The Country’s Largest Blender and Packer of Private Label Teas Reduces Its Carbon Footprint With Several Noteworthy Initiatives
August 19, 2011, Moorestown, NJ – The largest blender and packer of private label teas in North America, Harris Tea Company, has recently converted to solar energy at its Moorestown, NJ plant, marking yet another important initiative in reducing the company’s dependency on non-renewable sources of energy.
On July 20, 2011, Harris Tea Company launched a solar power system on the roof of its Moorestown, NJ plant. The system, a 508.8 kW array comprised of 2,212 panels, will generate a remarkable 600,000 kilowatt hours annually. The Moorestown solar conversion marks the company’s second such installation, with the first completed and launched at Harris Tea Co.’s Anaheim, CA plant in August 2010. Both solar panel placements will offset approximately 60 percent of their respective site’s power needs, and save more than 40,000 barrels of oil. Furthermore, it is projected that the solar initiatives will reduce CO2 emission by more than 450 tons annually, equivalent to eliminating the use of 46,000 gallons of gasoline and avoiding 20 million pounds of greenhouse emissions over the course of the systems’ lifespans. The solar panel systems were designed and constructed by REC Solar, one of the largest U.S. solar electric providers with more than 6,000 systems built nationwide, and made Harris Tea Company the first and only tea company in the U.S. to operate on solar power.
To maintain its commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable business practices, the private label tea company has focused its “green” efforts to four main areas, in addition to the solar power launches: waste elimination, decreased energy usage, packaging reduction, and increased usage of renewable energy. Key practices have been designated to help cut energy usage, such as the placement of motion sensors in all warehouses, regulating blackout policies during periods of non-use; and the development of self-sealed designed cartons, eliminating plastic wrap and minimizing overall packaging. Harris Tea Company’s goal is to be zero landfill by the end of 2012.
“Reducing our carbon footprint and ensuring sustainable business practices are core principals of our company,” said Mr. Ray Borooah, CEO, Harris Tea Company. “The implementations of these key practices have positive reverberations not only for our company, but for our local communities and the environment, and we strive to improve upon these practices every day.”
About Harris Tea Company
Harris Tea Company, a division of Harris Freeman & Co., is the largest blender and packer of Private Label Teas in North America. The Company has three production facilities in the USA – California, Georgia and New Jersey. Harris Tea Co. is a diversified vendor, packing virtually all types of tea in a wide variety of tea bags and canned iced tea mix for the retail and foodservice industries. Harris Tea Company has created the Harris Freeman Foundation, a separate non-profit entity that focuses on education, safety and sustainable farming development projects in the rural, agricultural communities of its product sourcing regions. For more information on Harris Tea Company and the Harris Freeman Foundation, please visit www.harristea.com or call 856.793.0290.