Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1405079
STiR coffee and tea 37 One Earth® is a patented filter material that is certified compostable in 21 days or less! The One Earth® filter material works well with tea, coffee, cold brew, iced tea, CBD, and dusty products. The One Earth® product line consists of tea or coffee bag material, string, tag, and envelope. The One Earth® promise: Certified compostable, non-GMO, USDA 100% BioBased, certified Plastic Free, allergy and gluten free, and manufactured in the United States www.one-earth.world +1(412)667.0085 info@nonwovennetwork.com STiR: How does Worlée guarantee its access to raw materials and where do they come from? Reifke: Through closely coordinated de- mand planning between the procurement, sales, and product management teams. Since this year, we operate digitally also, facilitated by our new internal commu- nication platform INSIGHT. We source basically worldwide. However, if you look at the number of tea-like raw materials for herbal and fruit teas, the origins of east- ern/southeastern Europe, North Africa, and Asia stand out. STiR: Has the demand for tea increased, re- mained steady or decreased in recent years? Reifke: Benchmarks have already been set by trends and changing consumer be- havior, such as the topics of organic cul- tivation and sustainability. Furthermore, new developments such as cold infusions, developed at Worlée because of success- ful teamwork with our customers, r&d, and experts in the beverages sector, have now been firmly implemented. STiR: Which raw materials are currently the most popular ones? Reifke: We must distinguish between raw material components and tea concepts. If we look at individual raw materials then rosehip, echinacea, turmeric, and ginger are currently in great demand. If we look at tea concepts, these would be functional blends, such as additives with vitamins and minerals then herbal teas and sustain- able blends. Looking at the organic sec- tor, spice tea blends such as ginger-lemon and chai are currently very popular. As in the conventional sector, turmeric is very much in vogue. South African rooibos tea has come back into focus due to price de- velopments. STiR: Have you noticed any changes in sales or demand for certain types of tea during the pan- demic? Reifke: The pandemic has had a severe impact on our customers especially those whose core business is supplying hotels, pubs, and restaurants. Sales have slumped significantly, which of course also impacts on our business. The same applies in the tea trade – a catastrophe that continues. STiR: What have been the biggest changes in the tea market since you have been working at Worlée? Reifke: It will be more than a challenge to procure certain prod- ucts, such as chamomile, in conformity with the EU regulations, due to constant changes in food legislation regarding decreasing maximum quantities in the contaminants regulations within the RHmVo. A scenario in which individual raw materials disappear from the market is unfortunately quite conceivable. STiR: What differentiates Worlée from other raw material suppliers? Reifke: Reliability, adherence to delivery dates, innovations, a comprehensive service package covered by quality department, logistics services, r&d, and a high level of competence in the areas of procurement, sales, and product management. And of course, the distinctive customer friendliness – simply Hanseatic!