Bavarian organic tee developed
Rott.tee is the sustainably produced tea from Trola GmbH, which consists of natural materials and is biodegradable. The German company from Schwaig near Nuremberg relies on the many years of expertise of the founder and managing director Petra Philipp, who once manufactured furniture fittings in her father’s company. After Philipp started playing golf in 2012, she had a brilliant idea a little later when she saw plastic tees: “You could make that yourself,” remembers the Franconian native.
However, the tee should be sustainable. Since 2017, Philipp has been experimenting with materials in order to achieve the goal of the product. “We wanted to find a material that both decomposes and has the life expectancy of a plastic tee.”
Regional production process
The result in April 2022 with the market launch of rott.tee (name derived from “rotted tea”) was a product that meets the sustainability requirements. The tea is produced bio-based, the materials for the necessary injection moulding come from natural materials such as corn, sugar cane and castor oil. According to the company, the ingredients for the production of the certified plastic (EN 13432) are sourced from German manufacturers and retailers as well as farmers from the region.
In addition, the product scores from a sustainable point of view because it is compostable and biodegradable . With regard to the properties for the golf game, rott.tee refers to a “boost ring” for the ball on the top part of its dimensionally stable, durable and flexible tee, which is intended to ensure higher speed, less spin and more length on the tee. A triple ring system allows for good height adjustment and optimal hitting accuracy.
The product, which is available in a natural color , is currently only being produced in the larger version (70 mm in length), the additional production of a smaller model analogous to some common wooden tees is in the planning stage.
For golf clubs, golf shops and private buyers
In addition to production, the Bavarian company also fully relies on the “Made in Germany” label in terms of personnel, storage and shipping. According to Philipp, only printed boxes are used for packaging, which are obtained from a supplier in the region. Shipping should be FSC-certified and climate-neutral. The 15 employees are paid above the collective bargaining agreement.
Private prospects, golf clubs, golf course operators or golf shop owners can currently order directly from the manufacturer, an online shop should be available by June. You can choose either packs of 10, which are suitable for resale by private buyers and golf shops, or a larger pack of 1,000. An individual printing of the tees with logos or lettering is not yet possible for technical reasons. But here, too, the company from Middle Franconia is looking for a sustainable solution that will soon give the tea an individual touch.
