Plastic Free Tea
The first use of tea bags dates back to over 100 years ago. The old tea bags were made from natural fibres and completely biodegradable - but now in our world of fast paced convenience, many are made and sealed with plastic.
How do we know which tea bags can go in the compost and which should go to landfill? Which tea bags do not contain plastic and which tea bags do? Some tea companies have proudly announced that their tea bags are made from biodegradable Manilla hemp, abaca plant, corn starch or other cellulose fibres, but the majority of tea companies are still using plastic.
We recommend compostable bags without plastic fibres, so we've done a bit of research to find out which popular brands contain plastic and which don't!
Try a reusable tea bag
If you're wanting to go zero waste and still use a tea bag, you can try out a reusable one!
These 'Tea Swags' are all natural and reusable. You just fill them up with loose leaf tea or herbs from your garden, steep it in hot water as you would a normal teabag, then when you're done, empty the contents into the compost, rinse the tea swag and hang it out to dry!
The other option is to switch to loose leaf tea!
The one thing all the tea companies do seem to agree on is that loose leaf tea in a teapot makes a superior tasting tea. Nerada loose leaf black tea comes in a simple, plastic free, cardboard box and can be found at most major supermarkets (often on the bottom shelf). Mayde Tea is an organic tea brand based in Byron who package their teas in a fully compostable cardboard and paper bags or glass jars.
So whether you're a teabag lover or a loose leaf die hard, do your best to find plastic free options if you can. and if your favourite brand is still using plastic, let them know you'd love them to change their ways!
Have we left your fav plastic free tea brand off the list? Let us know and we can add it in!
Original article source - 1 Million Women
