Hello ✌️🐸,

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Let's talk about a very important and serious issue today - sustainable action.

But don't worry, we promise you that the good vibes will not be neglected as usual 🤝.

The fact is that good matcha tea comes directly from Japan, as the complex cultivation makes it virtually impossible to grow it in other regions of the world. But we don't want to do without our stimulant with the bright green colour. That's why it's even more important to take a close look at every aspect of production and compare it with alternative products to see if drinking Matcha tea with a clear conscience is possible at all 🧐♻️.

So let's take a closer look at a few key factors in the production of high-quality matcha tea. ⤵

What role does water consumption play?

Cool water plays a central role in our everyday lives. Whether it's showering, washing our hands or ultimately making our next matcha tea. The consumption is obvious and in figures around 123 litres of water per day per capita in Germany. In summary, this figure describes direct water consumption 💦.

Much higher and more interesting for us, however, is the indirect consumption that occurs during the entire production process. Around 15,000 liters of water are used to produce 1 kilogram of beef... perfect fun fact for the next barbecue, isn't it?

Now you might think "Yes, but water doesn't just disappear like that". And that's true, of course, but the treatment, transport and associated infrastructure is costly and energy-intensive, which is a decisive factor in the ecological footprint.

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But what about matcha tea? The equivalent of just 15 liters of water is needed for a cup of matcha tea from Japan - compared to classic coffee, we save around 9 times as much water, as the latter uses 140 liters per cup

Nevertheless, Matcha tea and coffee have to be given credit for the fact that the cultivation areas are mostly located in the humid and rainy regions of our planet and therefore a large part of the required water is covered by natural rainwater. However, it becomes critical when cultivation areas are relocated to dry regions that have to be irrigated artificially - so keep your eyes open - the origin can make a big difference 👀🌿.

What about land consumption?

Does this already answer the question of whether matcha is sustainable? Not yet, the area used for the tea fields is also relevant. For green tea, only half the area is needed for one kilogram of Tencha leaves than for one kilogram of coffee beans. In addition, the ratio between the raw Tencha leaves and the ground Matcha powder is much better than from the raw coffee bean to the end product. Also, due to the higher concentration of the matcha tea, much less is needed than for a whole cup of coffee.

BTW: We have summarised the other differences between matcha and coffee here: Matcha vs. coffee - A caffeinated duel

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But that's not all. The green tea is also impressive in terms of energy consumption. Since the Tencha leaves, from which the finest Matcha powder is ground, are only dried with hot air, they perform particularly well compared to the complex roasting of coffee beans 💥.

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In summary, it can be said that matcha tea can be drunk very well and without a guilty conscience, not only thanks to its valuable ingredients but also due to its good ecological balance. So the next time you need a little refreshment, skip the shower and treat yourself to an ice-cold matcha lemonade 🤗.

But let's be honest - what is SummerRain doing to be more sustainable?

Of course, countless factors that we have not yet listed here contribute to an overall sustainable action. And as a young start-up, we are constantly trying to develop further. We believe that sustainability can never be a closed topic and that there is always room for improvement.

But now let's look at a few aspects that we and you successfully implement with every order from SummerRain:

• Thanks to our refill concept, we do not use disposable aluminium cans and deliver high-quality Matcha in letter format even when you are not at home. This way, we avoid unnecessary packaging material as well as repeated delivery attempts.
• Our bags are made from a unique monoplastic and proudly carry the Interseroh+ "Made for Recycling" seal, making them demonstrably recyclable and not incinerated like other disposable packaging.
• Our shipping box uses only water-based inks, contains no petroleum-based plastics and is even vegan. Thanks to its stable shape, you can also reuse it.
• We source packaging materials exclusively from Europe to keep transport distances as short as possible.
• All DHL shipments are delivered using climate-friendly GoGreen shipping.
• The decanting of our matcha into the end consumer packaging takes place in Germany in order to keep the deliveries from Japan as compact as possible.

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We have seen in this article that the topic of sustainability is very complex. But that doesn't make it any less important. At SummerRain, our aim is not only to meet the legal minimum, but also to go a few steps further, even if this sometimes means accepting a surcharge for us - because sustainable action can quickly become more expensive than you think 🤯.

Nevertheless, we are learning every day and are always open to ideas from you. So please, please, please get in touch with us if you have an idea on how we can bring our ceremonial grade matcha even better to your home.