The more I learn about living a zero-waste life the more I am discovering just how much waste we produce as a race. While I am aware that not all plastic is bad or should be eliminated there are so many instances where it can be reduced if not eliminated completely. Tea bags are one of those areas. I have not done research into why tea bags replaced loose tea leaves, but I suspect it was for the perceived convenience and ease of packaging to sell to the masses. Up until recently we have been throwing our tea bags into the compost pile, which would be fine if we used only tea bags that contained no plastic. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
I had briefly read that tea bags do contain plastic but hadn’t thought much of it until I watched a BBC video on Facebook recently. You can watch it here. It is a very scientific video that shows just how much plastic is in each and every tea bag we use, basically making composting them futile. You can also watch this video, it also shows you how the bags are made.
One of the brands we support, Unwrapped Co, also shared a post on Instagram about how harmful tea bags are not only to the environment but also to our bodies because we are ultimately ingesting some of the plastic from the tea bags!
I found this article that Life Lived Simply did in 2017. She reached out to the major South African tea brands to find out if their bags contained plastic. I have not, yet, reached out to any of these brands to find out if they have made any changes to this.
So, what is the solutions?
There are two solutions;
- Educate yourself about what brands use plastic in their tea bags and avoid them! (I will be reaching out to the brands we have been using and let you all know what they say.)
- Switch to loose tea leaves. We are experimenting with this.
Switching to loose tea leaves
Kiara drinks a lot of herbal teas and I have raised all 4 of them on rooibos tea so we always have some or other herbal tea in our home.
Our biggest challenge with switching over to tea leaves has been access. I am all about convenience and thanks to lockdown I am now all about shopping online. Finding brands that offer a range of herbal tea leaves has been challenging.
Unwrapped Co does have rooibos tea and green tea in their range of tea leaves so we have now made the switch to loose rooibos tea and while we are still getting used to it, the change has been super easy.
Our biggest challenge with the rooibos is the little leaves that escape from the tea strainer. It is quite fine so some of them do escape. The little kids are still adjusting to that, but it has not stopped them from drinking their tea.
I popped into the Refillery earlier this week, they had an Apple Crumble tea that I bought for Kiara to try out. She loved it, so we will add that one to our list.
Tips for switching to loose tea leaves
- Most of the research I have done says you can even use the leaves more than once. Before you throw them out, make another cup
- If you really can’t deal with the loose “bits” try a plunger. A few people have said that it works well and leaves no bits in your tea.
- Collect all your tea leaves and once a week sprinkle them into your indoor plants or flower beds! If you are adding compost to your garden, mix the tea in with the compost.
- You can sprinkle the used leaves onto your chopping boards, they will absorb odours. Leave for a while and then scrub as per normal.
- Rooibos leaves will make a stunning face scrub!
We are now on a mission to find a brand/s that offer different herbal tea leaves. So if you have made this switch or do use tea leaves, please share the brands you are using.
27 Responses
I wasn’t aware of this until I watched that documentary too, it’s frightening! I’ve switched to Clipper teabags (in the UK) who are currently the only brand that use completely compostable plastic free bags. Others are in the mix but not there yet. Here’s hoping we can all make the shift to zero waste living!
Love learning how to be more eco friendly. Thanks for sharing.
Your blog is really opening me up to being a better human!😍
Well, interesting, didn’t know that we can use the leave more than once.
I do much prefer loose tea. For a start, it tastes much better than tea in teabags although it costs more most often.
Very interesting post. I never knew about it. Thank you for sharing.
Risa Lopez recently posted…Exploring The Picturesque Nilgiri Tea Plantations
This has my full support. I chose to use loose leaves and was fortunate to find brands that sell this in our country. It’s a little tricky to find, but it’s really worth it.
Polly recently posted…10 Horror Movie Locations in Los Angeles That You Can Visit this Halloween
This has my full support. I chose to use loose leaves and was fortunate to find brands that sell this in our country. It’s a little tricky to find, but it’s worth it.
Polly recently posted…10 Horror Movie Locations in Los Angeles That You Can Visit this Halloween
Great blend and I do like having loose tea. Thank you for the introduction and I look forward to trying it
My first thought was “there is no plastic in tea bags” and then I thought “how does it stay together when you are dipping it or soaking it in water?”. I answered my own question. You don’t realize that a lot of the stuff we use has plastic in it.
great post! many people do not realize the harm of tea bags. I don’t use it for years and never tired of explaining why
Lyosha recently posted…MBFWRussia, day 3
As always, an excellent and important post. However, I must say that this is an easy task for me since I prepare exclusively loose tea 😀
Wow I never realized it till now! Thank you so much for the awareness
Really?? Tea bags have plastic. I had no idea, that is an eye opener.
I didn’t realise tea bags contain plastic. It’s everywhere! Definitely another reason to use loose leaf other than the fact that tea tastes a lot better made that way.
Tea bags really! I had no idea! I haven’t seen the documentary, I will tonight for sure. Wow, tea bags, I am shocked.
I support this. This is so interesting and very informative blog post. Thank you for sharing.
These are great tips. I never thought about the waste aspect of tea bags before.
Love all the eco tips you’ve been sharing lately! Thank you so much for more great ideas on reducing waste. Love this one too!
I was so shocked when I found out about the tea bags! It was some time ago already but I have never though how much is done in this tiny convenience. I switched to loose tea in a tea pot completely and occasionally I use reusable metal ‘tea bag’, it handy too. Also I do think the taste became better this way.
Lyosha recently posted…Unique Russia, my day 3
I try to buy loose tea when I can. I have a great stainless steel strainer that I use for all of my teas. I don’t like the idea of so much waste and especially the newer plastic tea bags.
I love drinking loose tea as i find the flavours are more robust and as you mentioned it is also better for the environment. Thanks for the tips of reusing the loose teas in scrubs too.
I was thinking about getting into loose tea leaves more too. This is definitely a sign for me to go ahead and go through with. I feel like loose tea leaves probably taste much better too.
I did not even know some tea bags contained plastic! Thank you for the tips, this is definitely a game changer to my tea routine.
I drink tea on a daily basis so thanks a lot for the insight and tips. great read.
I discovered a couple of brands that sell loose tea leaves rather than tea bags, which helped me reduce waste. I’m a big tea drinker, so you can guess how many teas I’ve consumed from the beginning. I wish I had done my research sooner and opted to switch.
Polly recently posted…Fun Culinary Games for Kids (and Kids at Heart)
The tea bags that I buy from here in Japan use biodegradable and more eco-friendly tea bags. I always choose teas from companies that offer eco-friendly choices.