As you can imagine, it can be a confusing question, and one that can be difficult to answer, so it's always best to read up on this question before you purchase.
Unilever
Many tea drinkers were shocked to learn that Barry's tea biodegradable bags are made from plastic. This is because they long believed that their tea was completely recyclable. Currently, the tea bags contain a micro-plastic polypropylene, which is not biodegradable.
However, they are working towards becoming 100% biodegradable by August 2021. It's a very important step towards a better world.
Barry's is a family-owned Irish company that makes its tea in Ireland. They also produce tea from Rainforest Alliance certified farms. Their boxes are printed with vegetable-based inks.
Their boxes are FSC-certified cardboard and are recyclable in green bins. They've been making the switch to compostable boxes for a few months now.
The move to plant-based materials is part of a wider Unilever initiative to reduce their environmental impact. They've recently converted some of their ranges in Canada and Indonesia.
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Pukka
Pukka has been working for over four years to develop recyclable envelopes that are completely biodegradable. Currently, the company uses them in five herbal blends. These include the Pukka Calm, Herbal, and Nature's Cuppa Organic collections.
They are manufactured by Eatrite Australasia Pty Ltd. They are made from natural fibres and plant-based plastics. They use a special folding process that keeps the teabags together without the use of glue.
Pukka is part of Unilever, and the company is a strong supporter of the climate change movement. They are the first company to pioneer the use of organic string in their tea Compost Bag.
The company's teabags are 100% biodegradable. The tea bags are held together by organic cotton and corn-starch. The material is also compostable. The tea is sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, so they are ethically produced.
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Clipper
It came as a shock to many tea drinkers when they discovered that Barry's Tea bags contain plastic. For years, consumers assumed that they were compostable. But the truth is that the polypropylene used in the manufacturing process is not a biodegradable material.
For some time, Barry's Tea has been promising to phase out polypropylene from its bags. However, it has been dragging its feet. They say that they are working on a solution. The company plans to have all of its tea bags biodegradable by the end of this year.
In addition, the company is still working to find an alternative to polypropylene. It has also built new machinery. Currently, it uses ultrasound to seal its teabags. In October, the company plans to roll out a corn-based adhesive for compostable bags.
Yorkshire
One of the best known tea brands in the UK, Yorkshire tea, is trying to ditch plastic from its tea compostable bags. The brand has revealed a list of tea bags that are made with plant-based materials, including those that are compostable.
This is a particularly big deal because tea contains a lot of nitrogen. It is used as a fertiliser and added to soil to improve the health of plants. The British consume 36 billion cups of tea each year. It is not surprising that companies are looking to ditch plastic.
The new material, which is called polylactic acid (PLA), is made from plants instead of fossil fuels. It is then spun into fibre and can be recycled. It is also a better choice for the environment than oil-based plastic.
Bushells
Bushells Tea is a well-known Australian brand. It is also the oldest tea company in Australia. It is a member of Unilever. However, some of its tea bags aren't fully compostable.
Luckily, most of the tea bag materials available in the market today are biodegradable. Even the ones that aren't are still safe to use when composting.
Some of the most common teabag materials are polypropylene and corn starch. While these may be non-biodegradable, they are made up of plant-based fibres that can easily be recycled. Other brands, such as Pukka and Lipton, use cellulose and manila hemp to make their tea bags.
Aside from these two types of materials, some other brands also include plastic in their tea bags. The biggest offenders are Aldi, Tetley's, and Taylors.
