Still others feel that it is what the tea is stored with or near that will either preserve it in its intended state or alter its aroma and flavor. This means it absorbs moisture from the air and is quite sensitive to changes in the environment. At the retail level, Phipps advises, tea should not be stored in glass jars but rather in tightly covered containers. Plastic, Phipps argues, is porous. For shipping, paper sacks have become the package of choice.
Paper is ecologically sound.
Tea is still handled and moved effectively with it. This has become the international choice, but lined, plywood chests are also still used, depending on the country. All of the tea belonging to the Gertrude H. Ford Tea Co. in Poughkeepsie, New York, is kept out of direct light. The company, founded in 1909, sells tea all over the world through its mail-order business. Its retail shop was opened in 1940 and today serves 35 different blends and varieties to its customers.