This is an image of some new tea bags by privately run TeaForte. It seems tea is becoming an increasingly popular drink in the US, especially among twenty-somethings. The coffee drinking nations are turning to tea, and we Indians – from the land of the best teas in the world – are becoming coffee guzzlers. (in urban centres at least)
Image courtesy: BusinessWeek
But what strikes me about these tea bags is that they seem a waste of packaging material, and in a time when designers ought to be a little more considerate about the indiscriminate use of resources. These things are going to be thrown away. The reason given for this packaging solution sums up the attitude of a culture that is based on consumerism to an insane degree.
Apparently ‘Not having to look at the nasty tea bag after brewing is something people really like.’ So, to please those few weak/bored/desperate creatures who cannot bear the sight of a wet and soggy tea bag, we must spend on nylon and silk, as well as each bag wrapped in an envelope and those wrapped again in a box. No doubt the design is aesthetically beautiful and unique, and it does appear to be an attractive product. But a little more concern and eco-responsibility wouldn’t have been out of place.
