Country Living finds out which tea bag brands are plastic-free, recyclable and biodegradable, from the supermarket’s own brand tea bags to major tea brands sold across the UK. Luckily, there are plenty of plastic-free tea bags out there…
According to .css-erinyr{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness, tea drinking is such a British tradition that we drink 60.2 billion cups of tea a year: 0.0625 rem ; text color: inherit; text underline offset: 0.25 rem; color: #5D654E; -webkit-transition: all 0.3 sec. } .css-erinyr:hover{color:#000000;text-decoration-color:#0A5C80;} British Tea and Infusion Society. Most of us tea drinkers prefer tea bags over tea leaves – 96% in fact.
But did you know that some teas contain plastic? Some tea bag brands use polypropylene (a type of airtight plastic) to keep the tea bags from falling apart. This plastic is not recyclable or biodegradable.
So, even if you throw all your used tea bags in your food waste or compost heap, you may be contributing to plastic pollution because not all plastic is biodegradable.
And that’s not the only problem: Canadian McGill University research has also shown that some types of tea bags leak millions of plastic particles into our drinks, not only from the sealing plastic, but from the bag itself.
This question is related to tea bags, the bag itself is made from plastic rather than the more common paper bag. These plastic tea bags are more commonly associated with high end brands.
Scientists have found that one plastic tea bag releases about 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion smaller nanoplastic particles into a cup. Those, in turn, enter the digestive system of the drinker. The findings were published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Technology.
Abel & Cole private tea bags are plastic free. They are made from SoilOn and are biodegradable. The packaging they come in is made from paper and biodegradable polyethylene and is oxo-biodegradable. On their website (link no longer available) they say, “SoilOn is cornstarch combined with plant based biomass material (polylactic acid). And best of all, it’s biodegradable and certified organic, regulated by the EU Soil Association. They also do not contain glue, as they are connected by heat sealing.”
As an organic food and drink delivery service, Abel & Cole sells a number of other brands of tea bags, most of which are listed below.
Aldi’s website said in a statement: “By the end of 2021, Aldi has committed to phasing out single-use plastic from self-labeled tea bags, moving to biodegradable tea bags, and phasing out plastic outer packaging. This will remove a total of 80 tons. plastic every year.
Country Living spoke to Asda about their own brand of tea bags in 2021, which were free of plastic at the time. They said:
”We are always looking for innovative ways to make our products and packaging as sustainable as possible, which our customers and colleagues are very passionate about. We are working hard with our suppliers on some of the products we can make this year that are sustainable, our tea bags are definitely one from the product lines we are reviewing.”
✅ Twinings: Organic Pure Chamomile, Organic Pure Peppermint and Organic English Breakfast, Fair Trade
In October 2018, Clipper announced that they had created what they believe to be the first completely plastic-free bag made from natural plant materials. With them, you simply brew your tea as usual before throwing the tea bags in the food waste bin or compost. Clipper tea bags also do not bleach.
On their website, they say: “Over a year ago, we switched to fully biodegradable, plant-based biomaterials. As a result, we have prevented tons of polypropylene plastic from entering the waste stream. We are working on some sustainable packaging options, including reducing the weight of our packaging and improving recyclability.”
In July 2022, we asked The Co-op to comment on their own brand of tea bags. They said, “The co-op has phased out tea bags containing polypropylene (oil-based plastic) and switched to compostable bioplastic (PLA).”
“All Co-op private label teas, including Fairtrade Red 99 teas, fruit teas and infusions, have been converted to compostable bioplastic (PLA).”
“The vast majority of the tea bags we sell are biodegradable and only 1-2% non-biodegradable polymer is used in our round tea bags to help form the seal. These tea bags are still compostable and can also be found recycled in household compost bins or added to food waste bins. We will continue to work with our suppliers to explore alternative materials that can be used in place of these polymers.”
The good news is that PG Tips has moved to completely biodegradable, plant-based tea bags with no plastic. Their website explains this:
“PG Tips pyramid tea bags are mostly made of paper. In the past, we have used a small amount of polypropylene (the most common type of plastic) as a seal to keep the structure of our signature pyramid tea bags intact. Our tea coffins have been busy looking for an alternative to polypropylene. Good news, they found it! It is a plant-based material derived from corn. This means that everything in our tea boxes is now based on plants. This!”
Pukka Herbs tea bags are plastic-free, bound with organic cotton and fully compostable. On their website (link no longer available) they say “Pukka does not use this material. Instead, we use organic cotton with simple stitching and a unique folding process. This means we don’t have to use polypropylene to pack our stuff. tea bags are stapled together so our tea bags are plastic free. We were the first company to use organic thread to secure our tea bags without metal staples or polypropylene.”
Claire Hughes, director of product and innovation at Sainsbury’s, told CL in July 2022: “Last year we launched our first private label plant-based tea bag, moving 859 million tea bags a year from switching from oil-based plastic to plant-based plastic. These tea bags are 100% plant-based, industrially compostable and can be disposed of with food, garden and household waste. high quality tea bags are another example of how we are introducing new and innovative products to reduce the environmental impact of our business.”
They say on their website, “You will be pleased to know that our tea arms are never plastic. The tea arms and connecting thread are made from corn starch, a natural carbohydrate derived from the compound of corn. from plain old-fashioned paper. Even the ink on the labels is plant-based and everything is heat-sealed – so no glue! Therefore, our tea temple is completely suitable for you. Collected food waste is composted.”
Country Living has asked Tesco to update its own branded tea bags in 2021, and they have confirmed they are working with suppliers to develop a biodegradable tea bag that will be tested in stores. They aim to have bags fully available later in 2021.
Tesco also said it is working to reduce the size of tea boxes and ensure that any plastic packaging can be recycled at a soft plastic collection point. It’s part of their 4R strategy: remove as much plastic as possible, cut back where it’s not possible, reuse more, and recycle the rest.
Despite the claim that Tetley tea bags are 99% biodegradable, as of April 2021, Tetley tea bags do contain a small amount of plastic.
They have since released a new can of Tetley as part of the Tesco Loop trial. The website says: “We have taken a big step forward in our mission to move away from single-use packaging with the launch of the new Tetley refillable can.
”In the UK, new Tetley cans containing 80 biodegradable tea bags will be sold in 10 Tesco stores as part of a zero waste trial for supermarkets and convenience stores.”
Regarding the plastic-free bags they offer, the site writes: “With 9 million to replace, we can’t replace them all at once, but we are starting with a big seller of our beautiful Tetley Original 120 and 240.
“We want to bring these new pouches to market as quickly as possible, which is why we are currently putting new pouches in our current packaging. So far we have produced 163 million and this number is growing every minute.”
“It will be a while before you see our new biodegradable packaging, but it will be on the shelf near you in the near future, so stay tuned!
”In the meantime, stay tuned to see how we’re progressing in the transition to your favorite tea.”
We contacted Twinings in June 2022. They said: “We are pleased to confirm that 99% of our products are currently either loose or made from plant/cellulose derived materials (excluding Organic Pure Chamomile, Organic Pure Peppermint and Organic English Breakfast, Fair Trade).
“Our tea bags are certified for industrial composting; this means they can be placed in the local food recycling bin. We are currently undergoing home composting certification in the UK, however the material we use is certified by TUV Austria as industrially compostable.
“For our three organic blends, we use certified biodegradable, non-GMO plant-based tea paper that does not affect flavor, and we hope to transition these blends to new materials as soon as possible.”
A Waitrose spokesperson told CL in July 2022: “We have replaced the binder in all of our caffeinated tea bag brands with a plant-based alternative.
“We will continue to test decaffeinated tea bag options and work closely with our suppliers to find more sustainable solutions for our own range of brands.”
Their organic line Duchy states on their website that it is 100% recycled, though the materials used to make the bags themselves are not listed.
The Yorkshire Tea website states: “The bags in all of our regular English Yorkshire tea boxes are now made from plants. Most bags are made from natural fibers like wood pulp, and the seals are made from PLA, a plant-based, industrially compostable plastic that is much better for the environment when disposed of properly. You can learn more about our transition to plant-based tea bags here.”
The outer packaging of their tea boxes is made from oil-based plastic (polypropylene). Here’s what they intend to change next.
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Post time: May-09-2023