Celestial Seasonings
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 3 sources
Colorado tea company known for herbal blends such as Sleepytime.
We couldn't confirm where Celestial Seasonings gets most of its tea.
Also worth knowing
Most tea is grown in countries such as India and Kenya, where pay is usually well below a living wage.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Celestial Seasonings? Send a right of reply.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- 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 rightsWhere tea is usually grown, such as India and China, 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: Probably made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Celestial Seasonings'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
We couldn't confirm where Celestial Seasonings gets most of its tea, so this shows where tea is usually grown.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 30% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Kenya | 25% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sri Lanka | 20% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | 15% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malawi | 5% | Strong protections | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well 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)
- Direct trade (self-reported)
Research notes Celestial says it buys more than 100 botanicals from over 35 countries, about 70% directly from farmers and local communities, and blends all its teas in Boulder, Colorado. It does not name the countries, publish a supplier list or report on wages or working conditions on farms. Parent Hain Celestial has a supplier code banning child and forced labour and may audit suppliers, but publishes no audit results. Only some lines carry organic or other certifications. No labour abuse reports linked to Celestial Seasonings were found.
What independent sources say
Sources and actions
Sources 3
Show all 3 sources
- Sleepytime tea owner Hain Celestial to sell international business (Food Dive, Sept 2026) · search the archive · Hain sells its international business to Aurelius; Celestial Seasonings teas stay with Hain
- California Transparency in Supply Chains Act disclosure (Hain Celestial, Nov 2020) · search the archive · Supplier code bans child and forced labour; co-packer reviews; right to audit; no results published
Published by Celestial Seasonings or its owner
- Blended With Care: From Seed to Sip (Celestial Seasonings) · search the archive · 100+ botanicals from 35+ countries; 70% bought directly from farmers; all teas blended in Boulder
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Celestial Seasonings ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/celestial-seasonings, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded tea
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Celestial Seasonings.