We always like to throw in a startling fact before diving into a heavy subject. So here goes. Thanks to the sheer magnitude of rampant activities by a certain ‘bipedal primate mammal’ aka homo sapiens, the climate is changing at a staggering pace of 170 times faster than natural forces! More like a meteorite strike than a gradual change, eh?

Today is April 22, 2021. A day synonymous globally with Earth Day, a momentous and unifying day across the world. And what better occasion than today to dabble on the subject of Sustainability or should we call it Sustainable-tea ;) For those of you who get it, high five!

How would you define Sustainability?

The Oxford dictionary defines the word ‘sustainable’ as ‘able to be maintained at a certain rate or level’. This rather complex term has three aspects to it – social, economic and environmental and in this article, we’ll dwell upon a holistic definition of Sustainability.

In fact, the definition of sustainability means different things to different people. Popularly, it implies providing for our own needs, while preserving resources so the future generation can meet theirs. To most others, sustainability is just another word for environmentalism. This notion is in most definitions of sustainability, but we need to account for the ideas of economic development and social equity in it as well. The term ‘sustainability’ is often used to demonstrate improvements in areas like high consumption of natural resources, energy consumption / pollution of manufacturing operations, consumption of products, technological developments, or business / general institutional changes.

What are Sustainable Materials / Products?

Sustainable materials are products that can be produced in volumes without depleting non-renewable resources and disrupting the environment. These materials can vary from highly recyclable materials such as glass, that can be reprocessed an indefinite number of times, to bamboo that can self-generate incredibly fast. Several industries and institutions are researching new forms of sustainable materials. They develop these new materials needed by the economy to reduce the environmental effects of traditional fossil fuels and non-renewable materials.

Sustainable products (that are created using sustainable materials) provide environmental, social, and economic benefits. The production of these products cannot require any non-renewable resources or cause any harm to society. In order for a product to be sustainable, it must be produced and consumed without harming the environment from the extraction of raw material until the final disposal.

Why Create Sustainable Products?

The simple answer is, sustainable products help the environment. There are myriad ways sustainable products benefit the environment; some of which are:

1. Improved Air Quality
2. Reducing Complications of Climate Change
3. Improved Water Quality
4. Biodiversity and Habitat Protection

How Can You Help Create a Sustainable Environment?

There are so many little things you can do that benefit the environment. By taking the time to do a few of these simple tasks can add up to huge benefits for the environment. At the cost of sounding cliche and preachy we’ll still run you through some easy-peasy stuff that you can do to help ease the strain on our environment.

• Save Energy - Turning off appliances and lights when not using them is a simple and effective way of saving energy. By switching to LED lightbulbs you’ll use 75% less energy and these last significantly longer than the traditional incandescent lightbulb. Installing energy-efficient appliances can make the biggest difference to your energy consumption. For example, try using a programmable thermostat that lowers or raises temperature when you’re not at home. These appliances may seem expensive up front, however, their returns will be paid in dividends in the long run.
• Save Water - Try switching to reusable water bottles because billions and billions of plastic water bottles are consumed yearly and a large percent of those bottles are not recycled. Switching to recyclable products will not just help the environment, but save you money. Another way to conserve water is by taking shorter showers, or installing a low-flow showerhead that reduces the amount of water consumed per minute in a shower. The next time, try to get your shower time down to a single song (epic rock ballads like Freebird don’t count!).

1. Plastic should be recycled in the mixed recyclables section if they are numbered 1 through 7 on the packaging
2. Cardboard and white paper can be recycled in the paper section
3. Caps, paper with wax, plastic bags, plastic film, and styrofoam should not be placed in recycling bins

• Ditch Plastic Bags - Plastic bags cause serious harm to the environment by getting into the soil and slowly releasing toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, animals try to eat this and often choke and die. So, by using reusable bags you are preventing serious harm to the environment.
• Going Paperless - Today, it is really easy to not use paper at all. Choosing to receive emails for most of the documents you use, and asking shops to email your receipt instead of printing it can make a huge difference. Also, making digital notes instead of using paper can be more beneficial than helping the environment because it is much more easily accessible and shareable.

Despite being very cliche, these ways of helping the environment are very effective, and still, a majority of people don’t follow them. By even attempting a fraction of these to help the environment you are doing your part in creating a sustainable environment.

Okay, we get the drift. But what does ChaiEasy do to be sustainable?

At ChaiEasy, we believe that traditions are never lost but can often be re-created. We believe that with a little bit of technology, we have the power to bring back authentic, everyday traditions.

ChaiEasy is the world’s first automatic chai maker that makes the same authentic chai we are all used to tasting. With this new chai machine, people all over North America can experience chai with the press of a button. ‘Fresh. One Press. No Mess.’

The founders of ChaiEasy believe the art of drinking chai is meaningful and deserves its own unique brand. They wanted to make a product that encourages communities to partake in a ritual, tradition and tasteful experience.

Not only does ChaiEasy make chai-making easier for you, but you are also helping the environment by purchasing our products. Just think about the amount of plastic waste, water from cleaning the chai dishes, etc. Our single-use pods are made from compostable material, making them light on the environment. Additionally, we have reusable pods that significantly reduce the amount of waste material disposed when making chai. So, not only does ChaiEasy optimize chai time, but we also do our part in creating a sustainable environment.

Watch this space for more on our informative series on ‘Sustainable-tea’.