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In Partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, EcoTeas Supports Clean Water for Tea, and Salmon Too!

In Partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, EcoTeas Supports Clean Water for Tea, and Salmon Too!

Published 09-15-10

Submitted by Bonneville Environmental Foundation

Any tea drinker will tell you that clean water is an essential ingredient for brewing a perfect cup of tea. EcoTeas, an organic and fair trade tea company from Ashland, Oregon, has taken the concept of clean water to a new level: for every ounce of water that one of their customers uses to brew tea, they work in partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) to put an ounce of water back into Evans Creek, an important habitat for salmon in southern Oregon.

According to the Bonneville Environmental Foundation's Chief Innovation Officer and Senior Vice President Rob Harmon, "The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) is an entrepreneurial non-profit dedicated to creating a more sustainable future by investing in clean energy and fresh water. Through its sales of Renewable Energy Certificates, carbon offsets, and Water Restoration Certificates to companies and individuals, BEF makes it easier for more people to participate in preserving and restoring
the Earth's natural resources."

Rob continues, "We launched the unique Water Restoration Certificate (WRC) Program in August 2009. It's really a simple concept. This initiative provides an economic alternative for water rights holders who have historically had to adhere to policies that create a "use it or lose it" dynamic. BEF, in partnership with water trust organizations, provides payment to rights holders that allows them to use their water to restore flow in critically and chronically de-watered streams. Each WRC represents 1,000 gallons of water restored to these streams. Standards and criteria for the program have been certified by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to ensure water is returned in ways that provide the greatest environmental benefit to the surrounding region, including the support of fish and wildlife."

According to EcoTeas founder and President Stefan Schachter, "We've been purchasing green tags from BEF for our office electricity use for several years now. The Water Restoration Certificate Program is an exciting new way to extend our commitment to renewable resources. I remember that when I sat down with Rob at BEF to calculate how much water my customers use to brew tea annually, it surprised me. At the rate of eight ounces of water for every two-gram tea bag we sell, our customers consume a million gallons of water per year! When Rob showed me how the WRC Program could help restore a million gallons of water annually to Evans Creek right here in my local watershed, I jumped at the chance."

Stefan adds, "Supporting clean water makes perfect sense for a company committed to putting the 'eco' in tea. This initiative is one of a broad array of efforts we are undertaking to minimize our ecological footprint and maximize the good we do. Our other efforts include reforesting our yerba mate farm in Argentina, transitioning to 100% compostable packaging, minimizing our shipping footprint, purchasing green energy tags for our office electricity use, and of course using organic and fair trade ingredients in all our products. We work to ensure that when you purchase EcoTeas, you’re getting an exceptionally high-quality product that’s both ecologically sound and economically affordable."

For more info, please visit www.ecoteas.com and www.b-e-f.org.

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Bonneville Environmental Foundation

Bonneville Environmental Foundation

An entrepreneurial nonprofit, Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) is creating a more sustainable future by investing now in clean energy and fresh water. Customers who buy independently certified BEF Carbon Offsets and Renewable Energy Certificates support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the development of new renewable energy facilities, while customers who buy BEF's Water Restoration CertificatesTM support the return of water to critically dewatered streams and rivers. All BEF customers and donors support long-term watershed restoration and renewable energy education for students and communities nationwide because BEF reinvests its net revenues to fund its Model Watershed and Solar 4R Schools programs. Since it was established in Portland, Ore. in 1998, BEF has been a pioneer in helping people and companies become better stewards of the environment. Learn more at www.b-e-f.org.

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