Celestial Seasonings Asks Tea Drinkers to Make a Difference by Planting 'Virtual Trees' Online

BOULDER, Colo., Feb. 3 — By simply purchasing tea or clicking on a mouse, Celestial Seasonings(R) tea drinkers can support the planting of trees in developing countries and help promote environmental and economic sustainability around the world.

Celestial Seasonings will sponsor the planting of more than one million trees through a new partnership with the nonprofit organization Trees for the Future. Tea drinkers can join Celestial Seasonings in planting trees in two ways: by purchasing the brand's all-natural teas between now and March 31, 2009, and by visiting www.celestialseasonings.com/trees, where they are given the exciting opportunity to participate in a free interactive program that turns "virtual trees" into reality.

"Our tree-planting program is a fun, affordable way for Celestial Seasonings tea drinkers to make a difference during trying economic times," said Peter Burns, General Manager of Celestial Seasonings. "With the help of our valued consumers and the like-minded environmental stewards at Trees for the Future, we will sponsor the planting of more than one million trees and help promote sustainability worldwide."

Online visitors to www.celestialseasonings.com/trees can plant a tree in a virtual forest generated entirely by fellow users. For each virtual tree planted, Celestial Seasonings will sponsor the planting of one real tree in a developing country by Trees for the Future. The online experience enables visitors to view the growing virtual forest of trees and watch their own tree sprout and grow. Users also discover how trees benefit the environment and economies of emerging nations by improving the quality of their water, air and soil, promoting biodiversity and generating additional income.

Visitors learn about the brand's earth-friendly practices, including the growing, harvesting and sourcing of their ingredients and the packaging of their products. Because they have worked with many of the same farmers for more than 30 years, the specialty tea leader has been able to establish sustainable harvests and support ethical trade practices. Additionally, Celestial Seasonings' use of minimal packaging, including a unique tea bag that requires no strings, tags, staples or individual wrappers, saves more than 3.5 million pounds of waste from entering landfills annually.