When it comes to tea bags, there are some brands that are completely plastic-free and some that aren’t. It’s important to be aware of this so you can make the right choice for your health and for the environment!

The majority of brands are changing over to more planet-friendly bags. However, some still use a small amount of plastic in their tea bags to seal them.

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They are made from cornstarch

Teapigs have never used plastic on their tea "temples". The temples and the string attached are made from corn starch which is a natural carbohydrate extracted from corn.

The tag is also made from paper and the ink used on the label is vegetable-based making these tea bags completely biodegradable. They also seal everything together with heat which means no glue is used at all, so they are incredibly sustainable and will break down in 12 weeks when put in with your food waste collection.

This brand is a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership which works to improve the sustainability and livelihoods of small tea estates. They use whole tea leaves and herbs and have a commitment to using recycled cardboard packing cases throughout their business, and even have solar panels on the roof of their new tea tasting room!

They are made from paper

The teabags are held together with a simple stitch of organic cotton and the Compostable Packaging is made from FSC certified paper. This FSC paper is printed with vegetable ink and can be recycled.

Unlike some other tea brands, Teapigs has never used plastic in their temples which means they are 100% biodegradable. In fact, they were the first tea brand to receive the plastic free trust mark from A Plastic Planet.

Many of the major teabag brands use a small amount of polypropylene, which is a sealing plastic that keeps them from coming open in the box and in your cup. This plastic is not biodegradable and can cause a lot of problems when you are composting your old tea bags.

If you are concerned about how your teabags are being handled, you should look for plastic-free brands like Barry’s Tea, PG Tips, Clipper, Stockwell, Tick Tock and Twinings. Some of these brands also offer reusable empty teabags that you can fill with your own leaves.

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They are made from Natureflex

Teapigs tea bags are made from a biodegradable material called Natureflex. It is a film that is derived from wood pulp and meets the European (EN13432) and American (ASTM D6400) standards for industrially compostable packaging.

Many eco-conscious tea companies use Natureflex to wrap their products in because it is fully compostable and suitable for home composting. It also has a high moisture barrier which helps keep tea bags in premium condition for a long time.

A few years ago, teapigs also switched to a home inner compostable plastic bags - which is great news for the planet! It is the first tea company to do this and it's definitely one of our favourite plastic-free brands.

It's a great idea for companies to be transparent and honest about their materials. It's easy to get swept up in the buzzwords of 'plastic-free' but it's crucial to find out what your company is using in their teabags. If you're unsure, check out the UK Plastics Pact website to see what the guidelines are for a sustainable business.

They are made from tinplate

As a tea brand that's committed to sustainable compostable bags packaging, teapigs have a great track record. Their pyramid-shaped 'tea temples' have never contained any plastic, and they're the first tea company to gain A Plastic Planet's coveted 'Plastic Free Trust Mark' for their eco-friendly packaging.

Their packaging is also made from tinplate and aluminium, both of which are recyclable. Their 30g matcha tins are also printed with vegetable-based ink, and the outer carton is made from FSC paper board, which means that the forests from which the wood is sourced have been sustainably managed.

The clear inner bags inside their cartons are made from a material called Natureflex, which is derived from renewable wood pulp and fully compostable. All of teapigs' tea "temples" have been packed inside Natureflex bags since 2017 but, as with all major production changes, some older bags may remain on product shelves.