Jill Heyes, Upcycling Used Tea Bags for Good

Our guest in this episode is Jill Heyes, CEO and founder of Original T-bag designs.

I first heard about Jill and Original T-bag designs whilst on a family holiday to South Africa. I was talking to a local guide about what we do at Blue Tribe and how we help organisations and entrepreneurs to develop commercial solutions to environmental and social issues and he raved about this company called Original T-Bag designs who make home wares and fashion products out of used t-bags whilst at the same time providing jobs and hope to people living overwhelming poverty in the Townships near Cape Town.

I was so curious about this that I reached out to Jill and as it happens she has family in Sydney and was coming to Australia to see them so I took the opportunity to talk to her about her journey with Original T-bag designs.

In this episode we hear about the humble beginnings of Original T-Bag Designs, some of the many challenges Jill has had to overcome to grow Original T-Bag Designs into a sustainable business which employs crafters from a Township near Cape Town and supports their extended families throughout South Africa. Known affectionately as the T-Bag Lady, Jill shows us that just like that perfect brew every sustainable business needs the right combination of ingredients.

So grab yourself a cup of tea, sit back and enjoy my interview with Jill Heyes.

To access the show notes visit https://www.bluetribe.co/episode5