Earth Day at Piper & Leaf: Sustainable from Farm to Cup
If you’ve ever spent time out at the farm in Lacey’s Spring, you already know that what we do is significantly shaped and inspired by the land around us.
The fields, the woods, the changing seasons, the herbs growing just outside the door; it all finds its way into the way we think about tea. This Earth Day, take a walk behind-the-scenes with us to learn about our sustainability efforts at Piper & Leaf.
From the Ground Up
At the heart of Piper & Leaf is a simple idea: good things start close to home. 
We partner with small, local farmers to source many of the fruits, herbs, and spices that go into our blends—gathered from gardens, farms, forests, and briar patches right here in Alabama. From there, we chop and dehydrate these ingredients ourselves to preserve their flavor at its peak.
At the same time, tea leaves don’t grow in Alabama. So, we source high-quality, organic tea leaves from regions around the world where they grow best, bringing them together with our local ingredients for a cup that feels rooted.
Supporting our local community has been part of our story from the very beginning, and it’s a big part of what gives each blend its character.
All-Natural, Just as It Should Be
When we say our blends are all-natural, we mean it.
We partner with farmers who use natural growing practices, even if they haven’t gone through the formal (and often costly) organic certification process. It allows us to support small growers while still knowing exactly what’s going into each ingredient we use.
The tea leaves themselves come from organic farms, and everything meets in the middle—carefully blended without artificial flavorings, colors, or preservatives.
Even the colors in your cup come straight from nature. The deep blue of Pipermint Blues comes from butterfly pea flowers, while the rich reds and purples in blends like Orchard Peach and Briar Patch Brew come from hibiscus. As it turns out, nature doesn’t need much help to be vibrant!
Thoughtful from Leaf to Cup
Sourcing is only part of the story. How we package and share our tea matters just as much.
Our silky tea bags are made from non-GMO sugar cane, which means they’re completely plastic-free and fully compostable. After you steep your cup, the bag can go straight into your compost with no extra thought required.
For our muslined packaging, we use 100% organic cotton bags that are proudly made in the USA. They’re simple, natural, and built with the same care as the tea inside.
Packaging That Keeps Giving
Growing up in big families naturally gave us a soft spot for resourcefulness: we wanted to create things that don’t have to be thrown away after one use. Our signature mason jars are made of glass right here in the USA. They’re fully reusable and recyclable, and we love seeing the ways they stick around: holding tea concentrate in the fridge, a handful of fresh flowers on the table, or stored in the car for your next farmer’s market visit.
Our signature mason jars can be refilled with your favorite tea at any of our P&L locations. They’re truly a gift that keeps on giving! And when a jar has finally lived a full life, it can be recycled and returned to the cycle again.
Our boxes follow the same philosophy. They’re printed locally and fully recyclable, designed to be as thoughtful as the tea they carry.
A Quiet Kind of Care
We’re not perfect, and we’re always learning. But choosing materials that can return to the earth, supporting farmers we know by name, and creating something that invites people to slow down and step outside is the kind of care we want to be known for.
If you’re marking Earth Day in any way, it might look as simple as stepping outside for a few minutes with a mug of Orchard Peach in hand, breathing in the fresh air. Or visit your local farmer’s market and notice what’s growing in your community right now. Thank a farmer for all of their hard work and ask how to start a garden in your own backyard.
That connection to the land is where all of this begins, and it continues to shape the way we source, blend, and package our tea each day. Earth Day is a natural time to take stock and recommit to caring for our beautiful planet in the seasons ahead.
