Are you a tea drinker?
Alert: Did you know that many popular tea brands of regular, green tea, or herbal teas, use tea bags that contain micro plastics that can leach into your cup of tea when steeped in hot water? I had no idea and it is serious.
Scary, right?
What bothers me most is how little we’re told about what’s really in the food and products we buy every day. So many ingredients and materials are used behind the scenes, and consumers are often left completely in the dark. Who would ever be weary of our tea bags?
I used to think we could fully trust the Food and Drug Administration to protect us from things like this… but the more I learn, the more I realize we have to become our own detectives when it comes to what we put in our bodies.
My son mentioned to me that he read about the teabags containing plastic .
I did some research and found out that it's true. Teabags contain micro plastics. I am not an expert on this subject because I just learned about it myself, but there is a ton of information out there on Youtube and the Internet for you to learn more.
Why Micro Plastics Are Not Good For Our Health
When a simple paper tea bag contains hidden plastic, boiling water can release a significant amount of microplastics and nanoplastics into your tea—and you end up drinking them.
Microplastics are a concern because they may:
build up in the body over time
increase inflammation
disrupt hormones and gut health
carry or absorb toxic chemicals
add to overall toxic exposure, especially for daily tea drinkers
If you’re drinking tea for health, you don’t want it coming with a hidden dose of plastic.
Plastic-Free Tea Bag Brands (at the time of my research)
If you want to avoid microplastics in tea bags, these brands are known for using plastic-free, compostable materials:
Pukka Herbs (plastic-free, organic cotton string)
Clipper Tea (plant-based, biodegradable bags)
Teapigs (plastic-free pyramid bags made from cornstarch)
Traditional Medicinals (plastic-free, compostable tea bags)
Numi Organic Tea (abaca leaf fiber tea bags)
Stash Tea (unbleached, compostable-style tea bags)
Republic of Tea (paper tea bags, no plastic mesh)
📌 Always double-check packaging, since materials can change over time.
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☕ Brands with Tea Bags That May Contain Plastic
Tazo — commonly cited as having plastic tea bags.
Teavana (Starbucks) — reported to use plastic or plastic-based filters.
Celestial Seasonings — their traditional bags contain polypropylene or nylon.
Mighty Leaf Teas — known to use plastic or nylon sachets.
PG Tips — uses PLA or plastic-based sealed bags (still may release microplastics).
Tetley — PLA/plastic tea bags reported (note: brand has been transitioning and their teabags may soon be plastic free. you need to check )
Twinings — PLA/plastic material in many tea bag formats.
Yorkshire Tea — some tea bags contain polypropylene (plastic).
Important: Some companies are actively switching to plant-based or biodegradable materials — but many of these still use PLA (a plant-based plastic) or plastic sealing to bind the bag, and that can release microplastics when steeped in boiling water. You need to research the brands.
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⚠️ A Note on PLA and Other “Bioplastic” Materials
Even if a tea bag is marketed as biodegradable or plant-based, it may still contain materials like PLA (a plant-based plastic) or other polymers — and research shows these can also shed tiny particles when hot.
📌 Best Way to Avoid Microplastics
The most reliable way to skip microplastics from tea bags is to brew loose-leaf tea using a metal or ceramic infuser — that way the only things in your cup are the tea leaves and hot water
Disclaimer: The information in this and all my blogposts are for educational purposes only and based on my own experience and findings. I am not an authority and you should do your own research.
Highly Recommend to Watch - It's not just teabags
I found this excellent video on Youtube ( I am not endorsing it- I just watched it and am sharing what I watched) that goes over the micro plastics in our kitchen in addition to and including teabags. It's 15 minutes and I recommend you watch it to better inform yourself and understand better.
What do you think? Did you know about teabags and other products that we use that contain micro plastics that we end up ingesting? - such as most canned food. All I can say is that I had no idea.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and am not trying to diagnose or treat disease. Always consult with your medical doctor before making any changes in your diet.
If you can stand to watch more, this video shows the results of independent testing on various tea brands and the amount of pesticides and harmful toxins... worth watching.
