Teatulia Helping Reduce the Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle Blues
Contact:
Linda Appel Lipsius, Teatulia, tel 303.433.2980 x 102, linda@teatulia.com
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural Marketing, tel 303.807.1042, steve@compassnatural.com
Denver, Colo., (September 26, 2011) - Teatulia, a Denver-based tea company offering USDA certified, premium organic tea from Northern Bangladesh, has a strong commitment to sustainability. Its packaging is made of recyclable and biodegradable paperboard canisters, unbleached labels, compostable corn silk pyramid tea bags, and individual tea wrappers made from compostable eucalyptus.
Now, Teatulia has expanded its sustainability commitment beyond its packaging to offer retailers and food service partners display racks made from the wood of pine trees killed by the Rocky Mountain Pine Beetle, an infestation that is ravaging forests in the West, including thousands of acres in Colorado. Teatulia is making use of this beautiful pine wood, streaked with blues, greens and greys, to create attractive displays while helping to clear forests of millions of dead trees to help encourage new growth.
According to the Colorado State Forest Service, there has been an outbreak of Rocky Mountain Pine Beetles since 1996, resulting in the loss of millions of trees in Colorado. The beetles tunnel into live pines such as lodgepole, ponderosa, Scotch and limber pines and lay eggs. The larvae live off the tree from fall until summer when they form into new adults and exit the tree. During this process the beetle also transmits a fungus that contaminates and ultimately kills the tree. This process leaves behind a blue-green coloration in the wood.
“Coloradans are saddened by the destruction the pine beetles have created. The degradation of our forests not only has a monumental effect on nature but also the timber industry. We want to support local businesses by putting this beautiful timber to use,” said Teatulia Co-Founder & CEO Linda Appel Lipsius.
Tea Chests to Treasure
Teatulia’s award-winning tea and beautiful, sustainable packaging deserve to be displayed in natural Colorado pine. “Getting away from wire racks and creating an attractive, eye-catching display helps our retail and food service partners. We wanted to offer them something different,” says Chris Olsen, Teatulia’s Marketing Director. “By using natural wood and integrating modern print technology, we were able to create a display that captures Teatulia’s commitment to sustainability.”
Offering three distinctive displays for tea canisters, loose leaf and single serving teas, Teatulia helps local Colorado woodworkers use timber that some assume to be of lesser quality. However, as the saying goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” “We love the unique look of each of these handmade chests," says Chris Olsen. “Every one of them is inspiring and tells its own story. Just like our tea collections.”
About Teatulia
Teatulia, founded in 2009, is a woman and minority owned business with a mission to provide “100% organic teas with a purpose.” With its line of single-origin, premium certified organic teas, Teatulia’s work helps support local economies, education and sustainability initiatives in northern Bangladesh. The company also is committed to fully compostable and recyclable packaging, down to the biodegradable teabags. Teatulia teas are available online at www.teatulia.com, and at leading natural, organic and specialty food stores and select restaurants, cafes and coffee houses in Colorado and throughout the United States and in the United Kingdom. For more information, contact Linda Appel Lipsius at Teatulia, tel 303.433.2980, linda@teatulia.com.