CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

As active members of the Ethical Tea Partnership, we promote fair trade and aggressively pursue activities which improve quality of life and reduce our carbon footprint. Halpè Tea ensures that the interests of not only our end consumers but all other stakeholders are duly considered and the impacts of all our activities are managed with the vision of being an exemplary corporate citizen within the industry. Being a family business, social responsibility and sustainable farming has always been an integral component embedded in our business philosophy. To this end, we work closely with a large cross section of Ceylon’s ‘Tea Small Holders’ from whom we source more than 60% of our bought leaf. Our attempt is to enable the growth and sustenance of a vital industry and thus actively contributing towards enhancing farming techniques and ensuring quality in every step of the process, up until the final production and packing stage.

At UHE, we have taken several steps which will help us reduce any negative impact on the environment. In addition to having our own purpose-grown firewood forests, we have also commenced a tree-planting program in all of our estates.

Furthermore, our energy efficient state-of-the-art machinery minimizes air and noise pollution.

Our waste management system, however is our raison d’être!

We dispose of our refuse in the following environmentally friendly ways:

• Tea Refuse, a by-product of the tea manufacturing process, is often sold into the local market, where it is retailed as a low-quality tea with little to no health benefits. Our refuse, however is utilized in our plantations as organic compost. This compost has proved not only to be environmentally friendly, but gives forth a high-quality, aromatic and flavorsome harvest, which is also healthier for our consumers.
• Dust Collection System – the tea dust produced during the manufacturing process is generally excessive in quantity. Most manufacturers choose to release this dust into the environment. This practice is detrimental to both the environment and to human health. Our modern machinery is equipped with a mechanism that allows the dust to be released into sacks via a water tank. This reduces the amount of dust released into the atmosphere. The dust sacks are then carefully disposed to prevent environmental damage.

Suppliers

Mr Rathnapala: A tea small holder who has been with us for more than 10 years supplying quality tea leaves…

Staff, employees & kids

In addition to providing our staff with wages that are well above industry standards, we ensure that all our employees are insured and receive housing facilities. We have ensured that all 500 members in our unskilled laborers’ category are provided with basic needs such as accommodation, access to clean water as well as electricity at no cost.

We truly believe that cheerful employees provide the best results and therefore strive to provide the best working conditions for our employees. We have built rest rooms/ break-out areas at out factory, which are well-maintained and hygienic, designed for relaxation.We also provided a new housing scheme for workers as well as scholarships for local students with financial difficulties.

With a strong belief in work-life balance as a key motivator, we organize numerous extracurricular activities for our staff. Apart from sports activities such as volleyball, cricket and carom tournaments; staff annual trips are a favorite on our calendar. Our aim is not only to provide entertainment and relaxation but also to facilitate team building and develop a sense of belonging to the company.

Factory staff and employees engaging in fun activities

Visit our foundation site to learn more about  our CSR initiatives See More