I love chai tea lattes. Got hooked on these in grad-school when I was perpetually holed-up at that green-fairy-from-Seattle-logo place with my corporate merger and acquisitions tax review textbook cramming in a bit of studying.

Though I don’t get to the coffee shop much anymore (oh, but if they had drive-thru….) I do so love these cardamom scented, sweet, caffeinated, creamy delights. So when I discovered the above in the grocery, I plopped one in my cart pronto. Just one taste of this honey-sweetened, warm-you-through goodness reminded me that I have my degree, don’t need to study, and that I wanted more. I wanted so much more, I was throwing away a carton a week. That is 52 of these non-recyclable cardboard, plastic-lined, plastic-spouted, rather large, doo-hickeys a YEAR going in our landfills, to be buried and haunt the living population for centuries to come.

Okay, there is an alternative, brew your own chai tea.

Is this brewing at home more economical? I don’t know. Is there less packaging? Definitely.

I can reuse

• the cardboard box and the tin my tea came in
• the twine and cheese cloth I use to brew the spices and tea
• glass and plastic spice containers
• the glass or plastic honey container
• I can use a reusable produce bag to carry home my fresh ginger root

I throw away

• the 1 plastic Ziploc bag that held my peppercorns (1 baggie holds a year’s supply, or 1 lb, of peppercorns)
• the plastic milk jugs that make my tea a latte!

A note about these 20 days of packaging: Fossil fuel consumption is certainly a valid measure of green-ness, but I am not going to use it here. I am simply going to discuss the packaging I choose to bring into my home, and that which I discard. I think there is enough fodder here for discussion without going down other avenues.

So, does it taste the same? Definitely. And I can make the taste my own. I like more honey-sweetness, and a bit more cardamom spiciness. Here is my recipe.

***Chai Tea Latte Recipe***

Gather the following in a cheese cloth and close the top with a length of kitchen twine.

1/8C South African Rooibos Superior loose tea (actually this is a bark that brews a wonderful red tea, you can also use a straight black tea of your choice)

1 1/2″ long knob of ginger (I use one that is about as wide as a quarter)

20 black peppercorns (my favorite are tellicherry from India)

10 whole allspice

(1) 3″ large cinnamon stick

1t cardamom seeds (or use the green cardamom pods)

Put 6 C of water in a sauce pan and float your cheesecloth bundle. Bring to a boil over medium heat uncovered and then turn off the heat. Let cool. Remove the cheesecloth bundle and discard contents (in your compost if you have one!)

Decant into a pitcher and place in the fridge. Use with in 1 week.

To make your latte: mix 1/2 tea, 1/2 milk and microwave this until hot. Sweeten with honey to taste and enjoy. (I use about 1T of honey to 12 oz of latte.)

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So what kind of packaging do you consume on a weekly basis? Is there away you can substitute another product, make something at home, or use a reusable bag to decrease the amount of packaging you bring through your front door? Is the substitute economical? Is it affordable? Why is it that we “consume” so much cardboard, ink, plastic shrink wrap, disposable re-sealable bags, and tin foil lids? And where does this all go when it leaves our home? I plan to discuss some of these in the coming posts as I weave my way through 19 more tales of an on-the-go-suburban family striving to be more responsible consumers.

Next up: popsicle packaging…yes, we consume these in the dead of winter. Have a wonderful weekend!