Seven Spring wants to cut back on plastic waste

In a bid to reduce pollution caused by plastic, Seven Spring, a tea brand from Gujarat, has introduced what it says is a 100% compostable tea bag sachet with zero plastic and aluminum in it. The packaging, claimed to be India’s first, is environment-friendly, and focuses on cutting back on waste, zero plastic consumption, and carbon emissions.

Seven Spring founder Sejal Purohit, formerly an investment banker, says going environment-friendly or sustainable is no longer an option. She said we have reached a point where absurdly large amounts of single-use plastic are being used. “Every company needs to make efforts to reduce the use of single-use plastics. All of Seven Spring’s product range comes with sustainable and eco-friendly packaging and we are going to follow this in the future too.”

After researching for around nine months, the Seven Spring team came up with 100% compostable tea bag sachets. The company says these are completely plant-based and can dissolve in water or mud.

To be sure, the jury is still out over 100% bio-degradable claims with many experts pointing out how many products still lie in the soil for years before they can completely dissolve, or can be dissolved only under certain factory conditions.

Purohit says she had the desire to be her own boss, which became the foundation for the tea brand. Her entrepreneurial journey was realized shortly after her son was born and with the willingness to pass on the legacy to her son, she gave birth to Seven Spring. “I was married into a male-dominated Marwadi family. When my son was born, my whole perspective shifted. I wanted my son to view women just as hard-working and capable as men are viewed in society. To inspire this change in him, I started Seven Spring in 2020.”

“Why tea? ” is a question that I had to answer every day when my venture picked a direction. The response stems from my motherhood experience. After my pregnancy, I gained a lot of weight and to counter it I immediately inclined toward herbal drinks. Cooking up concoctions and savoring gave me the idea to spread this healthy mantra to all households. With a thorough research of the Indian tea culture with various blends and flavors, I was ready to bring about the difference I aspired to make,” she adds.

Upon entering the market, Purohit realized her competition was not exactly with tea-producing giants such as Tata or Brooke Bond but the loose tea leaves (khuli chai patti) available at every general store. ”I came up with a strategy to initiate as a B2B, supplying our products to hotels and business chains, and to my surprise, we gained an incredible reception. Our concept of 100% compostable packaging and 30 variants of tea blends were much appreciated by those who consumed it. Tea in India is not just a beverage, it is an emotion. Being able to purchase it in either tea bags or loose leaves with no artificial flavor just feels like icing on the cake.”

As of now, Seven Spring has introduced its compostable packaging in its economical range, which is available on Amazon, Big Basket, and the company’s website. These are also available in the B2B segment – in hotels that the brand has tied up with. Recently, Seven Spring partnered with Accor Hotels to supply its tea range to over 21 hotels. The brand, which brews teas from leaves sourced throughout the world, has grown considerably over the past two years, both in terms of varieties and reach.