San Diego GreenLife

by Val Gysler

I had never even heard of Honest Tea before I began writing this article. “We think Val should do this piece, their rep is really great… and single,” announced our fearless leader. So, just like that, the article was mine. And that’s how I first learned about one of the more moral beverage companies of our generation.

Honest Tea makes tea in glass bottles. Honest Tea is the first bottled tea company to market and sell certified Fair Trade teas. But most important, Honest Tea is honest. Sounds corny, I know, but peal away the clichés forming in your head right about now, and come with me a little journey down morality lane.

In addition to the countless teas they offer, what struck me most about this company was their dedication—socially and environmentally—to providing us with something real and sincere. Now, how can a drink be sincere? And what exactly does honest taste like? These are just some of the questions I was faced with when I first started researching this company.

Honest’s vision of corporate responsibility, something that in this day and age seems like more of an oxymoron than a business plan, is clear and concise. They claim not to be perfect but they do promise to be upfront. Their mission statement simply reads, “The company strives for authenticity, integrity, and purity in our products and in the way we do business.” Being that I’ve probably watched more documentaries about corrupt corporations than any hormonal, left-wing female ever should, this promising statement had me jumping for joy—ready and willing to be their first spokesmodel.

I wanted to learn more, and I wanted to hear if from one of their horse’s mouths. I called up Ryan Raish, the rep Karin had told me about. After a failed attempt to get an in-person interview, we decided to do it instead, over the phone. Swell, I thought. Maybe this guy and I won’t be getting married any time soon, but with the tea and all of its loving truth, I find might myself in the beautiful and honest relationship I’ve always wanted.

So I turned on my digital recorder and called him up. I had some prepared questions but didn’t want any prepared answers. I didn’t want to talk to their marketing guru, or someone skilled in the art of creating perceptions; I wanted a regular ol’ employee to give me the low down, as he understood it. I think I got what I was looking for from Ryan that night…honest answers from my Honest rep.

SD Greenlife: “What does Honest Tea offer people that are interested in the environment and its preservation?”

Honest Tea: “We’ve just partnered up with the Sierra Club, one of the first environmental organizations that was based out of southern California, and we’re having stores that buy Honest Tea offer customers vacations through the Sierra Club.”

SDGL: “There’s this portion of the website that gives the viewer an interactive view of the reality of Honest Tea’s carbon contribution. There’s a sort of slide show on this page that totally blew me away. Tell me about how this plays into the premise of the company.”

HT: “When you look at other beverage companies they offer standard drinks or functional drinks and they don’t take a look at, one: your health, and two: the carbon footprint that their production is responsible for. So when you look at Honest Tea, even our bottles are made out of a much lighter plastic so when it comes to shipping, we’re reducing the amount of fuel needed to transport the tea because the cargo is lighter.

We look at every little aspect in order to try and reduce out carbon footprint.”

SDGL: “Yeah, I think that’s what left an impression on me. It’s not just that you claim to be a responsible company but you’re upfront about aspects of the business that are less than perfect as well.”

HT: “And that’s all in our name…When you look at the labels and read off the ingredients, there’s no chemicals, no preservatives. A first grader could read the labels on our drinks and know what they’re drinking. You know it’s all about just being honest.”

SDGL: “I was reading that you guys were the first bottled tea company to be Fair-Trade certified. You have also teamed up with one of your growers to fund some of the initiatives they vote for.”

HT: “We like to support those communities as much as we can. I mean, they’re providing us with a quality product. The growers give us these organic teas, and we work with them to get them whatever they think would best serve their community.”

SDGL: “And along those lines, what are some of the other benefits of buying organic drinks?”

HT: “Well for one, you’re supporting organic farmers and the organic industry, and so you’re eliminating some of the unhealthy things that people are exposed to. So if you drink organic, you’re supporting the whole organic movement, which is something that I, personally, and I know Honest Tea would like to see the rest of the world eating and drinking.”

Well, it would seem that Honest Tea tapped into the organic market just as it was beginning to steep, and in doing so has brewed up some pretty significant business. Today, Honest Tea is sold throughout the U.S. with different flavors coming out faster than you can drink a Pomegranate White Tea, place it in the nearest recycling receptacle, and belch triumphantly for your eco-conscious, Fair Trade purchase.

See people, these days it’s not enough just to develop a great-tasting or well-made product. You must create a great-tasting and well-made product that is also ethically accountable. If you don’t, there’s a good chance you won’t make it far in tomorrow’s market.

These days, Honest Tea finds its business booming. And it’s booming not just in the bank, but in the fields and plantations where their teas are grown—delivering on promises to their growers—the true birthplace of Fair Trade. And that, my friends, is what Honest tastes like.