Make My Tea Plastic-Free
More tea companies have begun to package their products in tea bags made from plastic -- either nylon or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). A 2019 study at McGill University found that a single one of these tea bags releases more than 11 billion microplastic and 3 billion nanoplastic particles when steeped in boiling water.
Even tea packaged in what appears to be a paper tea bag may contain a plastic called epichlorohydrin that's used to help keep the bags from breaking which is also problematic.
People who drink tea could be repeatedly dosing themselves with billions of plastic particles, some small enough to potentially infiltrate our cells. Tell tea companies that plastic is NOT your cup of tea and ask them to switch to completely plastic-free packaging.
In the meantime, there are a few simple steps you can take to avoid microplastics in your teacup.
Stop buying tea packaged in single-use tea bags.
Opt for loose leaf tea that you can either order in a tin or buy in bulk at your local grocery store, coop or natural foods market.
Brew your loose leaf tea in a ceramic, glass or stainless steel infuser or tea ball - these are cheap and easy to find online if you can’t pick one up at a home goods or kitchen store locally.
Happy tea drinking!