Our Commitment to the Environment

Business Sustainability 

Tofino Kombucha was intentionally launched with organic certification because we knew the importance of sourcing ethically produced and Fairtrade ingredients. Our suppliers of teas, flowers, and fresh produce are all purchased from local businesses, even our fresh ginger and lemons are purchased from our local health food store. Since we appreciate all of the support from our local business, we feel that it's also important to purchase our ingredients from local businesses too. Having a close business relationship with a local supplier is more important than an ingredient's price.  

In a move to reduce our packaging waste and environmental impact, we recently chose to discontinue our glass bottles and only package in the increasingly popular BPA-free lined aluminum can. Surprisingly, our glass bottles produced a significant amount of packaging waste during production that is not recyclable at Tofino's recycling facility. The canned kombucha packaging has become widely accepted in the kombucha industry and is the preferred packaging type for major kombucha producers serving mass food and convenience channels. There are numerous benefits of packaging kombucha in cans, including:

 Better for the Environment

  • Increased recycling rates - cans are 100% recyclable

  • Lower carbon footprint - bottles are imported from overseas

  • More eco-friendly than glass which is a depleting resource

 Better for the Retailer

  • Increased retail display coverage - cans are stackable on shelves

  • Empty cans are easier to display as product samples at foodservice establishments

  • Cans are more compact and take up less space in back stock coolers

 Better for the Product

  • Cans prevent UV light from slowly damaging the kombucha's bacteria culture

  • Cans are coated with PBA-free lining to prevent the kombucha from contacting the aluminum

 Better and for the Consumer

  • Cans do not break so they are safer than glass

  • Recreational benefit - cans are allowed in many places where bottles are typically not allowed, such as beaches, pools, parks, campgrounds, ballparks, golf courses, and boats. Cans are also great for hiking and exploring the outdoors

  • The retail price of cans are cheaper for the consumer than the same volume of kombucha in glass packaging

In an effort to further become a more sustainable business, we have partnered with an electric courier company that delivers across Vancouver Island. While Tofino may seem like an impractical place to operate a kombucha production facility, fortunately, we have a limited carbon footprint with the minimal amount of brewing ingredients needed to produce our kombucha. Plus, we are able to make use of the many returning empty freight trucks that supply Tofino's ever-growing tourism industry, which means our kombucha production does not put a strain on the local supply chain but instead contributes to the economy of Tofino, Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and beyond.