It’s easy to believe that tea bags are merely tea and paper in that they break down, and you’re contributing to the cause by throwing them into the food waste you dispose of at home to make compost. But you’re not unless you’re using tea bags that are plastic-free which is.
In reality, the majority products in the tea bags that we purchase contain polypropylene that’s what is sprayed with. Therefore, when you place the bags that you’ve used in the food scraps, you’re making toxic chemicals in the beautiful compost which will eventually end up in the soil.
Some tea brands made of plastic differ in being biodegradable or compostable. This is something you need to be aware of so that you can properly dispose of the tea bag you’ve used.
This means that it is broken down through an enzyme process that requires the right conditions effectively decompose. This occurs most often at an industrial scale, where greater amount of heat is utilized than what you could achieve in your backyard. It is also capable of breaking down in the composting environment of your garden at home and can be used as a fertiliser afterward.
There are many brands that are promoting tea bags that don’t contain the tiny plastic pieces and many others are moving to eliminate plastic as well. If your favorite brand does not offer a bag made of plastic of your favorite brew it’s possible to utilize loose tea.
How did we test
We searched for brands that do not just make use of alternative materials to plastic used in the teabag, but which also eliminate plastic from packaging remove unnecessary tags and materials as well as pay their workers fair wages and obviously, they taste great.
The most plastic-free tea bags for 2022 include:
- The best overalloverall Brew Tea Co. Earl Grey, for fifteen: PS4.59, Brewteacompany.co.uk
- The best choice for budget-friendly Clipper organic everyday tea, priced at an average of PS3.49, Clipper-teas.com
- The best choice for gifting gifts Hampstead Tea whole leaf home compostable pyramids for 20: Starting at PS2.79, Hampsteadtea.com
- The best without strings— We Are Tea English breakfast tea, for 15dollars: PlayStation3, Amazon.co.uk
- The best tea from a cafécafe Eteaket royal Earl Grey tea bags priced at $20: PS6.95, Eteaket.co.uk
- The best Social Enterprise Brandbrand for social enterprise Nemi Tea green tea to 15 people: PS4.95, Nemiteas.com
- Best for a weekend brew – T2 French earl grey teabag gift cube, for 25: PS8, T2tea.com
- The best choice for flavours that are innovative — Roqberry For 18 PS6, Thefoodmarket.com
- Best wrapped in envelopes – Pukka Herbs, for 20: PS3.29, Hollandandbarrett.com
- The best pillow-shaped Tea bag– Good and Proper Tea for 15: From PS5. Goodandpropertea.com
- Best brand on the high street Best high street brand Twinings free leaf pyramid bags for fifteen: PS6.50, Twinings.co.uk
Brew Tea Co. proper tea Earl Grey, for 15
This brand is as clear and eco-friendly as they come and it makes it enjoyable as well. Brew Tea is situated in Manchester utilizes whole leaves (not dust, as it insists) It is also a part of the Ethical Tea Partnership that supports small estate growers. It’s a refreshing drink with a lot of flavor and richness (no weak tea here!) mixing bergamot oils with ceylon black tea with orange peel and calendula petals.
This is our daily tea and we enjoy it. The tea bags that come from the brand are made of cornstarch. The inner liner is made from NatureFlex and inside the container is a useful document explaining what the packaging is made of and how it will be recycled from the tea bags and the inner liner, which will decompose over 45 days through the food recycling bin at your local council and the box which is disposed of in the paper recycling. They are available in 100-packs now also for PS17.99 when you sign up or PS20 for one-off purchase.
Organic everyday tea from Clipper for just 80.
It may look similar to a normal tea bag, but it isn’t it. The bags are unbleached (hence the earthier colour) organic, Fairtrade, plastic-free and non GM. It was the first pillow-shaped bag that met the requirements of Fairtrade and launched in the year 2018. As if that weren’t enough, it also was the initial Fairtrade tea.
The teabag is constructed from the abaca plant – which is a kind of banana. The plastic that was used to seal the bag has been replaced by the material made of non-GM plants. It’s now one of our favorite daily teas, as it’s name suggests and is the most affordable option on our list. While Clipper has checked off a lot of boxes with its teabag, the company is currently working to make the packaging made of foil recyclable as well.
Hampstead Tea whole leaf home compostable pyramids For 20
We like this brand’s ethos that is “cup to compost”, in which all pyramids are made from non-GM sugar starch that is compostable at home, as well with the plastic-look bag which holds each tea bag. Hampstead Tea was the first company to create a compostable bag for home use – and it requires just ninety-one days.
The tea is a whole leaf and the components are organic or biodynamic which means that no chemicals are used. We like that there’s no label or string on the bags, and it includes a useful bamboo tong to take your bag and take it out to use when there are no spoons in the workplace. The earl grey is an excellent, balanced brew. There are a variety of different flavors available as well.