Spilling the tea on bioplastics
Maybe I was born on the wrong continent or during the wrong century, because tea time happens to be one of my favorite moments of the day. Green, herbal, chai, black, red, white, or yellow, you name it, I can appreciate it. I started drinking tea in high school and had a fairly simplistic approach to making tea that consisted of plopping in a traditional tea bag into microwaved water and BOOM we were ready to go! Nowadays, I can say I have graduated to a more intentional approach: recognizing both the value of high quality tea leaves, as well as, the ecological and product safety aspects that I now factor into my decisions.
The majority of tea bags on the market today are comprised of paper or natural materials such as hemp, cotton, wood pulp, or cellulose but still have a plastic component in the sealant or on the string. Other types of flexible silky tea bags include nylon or polypropylene which are almost entirely composed of plastic. And lately a newcomer to the party is the bioplastic option polylactic acid or PLA. The discussion around tea bags and microplastics has been brewing over the years with some consumers feeling very concerned about the safety of their tea. A 2024 study showed that a tea brewed from a polypropylene sachet released 1.2 billion small pieces of plastic per milliliter of tea, which is a significant amount. According to the New York Times experts can confirm the presence of these micro and nano plastic particles but cannot yet pinpoint their effect on human health long term because it is a relatively new scientific inquiry. They do believe that exposure to microplastics can cause cellular inflammation and chronic inflammation is known to be a factor to other more serious health conditions. What is also tricky, is to recognize that our exposure to microplastics is not one directional, we are constantly exposed to these particles through different pathways: the clothes we wear, the air we breathe, the food we eat and so on. What is important is knowing what are the meaningful exposure routes and what we can do to mitigate those within our control.
After personally investigating the microplastic situation in regards to tea bags I felt compelled to make the switch from plastic to non-plastic options. Something that tripped me up initially was that many reputable tea brands that I loved like Rishi Tea, Harney & Sons, Teapigs had switched their products from nylon to PLA and were marketing their tea bags as “plastic free.” However, PLA is derived from corn starch, sugar cane or cassava, but is still legally and chemically considered a plastic. What is highly misleading is that many of these companies advertise PLA as a plastic free and green alternative because there is no petroleum in PLA. Nevertheless, it is still a chemically modified polymer that sheds microplastics and takes both high heat and years to biodegrade. I felt personally disappointed that I was led to believe that PLA was a natural, healthy and eco-friendly option when the truth is a bit more complicated. Many experts do believe PLA is a better option than nylon or polypropylene, but it is not the safest nor the most sustainable material on the market.
So if you are looking for a true alternative to plastic tea bags you best bets are using loose leaf tea in an unbleached paper sachet or stainless steel strainer. Additionally, there are some European tea brands such as Palais des Thés that offer beautiful cotton muslin tea bags that are truly plastic free. For American brands, plastic free options include: Yogi Tea, Twinings, Traditional Medicinals, The Republic of Tea, Stash Tea, Rooted Teas, Pukka Tea and Numi Tea.
Now raise your cup and enjoy your daily ritual (hopefully sans the plastic). Sip sip ..Ah.