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Why are traditional tea bags not sustainable?
Plastic and compostability
Many modern tea bags contain plastic such as PET, nylon, or polypropylene. This type of plastic is added to make the bags sturdy and heat-resistant, but means they are not fully compostable. Paper bags typically also contain 20 to 30 per cent polypropylene.
Environmental impact
The non-biodegradable materials in traditional tea bags cause long-lasting pollution. They remain in the environment for years and end up in residual waste because they are unsuitable for composting or recycling. OVAM confirms this on its own website: tea bags do not belong in organic waste because they contain plastic.
Plastic in tea bags not only has a harmful impact on the environment, it can also have direct consequences for your tea. This brings us to microplastics.
What are microplastics?
Microplastics are small plastic particles that form as larger plastic gradually breaks down. Many traditional tea bags leave these microplastics in the environment and even in your tea.
Canadian research showed that one plastic tea bag in a cup of tea releases on average 11.6 billion pieces of microplastic and 3.1 billion pieces of nanoplastic. More recent research by the Autonomous University of Barcelona showed for the first time that these particles can be absorbed by human intestinal cells and thus reach the bloodstream. The exact long-term health consequences are still being studied, but the direction is clear enough to take into account.
Why our tea bags are a better alternative
Plastic-free tea bags made from corn PLA
At Tea Kulture, we use plastic-free tea bags made from corn PLA, a bioplastic based on renewable raw materials such as corn starch. According to the EN-13432 standard, PLA breaks down completely within 90 days in an industrial composting facility.
Compostable, but with a nuance
Our bags are compostable, but only in industrial composting facilities. These operate at temperatures above 50°C, which a traditional home compost heap never sustains consistently. In home composting, the bags therefore do not break down fully.
There is a further point: OVAM and Vlaco state clearly that compostable plastics such as PLA also do not belong in organic waste, but in residual waste.* In practice, this means our bags belong in residual waste after use, unless you have access to a separate collection for industrially compostable materials.
Source: https://vlaco.be/search?text=theezakjes
Check with your municipality or intermunicipal body whether that option is available in your area. We are honest about this limitation: our bags are a significant step forward compared with traditional bags because they leave no microplastics or permanent plastic behind, but they are not yet the perfect solution.
Safe and healthy
Corn PLA is food-safe and does not release microplastics during brewing. Our sustainable tea bags are designed to preserve the flavours of loose-leaf tea, without the negative impact of traditional bags.
Tea bags or loose-leaf tea?
Loose-leaf tea and tea bags each have their place. Loose-leaf tea offers greater flavour complexity and is the most sustainable choice: no packaging, no waste. But we understand that not everyone always has time for a tea strainer or infuser.
Our PLA tea bags are therefore large enough to give the tea leaves sufficient space to open and release flavour. You get the same quality tea as in our loose-leaf collection, with the added convenience of a bag. For those who want to enjoy mindfully without the fuss.
Not yet perfect, but a step in the right direction
We acknowledge that our bags are not yet the perfect solution. They are compostable in industrial facilities and free of microplastics, but in daily practice most people will still put them in residual waste. We continue to look for better solutions. For now, they are a responsible alternative to traditional tea bags.
Our range
Some of our tea blends are available in corn PLA tea bags. They offer the same aromas and quality as our loose-leaf tea, with the added convenience of a bag.
