Ethan Clarke
Tea is one of the most popular beverages worldwide, with 60.2 billion cups of tea consumed yearly in the UK alone. However, many traditional tea bags contain plastic, such as polypropylene, which is used to seal the bags and maintain their shape. This poses a risk to both human health and the environment, as the plastic will eventually leech into the ground. In response, many tea manufacturers are moving towards more sustainable and eco-friendly tea bags. For example, Yorkshire Tea, one of the most popular tea brands in the UK, has switched to plant-based tea bags for its regular tea products, including Yorkshire Tea, Yorkshire Gold, Yorkshire Tea Decaf, and Yorkshire Tea for Hard Water. These tea bags are made from natural fibres like wood pulp, with the seal made from polylactic acid (PLA), a plant-based plastic that is industrially compostable.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Tea bag material | 95% tea, 5% bag |
| Bag composition | 3/4 natural fibres like wood pulp, rayon, abaca; 1/4 plastic |
| Type of plastic | Polylactic Acid (PLA), a plant-based plastic |
| Previous type of plastic | Oil-based polypropylene |
| Biodegradability | Compostable industrially or in food waste and garden waste bins |
| Environmental impact | Better for the environment than oil-based plastic |
| Other packaging | Working on removing plastic wrap from boxes and making other packaging recyclable |
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What You'll Learn
Yorkshire Tea bags are now plant-based
Tea is one of the most popular beverages worldwide, with 60.2 billion cups of tea consumed yearly in the UK alone. However, many traditional tea bags contain plastic, such as polypropylene, which is used to seal the bags and maintain their shape. This poses a significant environmental concern, as these plastics can contaminate food and water sources and cause harm to the environment.
Yorkshire Tea has addressed this issue by transitioning to plant-based tea bags. The tea bags inside every box of regular Yorkshire Tea, Yorkshire Gold, Yorkshire Tea Decaf, and Yorkshire Tea for Hard Water will now be plant-based. The brand is replacing the oil-based plastic in its tea bags with a plant-based plastic called Polylactic Acid (PLA), which is made from corn starch. PLA is a newer form of plastic that is better for the environment than oil-based plastic and can be industrially composted by local councils.
While this is a positive step towards sustainability, it is important to note that there will still be some older tea bags on the shelves. To determine if your tea bags are plant-based, you can check the best-before date using the information provided by Yorkshire Tea. Additionally, the plant-based tea bags should be disposed of properly by placing them in kerbside food waste and garden waste bins for industrial composting by the local council.
Yorkshire Tea acknowledges that there is more work to be done, including removing the plastic wrap from their boxes and making their loose leaf packaging and catering-sized bags recyclable. The brand aims for all its packaging to be "circular," meaning made from renewable, plant-based, or recycled materials and reusable, recyclable, or compostable.
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PLA is a newer form of plastic
PLA, or polylactic acid, is a bioplastic that is derived from renewable resources such as maize, corn starch, cassava roots, sugar cane, or other plant starches. It is a relatively newer form of plastic that is made from plants instead of fossil fuels, which can be industrially composted by local councils.
PLA is a polyester, a polymer containing the ester group, made with two possible monomers or 'building blocks': lactic acid and lactide. Lactic acid can be produced by the bacterial fermentation of a carbohydrate source under controlled conditions. The fermentation of starch or sugar, extracted from these same renewable resources, results in the production of lactic acid. This lactic acid is then transformed into a monomer: lactide. The polymerization of lactide is what allows the manufacturing of PLA.
PLA is used in a variety of applications, including engineering plastics, automotive parts, and medical implants. It is also used for sandbags, planting pots, binding tape, and ropes. One of the main advantages of PLA is that it is biodegradable, although its compostability has been limited by the requirement for high and constant temperatures, restricting its usage to industrial installations. It degrades poorly in landfills and household composts but performs well in hotter industrial composts, usually degrading best at temperatures above 60 °C (140 °F).
In the context of tea bags, PLA is being adopted by the UK tea industry as a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional plastic tea bags. Traditional tea bags often contain polypropylene, a plastic polymer used for sealing and shaping the bags. However, these plastic tea bags contribute to environmental concerns due to the release of microplastics and their inability to be composted or recycled. PLA tea bags, on the other hand, are industrially compostable and can be disposed of in food waste or garden waste bins for council composting.
While PLA offers environmental benefits, there are some challenges to its widespread adoption. For example, the recycling infrastructure for PLA is not yet fully developed, and it can be more expensive than conventional plastics due to the number of steps required in the production process. However, as PLA becomes more widely available, the cost may decrease due to efficiencies of scale.
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PLA is better for the environment
Polylactic Acid (PLA) is a bioplastic that is made from renewable and natural materials such as corn, sugarcane, and other plant materials. It is a popular alternative to traditional plastics because it is compostable, biodegradable, and recyclable.
However, it is important to note that PLA is not without its environmental challenges. For PLA to be properly composted, it must be sorted separately from other waste and brought to a closed composting environment. It must also be heated to 140 degrees Celsius and exposed to special digestive microbes. These specific conditions can make it challenging for consumers to ensure their PLA waste is being disposed of correctly.
Additionally, the manufacture of bioplastics like PLA is fuelled almost entirely by virgin (non-recycled) materials, which can compete for land with food crops. This means that while brands may think they are helping the environment by using bioplastics, they may actually still be causing harm.
Despite these challenges, PLA is still a more sustainable option than traditional plastics for tea bags. Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world, with 60.2 billion cups consumed yearly in the UK alone. Traditional tea bags often contain polypropylene, a plastic polymer used for sealing and shaping the bag, which cannot be composted or recycled. This plastic will leech into the ground and cause harm to the environment and can also have negative effects on human health.
Overall, while PLA may not be a perfect solution, it is a step towards a more sustainable future. By choosing tea bags made with PLA, consumers can help reduce the environmental impact of their tea-drinking habit.
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PLA tea bags are industrially compostable
Yorkshire Tea, a popular tea brand in the UK, has switched to plant-based tea bags, with 95% of the tea bag containing tea and 5% being the bag. The bag is made from natural fibres like wood pulp, rayon, and abaca, which form a type of paper. This paper is interwoven with a plastic web, which is now made from plant-based plastic (PLA) instead of traditional oil-based plastic.
The switch to PLA tea bags is part of a growing movement towards more sustainable and eco-friendly tea bags. Traditional tea bags often contain plastic, such as polypropylene, which is used to seal the bags and maintain their shape in hot liquid. However, these plastics can leech into the ground and cause harm to the environment and human health.
While PLA is a newer form of plastic made from plants, it is important to understand that it is not a perfect solution. It relies on industrial composting, and there are limited infrastructure facilities worldwide. Even with proper disposal, PLA tea bags may still end up in landfills or the natural environment, where they do not degrade efficiently.
As consumers, it is important to be aware of the environmental impact of our choices and to support companies that are actively working towards more sustainable practices.
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Yorkshire Tea's long-term packaging goals
Yorkshire Tea has been working towards making its packaging more sustainable. The company has switched to plant-based tea bags for its regular tea, Yorkshire Gold, Yorkshire Tea Decaf, and Yorkshire Tea for Hard Water. The tea bags are made from natural fibres like wood pulp, with the seal made from polylactic acid (PLA), a plant-based plastic that is industrially compostable.
Yorkshire Tea's long-term goal is to make all its packaging "circular". This means that the packaging will be made from renewable, plant-based, or recycled materials, and will be reusable, recyclable, or compostable. The company aims to achieve this by removing the plastic wrap from its boxes and making its loose leaf packaging, catering-sized bags, and other tea and coffee packaging recyclable.
In addition, Yorkshire Tea is working on removing the outer wrap from its tea boxes, which is made from metallised polyethylene, an oil-based plastic. They also want to change the packaging of their loose tea packs, which are currently made from a mix of oil-based plastics, including metallised polyester, polypropylene, and polyethylene.
The company has also stated that there is still a lot of work to be done, especially with their smaller products, such as their export tea bags, speciality brews, and larger catering packs, which will be switched to plant-based tea bags later.
Overall, Yorkshire Tea's long-term packaging goals are focused on making their products more sustainable and environmentally friendly, ensuring that their packaging is reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and reducing the use of plastic in their packaging.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Yorkshire Tea teabags are not plastic-free. However, they are now plant-based and carbon neutral. The company is replacing the oil-based plastic in their tea bags with a plant-based plastic called polylactic acid (PLA).
PLA is a newer form of plastic made from plants (like cornstarch) instead of fossil fuels. It is industrially compostable and better for the environment than oil-based plastic when disposed of properly.
PLA teabags can be put in kerbside food waste and garden waste bins for industrial composting by the local council. They should not be put in home compost bins as they need high heat and space to break down.
Yes, some brands like Pukka Herbs, Clipper, and PG Tips offer plastic-free tea bags. These tea bags are either bound together with organic cotton or sealed with PLA.
Yes, plastic tea bags can be harmful to health. A 2019 study found that a single plastic tea bag can release 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into one cup of tea. These plastics can have negative effects on the body's endocrine system.
