ITO EN is a 40 year old Japanese Tea Company that is quickly making its way into the US markets with their Tea's Tea line that was recently showcased on Entourage and their Sencha Shot available at many US Grocery Stores. But the thing that lead me to their booth at the World Tea Expo was their Tea Bench.
The company has been actively trying to ensure they are conducting themselves in an environmentally responsible way. On their website they detail the many ways they are continuing their efforts, such as their use of card board boxes manufactured using tea leaves. Per year they are producing over 40,000 tons of used tea leaves. Some of the leaves are used to fertilize the soil and in animal feed. Rather than throw the rest away they are looking at new ways to reuse them. The bench was one of those ideas. The have partnered with other technology companies to use the leaves and create tatami mats, a synthetic resin which can make everything from vending machines to ball point pen cases, and they also can use the leaves to make insulated plaster board for construction.
This is a board from their site which details the uses of the leaves:
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