Why is Sri Lankan Ceylon black tea the cleanest in the world? How much is a cup of Ceylon black tea?

With the phase-out of methyl bromide, a pesticide widely used in tea cultivation that is harmful to the ozone layer, now is the perfect time to enjoy a refreshing and ozone-friendly cup of Ceylon tea. A long-term study aimed at improving the environmental sustainability of the Sri Lanka tea industry has borne fruit, with Sri Lanka tea farmers receiving the world's first "ozone friendly" status for stopping the use of methyl bromide as a pesticide in their local tea plantations. Methyl bromide is a colorless, odorless gas that has been used in agriculture since the 1930s as an effective fumigant to kill weeds, fungi, insects and worms. Methyl bromide has been used by tea farmers in Sri Lanka since 1965 to prevent a number of diseases and pests affecting tea plants. Its negative effects on the ozone layer had been recognized as early as the 1980s, and since the shrinking ozone layer threatened the future of all life on Earth, the immediate cessation of the use of ozone-depleting substances had become a top priority for the world's industrial and agricultural sectors.

Sri Lanka had become a signatory to the Montreal Protocol in 1989 and was required to completely phase out the use of methyl bromide in agriculture, including tea cultivation, by 1 January 2015. The Ceylon Tea Council, which is the trustee for all Ceylon tea, has successfully developed an ozone-friendly alternative to methyl bromide in cooperation with other government organizations, Ceylon tea manufacturers, tea exporters and local and international scientific communities and international donors. The Sri Lanka Tea Research Institute, under the guidance of the Ministry of Environment and with the help of Sri Lanka tea farmers, successfully introduced chemical and non-chemical alternatives to methyl bromide, and the country successfully stopped using methyl bromide and celebrated in May, 2011, with the launch of the "ozone friendly pure Ceylon tea" logo, all Ceylon tea brands on the market. In a world constantly seeking to maintain environmental sustainability, this logo proved to be an important value-added certification for the world's best tea brands, dominating the $1.5 billion market. In addition to phasing out toxic pesticides, Sri Lanka tea manufacturers are also seeking to reduce the carbon footprint of tea production by reducing energy consumption and choosing solar energy solutions. Mainly in Sri Lanka tea production in cooperation with government and NGOs has also launched a series of initiatives under the slogan "Eco-friendly tea plantations" seeking to reduce the use of fertilizers and pesticides to protect the biodiversity of Sri Lanka camellia gardens and in the water of these tea plantations and their surrounding resources. With the improvement of the environmental conditions of Sri Lanka tea plantations, brewing a fresh cup of tea is an unprecedented pleasure for eco-conscious tea lovers.