The practice of drinking Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) was brought to Japan by monks returning from their studies at the great Zen monasteries of 12th century China. For then, tea functioned as an aid to meditation, as a health aid, and as a tool to propagate Zen. As the years went by, tea and the reason for drinking it changed, but it never went out of fashion. Today, Green Tea is one of the three major non - alcoholic beverages in the world. Green Tea is a typical non - fermented tea that is enjoyed by many and is immensely popular in Japan. It is utilized as both a daily beverage and as a healthful drink. Green Tea contains a rich natural source of polyphenols and bioflavonoids. Recent studies have identified the valuable active constituents of Green Tea and continue to review its historical uses. Since 1922, Alvita has been making the finest herb teas money can buy. Pure, natural singles and blends that bring you unsurpassed enjoyment, healthful benefits and complete satisfaction. No less reassuring is our unwavering commitment to the environment. Today, no herb tea company goes as far to protect the Earth and its precious resources - - this package and its contents being testimony. There is no plastic shrink wrap on the outside. The box is 100% recycled board that can be recycled again. The finish is soybean - based. Our tea bags are English Pillow Style, with no strings, tags or staples attached. Even the tea bag paper is recyclable. And all our bags are oxygen bleached, not chlorine bleached, to safeguard you and our ground water. Degradable. Recyclable. Reusable. The key component of each is the word able . At Alvita, we wholeheartedly believe we are all able to play a key role in preserving the wondrous world we live in. For us, it starts with offering you the most environmentally safe and responsible herb teas possible.