certified B Corps come in all sizes and from all industries and geographies. KeHE Distributors is one of the largest companies to receive B Corp Certification but their ability to create social and environmental benefit alongside growth has lessons for all companies. Dive in to learn more in this compelling podcast featuring KeHE's own Laura McCord.

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the fourth edition of the Wine Future Conference, which addresses the challenges facing the wine industry today. This conference brings together the most influential and respected names in the wine business, as well as voices from other sectors and competing industries. Of the various panels I attended, I would highlight the “It’s Not Easy Being Green – Why Sustainability (and Transparency) is More Important than Ever” sponsored by Planet Future Foundation with the intervention of Prof Graham Miller, Anna Chilton, Martin Reyes MW, Eugeni Brotons and moderation on the part of Anne Burchett. In this debate, the priorities and expectations of today's consumers regarding product and industry transparency and authenticity were discussed, leading to the conclusion that sustainability and responsible business practices are extremely important to them. In addition, it was discussed how to communicate about sustainability in wine, without greenwashing and breaking trust. #winefuture #sogrape #sustainability

Chocolatier Embeddedness: The Bitter Reality of Cocoa-Chocolate Value Chain Dive deep into the cocoa-chocolate value chain and discover the hidden challenges arising from chocolatiers' embeddedness. Our latest article explores sustainability, vertical integration, and partnerships, revealing their effects on smallholder farmers. Please read it now for a unique perspective on this crucial issue. #Chocolatiers #Embeddedness #CocoaChocolate #ValueChain #Sustainability #VerticalIntegration #cocoa #Partnerships #SmallholderFarmers #CocoaChallenges #ChocolatiersEmbeddedness https://lnkd.in/d_QEcyxj

TOMORROW! We cannot wait to be a part of the panel discussion at the World Of Coffee in Copenhagen tomorrow. Join us on from 10:30 to 12:00 as our CEO & Co-founder, Giulia Marchetti, shares insights on the transformative power of the circular economy in the coffee industry. Our mission is to up-cycle spent coffee grounds into a valuable baking ingredient. This panel discussion is a fantastic opportunity to engage with industry leaders, share our approach, and explore collaborations that can drive positive change. Key topics you can expect: - What inspires us in up-cycling spent coffee grounds. - How circular economy practices can benefit many. - The role of innovation and partnerships when it comes to circular economy. We are passionate about fostering partnerships with local cafes, offices, and bakeries to create a closed-loop system where coffee waste is continuously repurposed. Let’s connect and make a difference together! Link to the event: https://lnkd.in/dJM3ShGj We look forward to seeing you there and discussing how we can collaborate to create a more sustainable future for the coffee industry. #WorldofCoffee #GreenCoffeeSummit #ConnectingGrounds #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #Innovation #CoffeeIndustry #Upcycling #WasteReduction #SustainableBusiness

Hear from one of our customers, LeatherBack Brewing in the Virgin Islands on growing their can volume 4x since 2021. Three key takeaways: 1. Sustainability as a foundation: Rooted in their emphasis on sustainability, lead to a shift in their packaging culture. 2. Adaptable growth strategies: Focusing on their core brands while introducing innovation to contribute to the growth. Not losing sight of their brand identity. 3. Supplier relationship: logistical challenges getting supplies to the Virgin Islands, having a strong relationship to provide reliable supply & plan ahead. As we approach 2024, it's the perfect time to reevaluate our strategies, embrace sustainability, and explore growth opportunities. #craftbeer #RTD