Plastic comes in the strangest places… Did you know many tea bags contain plastic?
Tea bags are often made with paper and polypropylene, designed to make the teabag stronger, so it won’t disintegrate in your tea. But this little piece of plastic fibre is potentially a big contributor to the micro plastic problem, with the tiny piece of plastic easily washing in the water system through accidental composting and landfill.
Yes, because tea bags that contain plastic, are not compostable. This problem was highlighted in December 2017 and as awareness about plastic tea bags grew, many tea producers have been working on fully biodegradable solutions (showing the power of public voice!) However, these solutions are not perfect, with many “biodegradable” solutions only able to break down in industrial composters.
There are some companies with truly plastic free alternatives. But my advice is that if you want to truly reduce your waste and have a plastic free cuppa, stick to cardboard boxed loose leaf! Then tip those leaves in your compost.
There is a lot more reading to be had on this issue, in the below articles...
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