If Fairtrade is essential for your first food shop, check the exact tea pack rather than relying on a familiar brand or a different sourcing logo. Co-op has an explicitly labelled Fairtrade 80-pack, while Clipper offers documented organic Fairtrade everyday and decaf 80-bag options; choose between them according to the tea and pack details you need.
If you are stocking a new kitchen with everyday black tea, look for Fairtrade wording that applies to the pack you are buying. Co-op identifies its Fairtrade Tea Bags 80pk by product name; Waitrose says its own-label tea is Fairtrade.
Clipper describes its Organic & Fairtrade Everyday 80 Tea Bags as organically grown black tea traded in compliance with Fairtrade standards. Clipper also describes its bags as unbleached, plant-based and biodegradable; check the current pack if bag material matters to you.
Clipper Organic Everyday Decaf 80 Tea Bags combines a decaffeinated black-tea description with a product-specific Fairtrade statement. Check the pack if you need to know whether any caffeine remains.
Start with certification on the exact pack. Then decide whether bag count, organic tea, bag material or decaf status changes which product belongs in your basket.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade status | Read the exact pack's Fairtrade wording. Distinguish it from Rainforest Alliance certification or a brand sourcing programme. | I need the tea I buy to meet a strict Fairtrade requirement, not just carry a general ethical-sourcing message. The Fairtrade Foundation warned in its 2025 UK research that shoppers can wrongly assume several familiar tea brands are Fairtrade. |
| Pack size | Confirm the tea-bag count and whether the pack suits how often you expect to make tea. The documented Co-op and Clipper options discussed here each contain 80 bags. | An 80-bag pack would cover the tea I want to put in my first food shop. |
| Organic tea and bags | Check organic wording separately from Fairtrade status. If bag material matters, read the exact product description rather than assuming Fairtrade covers it. | I want organic black tea as well as Fairtrade sourcing. Clipper describes its Organic & Fairtrade Everyday 80 Tea Bags as meeting both requirements and says its bags are unbleached, plant-based and biodegradable. |
| Decaf | Look for a specifically labelled decaf product that also states its Fairtrade status. Check its pack information if the amount of remaining caffeine matters. | I would rather stock decaf black tea. Clipper identifies its Organic Everyday Decaf 80 Tea Bags as decaffeinated organic tea traded in compliance with Fairtrade standards. |
Rainforest Alliance certification and brand sourcing programmes do not establish that a particular tea pack is Fairtrade. The Fairtrade Foundation's 2025 UK research names PG Tips, Tetley, Typhoo and Yorkshire Tea among brands shoppers may wrongly assume are Fairtrade.
If Fairtrade is non-negotiable, look for explicit Fairtrade identification on the product you intend to buy and check its current pack.
Fairtrade status alone does not tell you whether the tea is organic or decaf, or what the tea bag is made from. Those details vary by product.
Once you have checked Fairtrade status, read the exact pack for organic and decaf wording, ingredients and tea-bag information that matter to you.
A brand's sourcing approach is a starting point, not a substitute for checking the tea bag pack. The distinctions below concern the cited products or statements, not every tea each brand makes.
Clipper identifies specific organic everyday and decaf black-tea packs as tea traded in compliance with Fairtrade standards.
Twinings has a separate Organic & Fairtrade collection and describes Jacksons of Piccadilly as a Fairtrade range.
Rainforest Alliance lists PG Tips certified tea as available in the UK.
Rainforest Alliance lists Tetley certified tea as available in the UK; Tetley also describes Rainforest Alliance certification for its tea sold in Europe.
Yorkshire Tea says its tea comes from Rainforest Alliance-certified suppliers and distinguishes that approach from Fairtrade.
Typhoo says its blend is sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified gardens.
These two Clipper 80-bag packs cover the organic Fairtrade everyday-black-tea and decaf choices discussed above. Check the exact pack details when deciding which tea to put in your first shop.
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For a first-shop tea supply when you want decaf as well as Fairtrade sourcing. The listed pack contains 80 tea bags and weighs 277g; Clipper describes the tea as decaffeinated, organically grown black tea traded in compliance with Fairtrade standards, with a stated tea total of 100%. Check the pack if remaining caffeine matters to you.
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For stocking everyday black tea when you want organic tea and product-specific Fairtrade wording. The listed pack contains 80 tea bags and weighs 232g; Clipper states that the tea is traded in compliance with Fairtrade standards, with a stated total of 100%. Clipper also describes the bags for its Organic & Fairtrade Everyday product as unbleached, plant-based and biodegradable.
Check Fairtrade identification on the exact pack or its product description rather than relying on the brand name. The Fairtrade Foundation's 2025 UK research cautions that shoppers can wrongly assume PG Tips, Tetley, Typhoo and Yorkshire Tea are Fairtrade.
No. Rainforest Alliance certification is not interchangeable with Fairtrade when your shopping list specifically requires Fairtrade tea. Yorkshire Tea's explanation distinguishes the schemes, so check which certification applies to the pack in your hand.
Clipper Organic Everyday Decaf 80 Tea Bags is a documented option: Clipper identifies decaffeinated organically grown black tea and states that the Fairtrade tea total is 100%. Decaf wording alone does not establish that no caffeine remains, so check the pack if that distinction matters.
For its Organic & Fairtrade Everyday black tea, Clipper advises pouring freshly boiled water over the bag and infusing it for 2–5 minutes. Adjust the brewing time to your preferred strength; brewing does not change the tea's Fairtrade status.
Yes. Product details can change, and Co-op advises checking the label when buying its Fairtrade tea bags. Use the current pack to confirm the certification and other details important to your choice.