A downtown Victoria tea staple has loyal customers questioning its environmental choices.
Murchie’s Tea and Coffee has been in business for 125 years. Aside from its dine-in cafe and bakery, the store also sells coffee and tea both in-store and across the world through its online store.
The loose-leaf tea has traditionally been sold in paper bags, but in the past two months, customers have noticed a transition to plastic, Ziploc-style bags instead.
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The transition, said Layla Osberg, communications coordinator for Murchie’s, is temporary.
“The manufacturer who made our original bags that we loved is no longer producing them,” Osberg said. “We were forced to make a fast decision. They are industry-standard bags, but we’re still not satisfied with them.”
Osberg added that the past bags weren’t actually environmentally-friendly, because the paper bag was lined with plastic, had a plastic window and had a twist tie top.
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On top of this, shipments going world wide needed additional plastic coverings.
“They were lined with plastic, but not sealed. We ship all over the world every day, so we had to over-wrap it with plastic to prevent any odor or taste absorption.”
Osberg said that Murchie’s is looking to switch to compostable bags, and hopes to have the option available within the next two months.
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