Drinking tea is a very British tradition – so much so that we consume 60.2 billion cups of tea each year, according to the UK Tea and Infusions Association.
And most of us tea-drinkers choose tea bags rather than tea leaves – 96% in fact.
But if you are eco-conscious, and trying to cut down on single-use man-made materials, you may not be aware that some tea bags actually contain plastic. Several tea bag brands use polypropylene, a sealing plastic, to keep the tea bags from falling apart.
So, even when you put all your used tea bags in the food waste or compost heap, it can lead to plastic pollution, as not all of it will be broken down.
According to HuffPost, Co-Op recently announced its plans to get rid of the plastic strip that seals its own-brand 99 tea bags. In place of this, they are looking to use a new heat-sealing process. It is hoped their new eco-friendly tea bags will be on sale later this year.
“There is no reason why enjoying a cuppa should mean adding to our plastic waste problem,” Louise Edge, senior oceans campaigner at Greenpeace UK, told HuffPost UK. “Plastic-free alternatives already exist.”
Biodegradable or compostable tea bags with no plastic do already exist, so its worth checking your favourite brand’s labelling to make sure. Or here are a few of the options available…
Tea bag brands WITH plastic
Tetley – their tea bags contain polypropylene plastic but they are looking into sustainable alternatives.
PG Tips – their tea bags contain polypropylene plastic but they are looking into sustainable alternatives.
Twinings – their ‘heat-sealed’ and ‘string and tag’ ranges include plastic.
Tea bag brands WITHOUT plastic
Twinings – their ‘Loose Leaf’ pyramid tea bag range contains no plastic and is fully biodegradable.
Pukka Herbs – their tea bags are free of plastic, tied together with organic cotton and are fully compostable.
Aldi – their premium Specially Selected range is plastic-free and biodegradable.
Waitrose – their Duchy range is plastic-free and biodegradable.
