FAQ
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Please keep in mind that our friends at USPS are facing steep challenges this year. Since COVID hit the USA, most of our customer’s orders have arrived at the expected delivery time of 2-3 business days, but we have seen some delivery times take as long as three to four weeks.
Gifting!
Can I add a “gift message”?
Yes, babe! You can add your note once you reach the “Shipping” page during check-out. You can also ship to multiple locations in one order — so you can order tea for lots of your loved ones in one go, and give each of them a unique message.
Can I ship to multiple addresses?
Yes, babe! We’ve recently added ordering functionality to include multiple shipping addresses! Woot woot. Select the option at checkout, and you’ll see instructions as you go.
Here are step-by-step instructions for shipping to multiple addresses:
- Start adding to your cart! Fill it on up with everything you plan to send.
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Once you visit your full cart to check-out, select the golden button that says “Ship to Multiple Addresses.” Select it, and the page will change.
- Now you’ll a section that says “Address” on the right. Click on that, and you’ll see a prompt for adding a “New Address.”
- Enter and save each address you want! You can also rearrange your cart, so don’t worry too much about the addresses and the teas lining up just yet.
- Once you’ve saved all your addresses (and remember, if any of this tea is for you, you have to enter and save yours!), you can start arranging. You’ll arrange a row of each product for each address. Basically, you need to direct each product to the right person. For example:
- You’re shipping 1 Cup of Sunshine to Sarah and Dinesh, 1 teapot to yourself, and 1 Cup of Love to Dinesh and yourself
- You’ll enter and save 3 addresses: Sarah’s, Dinesh’s, and yours.
- You’ll have two rows of Cup of Sunshine, each with a qty. of 1, with one row going to Sarah and one row going to Dinesh
- You’ll have one row for the teapot, at a qty. of 1 going to yourself
- You’ll have two rows of Cup of Love, each with a qty. of 1, with one row going to Dinesh and one row going to yourself.
When you click “Continue” in the bottom right corner, our gift shipping service will organize everything by address!
- Now, you’ve reached the “Shipping” page, where you’re going to review each shipment to each address. This is when you can write in your gift message!
- If everything looks good, send them on their way!
GENERAL
If something’s up with my order, who do I talk to and how long will it take?
Please read through this FAQ to see if your question already has an answer. Then, email our tea babes at info@bighearttea.com, and please include your order number or original confirmation email. We’ve got a very small team and this has been a crazy year, but we are still turning around most customer service requests within 2-3 business days!
If it’s urgent, feel free to give us a call at (314) 875-0040 — we’re here between 9-5 CST, or you can leave a message.
Your site says "Free Shipping Over $50" - are there any exceptions to that?
We cannot offer free shipping to Canada yet.
ARE YOU OPERATING WITH A COVID-19 SAFETY PLAN?
Yes, we are! We’re sticking to CDC/WHO guidelines and taking daily precautions at our facility.
Heads up: we are processing and fulfilling your orders within two business days. But we’ve seen delivery delays of up to three weeks in the USA and five weeks in Canada.
If you have questions about Big Heart Tea Co + COVID-19, please read our full plan here, and if your question isn’t addressed, please reach out to info@bighearttea.com.
CAN I COME BUY OR PICK UP TEA FROM YOU IN PERSON?
All of our teas are available online or at our stockist cafes and boutiques. We do not have a brick-and-mortar location for selling tea to the public.
I TRIED YOUR CHAI LATTE AT A CAFE AND FELL IN LOVE — DO YOU SELL THAT?
Our labor-of-love masala chai recipe is only available for wholesale in St. Louis! See our list of St. Louis stockists to find a coffeehouse near you.
TEA, INGREDIENTS, & SAFETY
WHAT’S IN YOUR TEA?
Big Heart Tea Co. uses 100% organic herbs in all herbal blends. Our matcha, black, green, and oolong teas are all sourced directly from small farms. We only use whole ingredients. no flavors, coloring or sweeteners added. Just whole flowers, herbs, and spices. Please see our teas' product pages for a full list of ingredients and certifications.
Our certified organic herbal teas are made with whole ingredients, meaning the herbs aren’t “tea cut” before they arrive at our warehouse - so they’re extra flavorful.
WHAT'S IN YOUR TEA LEAVES?
Just tea. Our matcha, green, oolong, and black teas are single origin tea leaf sourced from our direct trade farm partners around the world. Learn more about the farms we work with here.
WHAT ARE YOUR TEABAGS MADE OF?
Our tea sachets are also made from 100% compostable, non-toxic PLA. That means no harmful chemicals leeching into your tea. So go ahead and sip safe.
WHAT’S THE EXPIRATION DATE FOR YOUR PRODUCTS?
Our teas are non-perishable; we recommend up to a 2-year shelf life for flavor and freshness.
WHAT ARE THE SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR YOUR TEA?
Our tea safety is based off of the standard dosage of up to 3 cups of tea a day, brewed in 8oz of water for 2 minutes. All of our herbal and spice ingredients meet California’s Prop 65 testing for heavy metals, and our Fake Coffee was 3rd-party tested for caffeine content (it’s officially classified as “Without Caffeine!”).
HOW MUCH CAFFEINE IS IN TEA?
This is a tricky question, because it depends on the freshness of the tea and the way it’s been brewed. But here’s the basic rundown:
- Our herbal teas are all naturally caffeine free.
- Green and black teas contain between 50-80 mg of caffeine per serving — or 1/3 to 1/2 the amount in an 8 oz serving of drip coffee. The myth that green tea has less caffeine than black may come from the fact that green teas contain natural properties that counteract the negative effects of caffeine.
- Matcha has the most, at 60-90 per 2 gram serving. But it also contains green tea’s counteractive properties.
- Heat extracts more caffeine, so the same portion of tea hot brewed for 2 minutes will have more caffeine than the same tea cold brewed for 2 minutes. However, most cold brew tea recipes call for a larger portion of tea and a much longer extraction time, so they will often contain more caffeine.
WHY ORGANIC?
We source certified organic herbs to ensure farm workers and their families are not exposed to harmful chemicals, and to protect soil health and water quality around the world. All our herbal and spice ingredients are also tested for heavy metals.
WHAT DOES “DIRECT TRADE” MEAN?
Direct trade means a one or two-degree connection to your farmer. Working hand-in-hand with farmers, we are able to ensure that the tea you drink comes from a place of health - from field to factory to you. The majority of the farms we work with are run by small families. Every farm we work with is pesticide free and brimming with biodiversity.
See our full list of partner farms here.
HOW ARE YOUR TEA BAGS PLASTIC-FREE? WHAT IS “PLA”?
PLA (polylactic acid) is a vegetable-based material that mimics petroleum-based plastic. Our tea bags are made from a 100% compostable woven mesh called Soilon. Soilon is PLA derived from corn starch (but it does *not* contain corn - it is an isolated chemical, polylactic acid, not an allergen), and is completely biodegradable: a safe, non-toxic material that’s perfect for filtering tea and herbal infusions. Read all about it here. We also use PLA cellophane inner liners that are 100% compostable as well.
HOW DO I COMPOST PLA?
PLA is 100% compostable by municipal composters! If there isn’t one in your area, you can throw them in the trash knowing they’re biodegradable and non-toxic.
WHOLESALE
I WANT TO SELL YOUR TEA AT MY BUSINESS!
Awesome! We now offer quick and easy wholesale customer experience on our website.
Some deets:
- no minimum orders (tea boxes are available in cases of 8)
- real, human customer service
- order at least 2 weeks prior for purchase orders over 250 qty.
- contact us at least 1 month prior concerning purchase orders over 500
- St. Louis only: local will-call pick-up option from our South City location between 12:30-4, M-F, + the best Chai Concentrate in the world for your cafe.
Create an account here, and once you log in, you can start shopping immediately. If you would like to see our catalog or receive marketing assets, email info@bighearttea.com!
To discuss opportunities for large PO's (qty. 150 or more units), co-branding, and more, reach out to orders@bighearttea.com or (324) 875-0040.
MY BUSINESS IS NOT IN THE USA OR CANADA. CAN I STILL WORK WITH YOU?
We would love to work with you, but unfortunately we can't right now. We hope to soon!
WHAT ARE THE DIMENSIONS OF YOUR TEA BOXES?
- 3"W x 2.75"L x 5.25"H
- contains 10 tea bags / ~1 oz loose leaf tea
SHIPPING & RETURNS
HAS COVID-19 CREATED SHIPPING DELAYS?
Yep. We are seeing delayed shipping times of up to 2 weeks in the USA and 3 weeks in Canada. We are still processing and fulfilling your orders within 2 business days, but the current burden on USPS may have created a new timeline for receiving your order.
Please keep an eye on your tracking info and let us know if you need help at info@bighearttea.com.
If your package's tracking information isn't being updated by USPS and falls outside 5 business days from the shipment date, we recommend you file a Help Request through USPS. This will alert them to the issue and hopefully resolve the delay.
If your Help Request still doesn't end up with our tea in your hands, contact us and we'll see what else we can do to make sure you get your tea!
DO YOU SHIP INTERNATIONALLY?
We currently only ship to the USA and Canada!
Canadian customers: with COVID-19 and Customs delays, you may not receive your package for up to 4 weeks.
CAN I CHANGE THE DETAILS ON AN ORDER I’VE ALREADY PLACED?
You can try, but we ship fast! Email info@bighearttea.com or call (314) 875-0040 as soon as you realize your mistake, and if we haven’t shipped it yet, we’ll change it up for you, no problem.
RETURN / REFUND POLICY
- No returns or credits past 30-days or on opened items
- Returns require an order number
- Original and return shipping costs are nonrefundable
- Expired promos cannot be extended to an exchange order
- Big Heart Tea Co. is not liable for items damaged or lost by carrier services
- Refunds or exchanges are not offered based on personal taste
More Q’s? Contact our team at info@bighearttea.com within 30 days of purchase. Please include your full name, order number, and any details that will help us take care of you.
We process requests for returns in 2-3 business days, but the timeline has also been affected by COVID-19: because of shipping delays, it may take longer than the standard 5-10 business days to fulfill your needs.
Plastic-Free Tea Bags
So here we are. . .
Our herbs and spices are 100% organic and our tea is sourced direct from small farms in Malawi, Japan, India and USA.
Our bags are made from a biodegradable woven mesh called Soilon. Soilon is derived from corn starch and can be composted completely. Soilon is a safe, non-toxic, environment-friendly material — perfect for filtering tea and herbal infusions.
Q&A
How is Soilon made?
Soilon is made of poly lactic acid (PLA) polymer resin, made by lactic fermentation of glucose (derived from corn starch) by an enzyme and polymerization.
PLA, sounds like plastic. . .
Unlike traditional petroleum-based plastics, PLA is a plastic substitute made from fermented plant starch, ours is made from non-GMO sugarcane.
How does Soilon decompose?
Soilon can be decomposed rapidly when it is put into heated composting system, and quite slowly when it is used in usual circumstances (so don’t litter, obvs). The degradation is initiated by temperature, moisture, and alkaline material, and can be completely, safely degraded by microorganisms.
How long does decomposition take?
According to this article in the Scientific American, PLA can break down into its constituent parts (carbon dioxide and water) within 3 months in a “controlled composting environment” (an industrial composting facility, heated to 140°F and surrounded by plenty of digestive microbes). It will take far longer in a home compost bin, and hopefully won’t end up in a landfill packed so tightly that no light and little oxygen are available to assist in the process. Any organic matter in landfills is a huge waste, y’all, and releases methane. Indeed, analysts estimate that a PLA could take anywhere from 100 to 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill.
So, are your tea bags safe?
Our tea bags are 100% safe. They contain no hazardous substances to leech into your tea, such as endocrine disruptors (environmental hormones), and are naturally anti-fungal and antibacterial.