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June 02, 2024 5 min read
Hi fellow tea lovers!
As much as we adore cosying up with a steaming cuppa, it's time for a hot tea truth bomb: that innocent little tea bag could be leaching your soothing sips with a toxic cocktail of microplastics, forever chemicals, and more worrisome additives.
I know, I know - definitely not the natural vibe we're going for. But with a little knowledge, we can all take simple steps towards safer, cleaner sips. So, let's unpack the surprising tea bag chemicals to watch out for and learn how to enjoy a delicious plastic-free brew instead.
If you've been following plastic pollution news, you know microplastics are a growing crisis contaminating our oceans, food, air and has been found in our lungs, blood and even in unborn babies. But you may be shocked to learn how many of these nasty plastic particles could lurk in your favourite tea bag brand.
It was a 2019 study by McGill University researchers that sounded the alarm. They discovered that steeping a single plastic tea bag at typical 95°C brewing temperatures could release a staggering 11.6 billion microplastic and 3.1 billion nanoplastic particles into the water.
Wait, so what are tea bags made off? Most tea bags are made from and sealed with plastic, either nylon or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). I was shocked to learn this as I am a big tea drinker! I would never drink from a cup where a plastic bag had been soaked at 80-100 degrees, so learning what tea bags are made off was a big eye-opener and led me to research paper tea bags.
Like me, you may think you're in the clear if you avoid plastic tea bags and stick to the good old paper variety. But I learned that,to prevent these paper bags from dissolving in your boiling water, a harsh chemical called epichlorohydrin or synthetic fibres like polypropylene (plastic) are added.
If we logically think about it, paper will dissolve when popped into a cup of boiling water. So, no matter how "natural" brands describe their tea, something is used to hold their shape and prevent bursting when steeped in high temps. A report by Beyond Plastics cited this as a common issue, with many paper tea bag brands still incorporating plastic to help them.
Of course, the major issue with all these microplastics and nanoplastics making their way into our tea is the potential health risks they pose to unwitting consumers.
While full longitudinal studies are still lacking, there are growing concerns around endocrine disruption, reproductive problems, and even cancer risk from ingesting and inhaling microplastics and associated chemicals.
The McGill researchers found drastic behavioural and developmental impacts when exposing water fleas to the plastics released from the tea bags they tested. Other studies have linked microplastics to cell malformations, hormone disruption, and DNA damage in various organisms.
On top of microplastic and additive contamination, the following plastic-derived additives have recently been reseached:
It's just another reason to ditch single-use disposable bags altogether.
While the health impacts of ingesting microplastics, nanoplastic and plastic additives from tea bags are still being studied, the environmental effects are quite clear. Those single-use plastic tea bags don't biodegrade, contributing to the ever-growing plastic pollution crisis on a global scale.
As an example, in the UK alone, it's estimated that a staggering 61 billion plastic-containing tea bags are used and discarded annually. When tossed in the compost bin or environment, they contaminate soil and waterways as they slowly break down into smaller and smaller particles over hundreds of years.
For tea drinkers who consume multiple cups daily, that's a lot of persistent, accumulating plastic pollution needlessly added to our footprint with every sip.
We are an educational platform and know that when we know better, we do better. So what can we do?
Beyond the toxin-free brewing, loose-leaf tea tastes fresher and more flavourful than crushed leaves stuffed into paper (or plastic). At Go For Zero, we have a plastic-free selection of premium loose-leaf blends to explore. You can find them here.
While sipping a mug of fragrant tea may seem like the furthest thing from an eco-issue, those convenient plastic & paper tea bag habits harm our health and the planet.
With trusted brands now offering high-quality organic loose-leaf teas in plastic-free packaging, there's zero reason to keep exposing ourselves to microplastics, phthalates, and PFAS with every cup.
When you're due for a tea stash refresh, be sure to vote with your dollar by opting for loose-leaf tea housed in reusable or easily recyclable materials (unlike plastic). Your mindful morning ritual just got that much more refreshing!
Never hesitate to reach out if you would have any questions at all,
Love, Ellie x
References:
[1] Hernandez et al. (2019). Plastic Teabags Release Billions of Microparticles and Nanoparticles into Tea. Environmental Science & Technology.https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b02540
[2] Beyond Plastics (2023). Microplastic Pollution in Tea Fact Sheet.https://www.beyondplastics.org/fact-sheets/microplastics-in-tea
[3] ABC Everyday (2023). How to Make YourOwn Tea Blends.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-08-18/make-your-own-tea-blends/102737866
[4] Kashfi et al. (2023).Microplastics and phthalate estersrelease from teabags into teadrink:occurrence, human exposure, and health risks. Environmental Science and Pollution Research.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37697202/
[5] Ali et al. (2023). Health risks posed by microplastics in tea bags: microplastic pollution - a truly global problem. International Journal of Surgery.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10389239/
[6] Environmental Working Group (2020). PFAS in Eco-Friendly Food Packaging.https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news/2020/06/pfas-eco-friendly-food-packaging
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