FAQ

Thank you for supporting our work with protecting nature through Forest Friendly Tea. Together we can make a difference and change the tea industry for the better!

 

Delivery time:

Standard delivery time: 5-7 business days

Shipping costs:

The shipping cost in Sweden is 49 SEK.
The shipping cost in EU is 8 euro.
The shipping cost worldwide is 9 euro.

Free standard shipping for orders over 50 USD/EURO

We ship teas worldwide from our storages in Stockholm, Sweden and Chiang Mai, Thailand. If buying from Europe or U.S your tea will be shipped from Sweden. If buying from Asia, your tea will be shipped from Thailand.

We handle orders 2-3 times per week and do our best in getting you your tea shipped as fast as possible.

Claim/Complaint

I have received a defective product and would like to claim the product. How do I do this?

If you believe that you have received a defective product, please contact us via e-mail at contact@monteaco.com. State your claim and the order number in the subject line with a short description of what the defect is. Please provide a picture if possible. We will help you in the best possible way to make sure that you have a good experience shopping tea from us.

Wholesale

Does Monteaco sell wholesale?

Oh yes, we do! In fact, we are already supplying our Forest Friendly Tea to several top-tier hotels and restaurants. Whether you are running an eco-boutique hotel, if you're a restaurant owner, or an entrepreneur who owns a café, you can contact us at wholesale@monteaco.com for any wholesale enquiries. We are happy to answer your questions and to discuss any ideas that you might have!

 

FAQ:

1. What makes your tea environmentally friendly?

  • Our commitment to environmental friendliness starts at the source, and we believer that the only way to gradually change the tea industry in a more sustainable direction is from the ground up. We only work with farmers who sign up on protecting nature by growing tea in harmony with the surrounding forest, or initiate reforestation efforts. In this way we can protect nature and provide local communities with more sustainable ways of making an income. Read more about our work in our About Us page.

    2. Do you use organic tea leaves?

    • Yes, but we instead call it Forest Friendly Tea as we go beyond what's usually considered organic. All our teas cultivated using organic farming practices, by not using any pesticides, fertilisers or irrigation systems and grown in harmony with the surrounding nature. This ensures that the tea you enjoy is not only good for you but also for the planet.

    3. How do you ensure fair labor practices for tea workers?

    • At Monteaco, we prioritize fair labor practices. We collaborate closely with farmers and producers that adhere to fair labor standards, as highlighted in our About Us page. Our partnerships support workers' rights, guaranteeing fair wages, safe working conditions, and empowering the communities where the tea is grown. We believe that being as close to the source as possible is important, and that's why we have our Thailand headquarters set up in Chiang Mai, making it possible to visit our production areas and workers weekly.

    4. Are your tea packaging materials recyclable?

    • Yes, our commitment to sustainability extends to our packaging materials even though we are always trying to improve in this aspect. When you're finished enjoying our tea, you can easily recycle the packaging to further reduce environmental impact. Our tins are great to store tea for longer periods and when you've finished enjoying your tea you can easily fill it up again with our refill bags.

    5. Do you support reforestation efforts?

    • The entire purpose of Monteaco is to protect and restore forest areas, starting in Northern Thailand and in the future moving on to surrounding tea producing countries. We have seen the backsides of the tea industry and want to create a long lasting change in how tea is produced. All of our teas directly support nature conservation and we only work with farmers and producers dedicated to protect nature. By paying farmers more for tea growing in harmony with nature we creative economic incentives to protect forests and we create opportunities for better lives in the areas we are active.  This ensures that when you choose Monteaco, you're not only enjoying exceptional tea but also contributing to environmental conservation. Read more in our About Us page.

      6. Are your teas free from artificial additives and flavourings?

      • Some of them! All our pure teas are completely free from additives and flavourings but for our flavoured teas we of course add ingredients to create different drinking experiences.

      7. How can I properly dispose of your tea packaging?

      • We encourage responsible disposal of our packaging materials. Our biodegradable tea bags can be composted, ensuring they return to the earth harmlessly. Additionally, our recyclable packaging can be placed in your recycling bin, contributing to a more sustainable future. Our tins should be recycled as metal, but better than that is finding new use for the tins around the home, if you feel like your tea drinking days are behind you.

      8. Can you recommend a specific tea for someone looking for a soothing, eco-friendly option?

      • Certainly! If you're seeking a soothing, eco-friendly tea, we recommend trying our Biodiversitea from our Bestsellers Collection. For this blend we use our fantastic green tea flavoured with chamomille, pandan and peach, and packaged in a tin highlighting our work with biodiversity research in the mountains of Northern Thailand.

      9.  How do you ensure traceability to guarantee the deforestation-free
      origin of your tea?

      Our credibility rests on the fact that we work closely with our tea growers and local
      tea factories. We visit the farmers in our network regularly, photographing,
      documenting and talking with our partners. We are not just buying a product from the other side of the world, instead we are based at the location of production.

      As we expand, we want to make sure we have more traceability functions in place.
      With funding from The GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and
      Adaptation, we are developing a mobile biodiversity traceability application together
      with the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok. This will trace the origin of each of our teas and document its impact on biodiversity.
      This will be a fantastic journey for us to enter the tech world and use AI solutions to
      complement traditional farming methods. The application is developed in
      collaboration with our farmers and producers, who will be rewarded financially for
      their contribution to preserving nature and biodiversity. This data will also be
      communicated to our customers so they can receive a deeper insight into the
      benefits of forest friendly tea and better understand the source of their tea.

      10. How does your business model incentivise farmers to protect and
      restore forests?

      It’s actually pretty simple. We don’t own any land ourselves, we simply pay farmers
      and producers more money to make tea in a healthy, preserved forest than they
      could earn if they were to cut down the forest to create monoculture farms. This way we can create opportunities for better futures for local people, who can send their children to school, avoid having to migrate to cities to work in factories, and preserve their local culture.

       

      11.  How does avoiding fertilisers and pesticides impact crop yields?

      Since we are growing tea in the forest alongside native plants and animals, there is a sort of natural “pesticide” already in place. If an insect wants to eat our tea, there is always something else in the forest that wants to eat that insect. There is a natural defence system in place in a balanced ecosystem.
      Secondly, leaves from the surrounding trees provide the ground with leaf cover
      where a multitude of plants, animals and fungi thrive. Soil health is much improved
      when you leave the forest floor in its natural state and allow the local ecosystem to
      take its natural course. So we receive both our fertiliser and pest protection for free
      from nature.
      It is true that this method can lead to less tea being produced each season than in
      monoculture plantations, but since our starting point is to think about nature
      conservation rather than maximising production, we are happy with what we can
      produce as long as the forest is well maintained. When we need more tea and want
      to increase production, we start working with more farmers and producers, and bring people along with us on this journey.