The Teabags With out Plastic In The UK In 2024

Need to know which teabags with out plastic exist all through the UK in 2024? Look no additional – I’ve rounded up the appropriate eco-friendly and sustainable plastic-free tea baggage within the market appropriate now. I’ve furthermore shared the teabags with plastic, which will allow you to keep away from stunning plastic in your drinks.

As soon as extra in 2017, I wrote regarding the beautiful hidden plastic in teabags. Teabags that many people have been composting in our gardens or through our kerbside meals waste pickup. That submit had such an have an effect on as many individuals realized for the primary time that teabags comprise plastic, alongside a bunch of assorted beautiful objects that comprise plastic.

Since then, I’ve been holding tabs to see the place the tea commerce is in the meanwhile at in reducing plastic from the nation’s favorite drink.

As such, I’ve appeared into over 20 teabag producers all through the UK, to see what teabags with out plastic could also be found. I’ve furthermore appeared into how greatest to remove the baggage when you’re completed.

Why Do Teabags Embrace Plastic?

Chances are you’ll be questioning why there’s a want for plastic to be present in teabags. Accurately, plastic (polypropylene to be actual) is added to the paper teabag to assist warmth seal all of them by way of manufacture. 

Warmth sealing the baggage like which suggests that the teabags gained’t come open all through the world, or your cup. It furthermore implies that these tea baggage aren’t 100% biodegradable. This could possibly be a draw again in that these tea baggage you might be composting are leaving bits of microplastic all through the soil.

What Is Microplastic?

Microplastic is an enormous draw again, that’s nonetheless being understood by scientists at present. Microplastics are tiny objects of plastic, lower than 5 mm extended.

What everybody is aware of is that microplastics are present in the soil, in the ocean, in our ingesting water, inside fish and utterly totally different animals we eat, and even in people. When microplastics are all through the meals we eat and the water we drink, this implies we’re ingesting plastic, and the long-term outcomes of this are in the meanwhile unknown.

Microplastic comes from a wide range of sources. It will perhaps derive from bigger plastic particles that has degraded into smaller and smaller objects. Nonetheless, it furthermore comes from teabags which had been heat-sealed with plastic, that now we have unwittingly composted.

How relatively loads hurt can a teabag do, it’s potential you can be questioning? Accurately, one teabag alone will do little or no hurt. Nonetheless, when you think about that all through the UK alone we drink increased than 60 billion cups of tea a 12 months, then it’s numerous teabags and a whole lot additional microplastic.

The excellent news is that since 2017 tea producers have began to take away polypropylene from their teabags.

Teabag Terminology

Prior to we dive in, let me get you in administration on among the many many terminologies spherical teabags.

Sorts of Teabags

First off, you’ll see some dialogue spherical kinds of teabags. This can be a visible information to the kinds of teabags referred to on this information.

What About PLA Teabags?

On this information to teabags with out plastic, you’ll see numerous dialogue spherical PLA. PLA stands for Polylactic Acid. PLA teabags are technically not plastic-free, as they’re constituted of plant-based plastics. It’s sometimes known as a bio-plastic. This merely means the plastic doesn’t come from a fossil fuel-based present.

There are some components spherical PLA. Firstly, often the plant provides used to supply PLA might probably be sourced from genetically modified (GM) crops.

Secondly, PLA tea baggage are usually not home-compostable. It’s attributable to this actuality essential to remove them exactly. In case your native council collects your meals waste or yard waste bin for industrial composting, they may compost shortly. Nonetheless, in case your council doesn’t accumulate your meals waste, then these teabags carry out no in a single different method than regular oil-based plastic tea baggage.

Inside the event you don’t have entry to council meals waste collections, then to remove PLA teabags it’s best to tear open the bag to will let you compost the tea leaves in your yard. Then put the teabag in collectively collectively along with your frequent waste.

Within the occasion you need to know additional, do examine my information on what’s PLA and is it biodegradable for an extra detailed deep dive.

I don’t assume PLA is an ideal determination. Like many choices of sustainability, there are regularly compromises. Nonetheless, other than switching to loose-leaf tea en masse, I don’t assume there’s a fantastic determination that may furthermore make tea an inexpensive every day staple.

The Plastic-Free Teabags In 2024

Correct proper right here is the present state of affairs plastic-free tea bag state of affairs appropriate now all through the UK (up to date October 2024), with notes on easy methods to dispose of every model’s teabags, and if the model presents loose-leaf tea.

Aldi

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Aldi’s teabags are actually plastic-free. In June 2021, Aldi confirmed it was eradicating single-use plastic from its own-brand fluctuate of teabags. We’re joyful to see that this has now rolled out all by way of the nation. Now all of Aldi’s personal model tea – together with decaffeinated, and fruit and pure infusions are constituted of PLA – so are industrially compostable.

Asda

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

In October 2022 Asda launched that every considered one of its personal model teabags – together with the Merely Necessities and Additional Particular ranges – is probably constituted of industrially compostable PLA. Asda says “Tea is a staple in most purchaser’s households so for us to make a change which might make such a distinction is a huge second for us.”

Fowl & Mix Tea

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Brighton-based Fowl & Mix sells its hand-blended teas in PLA teabags. Or for individuals who need to keep away from PLA you possibly can retailer for loose-leaf tea. Alongside its commonplace black teas, the principle home the place Fowl & Mix excels is in its distinctive tea blends. Suppose Rhubarb & Custard, or Chocolate Digestive flavoured tea for one issue only a bit utterly utterly totally different.

Brew Tea

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Together with its tasty loose-leaf tea various, Brew Tea swapped over to PLA teabags in September 2017. Brew Tea then moved over to plastic-free packaging in 2018. Black tea is Brew Tea’s speciality, nonetheless it completely does carry a small fluctuate of fruit and pure teas.

Clipper

Place in your meals waste bin | String and tag teabags dwelling compostable

As soon as extra in 2017, individuals have been most shocked by the truth that Clipper’s unbleached pure teabags contained plastic. Because of client demand, Clipper took motion, and switched its pillow teabags to a plant-based PLA fairly a number of years before now, sourced from non-GM plant provides.

Co-Op Personal Model 99

Place in your meals waste bin

Because of client stress, The Co-Op switched its own-brand Fairtrade 99 tea over to PLA teabags in 2018.

Eteaket

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Edinburgh-based Eteaket primarily sells loose-leaf tea. That is packaged in dwelling compostable Natureflex™ baggage and cardboard caddies. Its tea is solely not primarily probably the most fairly priced. Nonetheless, if you have already got a caddy, then their loose-leaf tea may be in the marketplace in 100% plastic-free refill baggage, that are only a bit cheaper.

Whereas its fluctuate of teabags is small, all Eteakat tea baggage are constituted of PLA. These are packed into dwelling compostable Natureflex™ baggage, and recyclable cardboard cartons for a smaller carbon footprint.

Good & Applicable

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Good & Applicable’s fluctuate of award-winning teas – from its black teas to its fluctuate of pure infusions – may be present in PLA teabags. Within the occasion you need to keep away from PLA, you possibly can as properly retailer for a variety of tasty loose-leaf teas.

Hampstead Tea

Dwelling compostable or can go in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Hampstead Tea has a protracted historic earlier of sustainability. It was the primary tea producer to introduce stitched teabags reasonably than heat-sealed teabags. As such, its teabags have regularly been home-compostable.

Comparatively than resting on its laurels, Hampstead Tea has taken giant steps on the subject of the setting. Consequently, the overwhelming majority of its merchandise are plastic-free (other than its Earl Gray and Inexperienced Tea with Jasmine tea bag envelopes).

Lidl

Place in your meals waste bin

Lidl lastly launched in August 2023 that it might probably be switching from plastic tea baggage to compostable ones. Lidl mentioned that its new compostable tea baggage would land in retailer over the approaching months whereas present inventory steadily sells by means of. I would take into accounts by March 2024 that it’ll have supplied its non-compostable inventory – nonetheless do verify the sector sooner than you purchase.

Marks & Spencer

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Marks & Spencer quietly switched its teabags over to PLA in 2023, with little or no fanfare. I actually really feel it’s on account of M&S issued a press launch as soon as extra in 2018, saying that it was taking a “razor-sharp try how we use plastics” and that “we’re taking plastics out of all 450 million teabags we promote“.

Though it took six years, I’m genuinely joyful to see that M&S’s teas are actually compostable.

Morrisons

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

One totally different straggler, I’m joyful to lastly report that Morrisons own-brand tea is now plastic-free. Morrisons says they supplied 331 million plastic tea baggage a 12 months, so this could possibly be a very good step ahead.

Neal’s Yard

Dwelling compostable or can go in your meals waste bin

Neal’s Yard 100% pure and eco-friendly tea baggage are FairWild™ licensed. Which may be a world commonplace that helps the sustainable use of wild-harvested components. It furthermore ensures a wonderful deal all alongside the provision chain.

Neal’s Yard PLA-free teabags are constituted of pure abaca (a plant from the banana household) and are oxygen-bleached. This method is chlorine-free and sort to the setting. As such these plastic-free teabags can go straight into your property composter.

Nemi

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Nemi is a specialist London-based tea company that gives a wide range of tea blends, each as free tea and teabags. Together with promoting great-tasting tea, Nemi gives employment to refugees to present them native work expertise and job readiness skills to enter the UK workforce and to assist them combine into broader society.

All of Nemi’s teabags are constituted of PLA. Furthermore, its packaging is compostable, and its teas are pure, fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance licensed. The packaging is fairly funky too.

PG Ideas

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

PG Ideas made the swap to PLA numerous years before now attributable to client stress. Now its full fluctuate might probably be industrially composted through your meals waste bin.

Pukka

Dwelling compostable or can go in your meals waste bin

Pukka makes pure and pretty sourced pure teas. Its string and tag teabags have regularly been plastic and PLA-free. Nonetheless, every particular particular person bag used to return wrapped in an unrecyclable plastic-lined envelope. The excellent news is that Pukka has taken its environmental duties severely, and now makes use of broadly recyclable envelopes. 

Roqberry

Place in your meals waste bin

Roqberry’s flavourful fruit and pure infusions may be present in PLA plastic-based pyramids. From banana-flavoured tea to blueberry, these distinctive tea blends tread calmly on the planet.

Sainsbury’s

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

I added Sainsbury’s to this plastic-free teabag report in August 2021. After information that from summer season season 2021 Sainsbury’s own-brand teabags is probably plastic-free, as a part of its ongoing dedication to halve plastic packaging by 2025, this lastly rolled out in-store in August 2021.

The mannequin new tea baggage are constituted of PLA and are industrially compostable. What I furthermore like is that the packaging is totally plastic-free too. The sphere isn’t wrapped in plastic, and neither is there a plastic foil bag contained throughout the space. Accessible plastic-free tea for the win!

Suki Tea

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Based mostly completely in Belfast, Suki Tea ethically sources and blends loose-leaf teas, pure infusions and fruit blends from all world huge. Suki Tea is greatest acknowledged for its tasty loose-leaf tea, nonetheless, it does have a various of PLA-based pyramid teabags.

T2

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Australian model T2 reached the UK in 2014 and has fairly fairly a number of Excessive St shops dotted all through the UK. I would say T2 is perhaps greatest acknowledged for its loose-leaf tea various. Nonetheless, its fluctuate of pyramid teabags is constituted of PLA for an extra sustainable cup of tea.

Teapigs

Place in your meals waste bin

Sustainable tea stalwarts Teapigs have regularly made teabags with out fossil fuel-based plastic – its tasty tea pyramids have regularly been PLA-based. Nonetheless, Teapigs didn’t cease there. Just a few years before now the model furthermore switched the plastic inside bag to a house compostable bag. Extreme plastic-free marks!

Merely at the moment a reader educated me that Teapigs is owned by Tata. This could possibly be a large industrial conglomerate that owns many producers – together with Starbucks – which is disappointing to take heed to.

Tesco

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Tesco lastly reworked to plastic-free teabags in 2023. This implies all of Tesco’s own-brand black teas, pure teas and speciality teas is probably compostable. Plus, in a daring dedication, the entire billion tea baggage supplied by Tesco – own-brand and branded – are compostable by means of council meals waste collections. 

Tick Tock Tea

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Tick Tock’s fluctuate of naturally decaffeinated rooibos teas is within the market in each PLA teabags and in loose-leaf codecs. Packaging-wise, the within pouch of its Chilly Brew Rooibos tea fluctuate might probably be composted through industrial composting firms, and the pouches of all utterly totally different Tick Tock teas are recyclable at large supermarkets.

Twinings

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

I’m delighted to report that Twinings have made the swap to plastic-free teabags. A spokesperson from Twinings mentioned “We’re joyful to say that the entire teabags we produce use plant-based biodegradable gives, from our black teas to our huge variety of wellbeing blends. The fabric we use for our teabags will break down utterly if positioned into an area authority compost caddy or meals waste bin.”

Twist Teas

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Twist Tea’s fluctuate of fruit, pure and black teas could also be current in loose-leaf and PLA pyramid teabag codecs.

Yorkshire Tea

Place in your meals waste bin | Unfastened leaf tea various in the marketplace

Yorkshire Tea – together with frequent Yorkshire Tea, Yorkshire Gold, Yorkshire Tea Decaf and Yorkshire Tea for Onerous Water – have, since September 2021, been manufactured from PLA.

Yorkshire Tea furthermore says “All our merchandise are actually carbon impartial, and what we would like subsequent is for all our packaging to be “spherical” – which suggests constituted of renewable, plant-based or recycled gives, and reusable, recyclable or compostable after use“.

Which Teabags Do Embrace Plastic?

As of October 2024, fairly a number of teabags from big-name producers nonetheless comprise plastic. These embrace the next producers.

Tetley

Tetley is in the meanwhile all through the strategy of switching from plastic heat-sealed teabags. The model says “With 9 million (teabags) to transform, we’re going to’t change all of our baggage straight, nonetheless we’re beginning with our giant sellers of beautiful Tetley Distinctive 120s and 240s“. 

Tetley has been saying this for a really very very very long time, and I haven’t been capable of finding a single alternate on this. As shortly as I’ve affirmation that every considered one of Tetley’s teabags are plastic-free I’ll swap them out of this class.

Waitrose

It’s a little bit of little little bit of a blended bag at Waitrose. To date it seems its personal model of caffeinated tea baggage is constituted of PLA, so might probably be disposed of in your meals waste bin. And it’s Duchy Pure fluctuate is now dwelling compostable. Nonetheless, its personal model of decaf tea will not be plastic-free.

I requested Waitrose for an alternate on twenty second March 2024 – I didn’t get a response, so I’ve reached out as quickly as additional to them in October 2024. I’ll alternate correct proper right here if I get a response.

To Conclude The Plastic-Free Teabag Dialog

Many teabag producers have made the swap to additional planet-friendly teabags. Nonetheless, it’s clear that among the many many giant gamers, like Tetley and Waitrose should have only a bit methodology to go before the entire giant teabag producers are plastic-free.

In case your tea producer of alternative isn’t talked about correct proper right here, then do email correspondence or tweet them to ask about their teabags.

Phew, that was a protracted one! Time to place the kettle on for a plastic-free cuppa I actually really feel! Inside the event you’ve cherished this, then do furthermore try my information to the appropriate oat milk. I’ve appeared into all sorts of ethics behind the favored oat milk producers all through the UK and uncovered all sorts of murky factors.