Newby x Matthew Williamson Tea Caddies

The Newby by Matthew Williamson Capsule Collection / Source: Newby

EuropeFood & BeverageNorth AmericaPackagingSteelTin

5 MINUTE READ

Kaltrina Bylykbashi

WHAT WE SAY:

Luxury tea caddies created by an iconic British designer? This is a motivator for not throwing packaging away.

Made from tinplate and adorned with eye-catching colours, the capsule collection of loose-leaf teas designed by Matthew Williamson is recyclable, desirable, and reusable. We think the move could have more impact if it worked in tandem with a refill scheme, but even without this, The Newby Collection is proof that beautiful design can hold the key to long-term reuse.

KEY FACTS:

Luxury tea company Newby has created a trio of loose-leaf teas packaged in elevated, reusable tinplate caddies.
The caddies are designed by award-winning British designer Matthew Williamson, who has used his signature bold colours to bring the flavours to life, turning practical containers into design-led countertop keepsakes.
The tinplate containers measure 18 centimetres tall and 7.5 centimetres wide, weighing just 75 grams. The material is lightweight yet strong, corrosion resistant, and magnetic – making it easy to pick up in recycling.
Tinplate is highly recyclable. A tinplate food can has a recyclability rate of 95% and, similar to Aluminium, can be recycled almost infinitely without any reduction in the quality of the material.
Although not the case for all materials, the recyclability of tinplate translates to high recycling rates globally. In Europe, tinplate reached a recycling rate of 84% in 2019, with regulators proposing a target of 92% by 2030.

The reusable tinplate caddies are designed to be reused around your home / Source: Newby

Designer Matthew Williamson working on the caddy designs / Source: Newby

DIVE DEEPER:

Tea is the second most consumed drink globally, after water. Global consumption reached 6.3 billion kilograms in 2020 and is expected to reach 7.4 billion kilograms by 2025. With such huge volumes of tea in circulation, the potential for packaging waste is equally huge.
For instance, supermarket Aldi estimates that its use of single-use plastic within its line of own label tea bags amounts to 80 tonnes per year.
Materials used to package tea include metallised polyester, polypropylene, and polyethylene.
Newby’s collaboration with Williamson is part of a wider examination of the impact of its packaging. The company currently uses cardboard and foil sachets, which it describes as recyclable.
Describing the design, Williamson said, “I wanted to make something that was really precious and a keepsake, so that once you’ve dispensed with your tea, you have these beautiful objects that you’d want to reuse.”
The initial cost of the caddy is high, at GBP 30 (USD 36), however, prices for tea bags and loose-leaf teas to refill the caddy start at GBP 5 (USD 6), so like many reusable solutions, the initial outlay is the highest cost.
While tinplate is recyclable, Newby does not disclose whether the feedstocks for its products are recycled. Using scrap Steel (the basis of tinplate) for production can use up to 70% less energy in comparison to primary production. Worldwide, the recycling of scrap steel is estimated to avoid the extraction of 850 million tonnes of iron ore and the use of 370 million tonnes of coal each year.
The caddies represent an extension of broader sustainability efforts for Newby. Its tea bags are certified as biodegradable, manufactured from wood pulp and abaca, while its silken pyramid tea bags are made from corn starch.
Newby Tea is a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership and is majority-owned by the N. Sethia Foundation, a UK-registered charitable foundation set up by Newby Teas’ chairman, Nirmal Sethia. The foundation supports various charitable projects in education, medical research, cultural activity, disaster relief, and social empowerment across the UK and India.
In 2020, London-founded Newby expanded its reach within the US, launching in Neiman Marcus. It is the most awarded luxury tea brand.

"I really wanted to make something that was really precious and a keepsake, so that once you've dispensed with your tea, you have these beautiful objects that you would want to reuse."

Matthew Williamson

Key Design Considerations:

Design change prompts system change

The luxury design and price point of Newby’s caddies promotes reuse, but the tea sold within them is packaged in a composite sachet, and loose-leaf teas and tea bags sold by the brand are packaged too. Could you maximise the impact of the launch of reusable packaging with a refill system? Tea brands including Arbor Teas and Tetley are already operating refill systems in partnership with Loop.

More than just sustainable

Newby uses its positioning as a luxury tea brand to promote the use of tea caddies as a way to lock in freshness and elevate the tea-drinking experience. Having a marketing angle that is not purely sustainability related is vital for maximum uptake.

Tinplate can be energy intensive

There is no getting around it – it takes a lot of energy to make tinplate. While the industry has taken action over the past few decades to reduce environmental pollution as a result of its production – material produced today asks for 40% of the energy needed in 1960 – there is still work to do in this area, so ensuring long-term use to reduce its overall impact is a must.

Ensuring recyclability

Metallic paints are known to be highly contaminating in recycling, often ruining the ability of Tin to be recycled. Are there alternative effects that can be used for impact, like embossing?

It is all in the details

The tapered, stylised lid is a key part of the luxurious appeal of Newby’s caddies, however, the shape means they are less efficient to ship and more expensive to produce. Consider your market and ask yourself – does your audience want luxury design or cost-efficient practicality?

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Newby x Matthew Williamson Tea Caddies

WHAT WE SAY:

Luxury tea caddies created by an iconic British designer? This is a motivator for not throwing packaging away.

KEY FACTS:

DIVE DEEPER:

Tea is the second most consumed drink globally, after water. Global consumption reached 6.3 billion kilograms in 2020 and is expected to reach 7.4 billion kilograms by 2025. With such huge volumes of tea in circulation, the potential for packaging waste is equally huge.

For instance, supermarket Aldi estimates that its use of single-use plastic within its line of own label tea bags amounts to 80 tonnes per year.

Materials used to package tea include metallised polyester, polypropylene, and polyethylene.

Newby’s collaboration with Williamson is part of a wider examination of the impact of its packaging. The company currently uses cardboard and foil sachets, which it describes as recyclable.

Describing the design, Williamson said, “I wanted to make something that was really precious and a keepsake, so that once you’ve dispensed with your tea, you have these beautiful objects that you’d want to reuse.”

The initial cost of the caddy is high, at GBP 30 (USD 36), however, prices for tea bags and loose-leaf teas to refill the caddy start at GBP 5 (USD 6), so like many reusable solutions, the initial outlay is the highest cost.

The caddies represent an extension of broader sustainability efforts for Newby. Its tea bags are certified as biodegradable, manufactured from wood pulp and abaca, while its silken pyramid tea bags are made from corn starch.

In 2020, London-founded Newby expanded its reach within the US, launching in Neiman Marcus. It is the most awarded luxury tea brand.