Bushells
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Australian tea brand selling black tea bags and loose leaf tea.
Bushells can't show that the people who grow its tea in Indonesia earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 5
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its tea is grown in Indonesia, India and China, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Bushells's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
- A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: Good
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its tea is grown
From product labels; Bushells doesn't say where its tea is grown. The rest is shown as where tea is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| KenyaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri LankaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalawiUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: tea estate wages in Assam, Sri Lanka and Kenya are among the lowest of any export crop, often paid partly in kind (housing, rations). (partly offset by certification or direct sourcing)
- Modern slavery statement
- Invests in worker and farming communities
Research notes Bushells is blended and packed in Indonesia from Indonesian and imported teas; the other countries and shares are not disclosed. Its owner says almost 98% of its tea is Rainforest Alliance certified, a standard that is weak on wages. The owner publishes a global tea sourcing list and UK and Canadian modern slavery statements, but no Australian statement was found. It aims for a living wage or income across its value chain by 2040, with no measurable steps due sooner.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Unclear | The owner relies on Rainforest Alliance rather than Fairtrade. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | LIPTON Teas and Infusions publishes a 2025 UK modern slavery statement. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not listed | No Australian modern slavery statement from LIPTON Teas and Infusions was identified. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | Bushells is not named in tracked tea investigations; its parent is named in the 2023 BBC Kenya investigation. View |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- A 2023 BBC investigation found women were sexually exploited by supervisors on Kenyan tea estates then owned by Bushells' parent; Rainforest Alliance suspended the estates' certificate until July 2023 and a manager was dismissed. Bushells is packed in Indonesia and it is not disclosed whether tea from these estates went into it. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- BHRRC: Unilever's response to allegations of sexual abuse on Kenyan tea plantations · search the archive · 2023 BBC investigation into Kericho estates owned by Lipton Teas and Infusions; staff suspended and independent investigation commissioned.
- Tea giants lose certification after Kenya sex abuse probe (AFP, May 2023) · search the archive · Rainforest Alliance suspended certification of Ekaterra Tea Kenya estates.
- Woolworths: Bushells Blue Label Loose Leaf Tea 250g · search the archive · Blended and packed in Indonesia from local and imported teas (checked November 2026).
- Better livelihoods (LIPTON Teas and Infusions) · search the archive · Almost 98% of tea Rainforest Alliance certified; published tea supplier list; housing, healthcare and education on estates.
- LIPTON Teas and Infusions publishes its 2025 sustainability report · search the archive · Living wage or income ambition across the value chain by 2040; pilots at two Kenyan suppliers.
- Modern slavery statement (LIPTON Teas and Infusions) · search the archive · UK and Canada 2025 modern slavery statements published; no Australian statement listed.
- LIPTON Teas and Infusions and Browns Investments agree long-term partnership · search the archive · 2024 agreement to transfer Kenyan, Rwandan and Tanzanian estates to Browns.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Bushells ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/bushells, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Bushells.