Plastic Tea Bags Shed Billions of Microplastic Particles into Your Cup!
Primary Key Points
Microplastic Contamination: Plastic tea bags release billions of microplastic and nanoplastic particles into a single cup of tea, which poses potential health risks.
Health Concerns: The plastic used in tea bags, like polypropylene, is an endocrine disruptor and can lead to various health issues.
Sustainable Alternatives: Switching to biodegradable, plastic-free tea bags made from natural, plant-based materials helps avoid microplastic contamination and reduces environmental impact.
Quick Look At The Teabags Industry
Given their numerous advantages regarding cost, weight, flexibility, durability, practical use, and availability, plastic materials found extensive use in virtually every aspect of daily life, to the extent that the past hundred years came to be known as the “Plastic Age.”
Teabags are a popular option worldwide, given their ease of use.
Teabags were first developed in America around 1908. Thomas Sullivan designed the first tea bags, which were sachets made of gauze. During the 1920s, these were developed for commercial production, and the bags grew in popularity in the USA.
The improvement in socioeconomic status has increased demand for tea bags with different attributes, including consumer preferences, blended nutraceutical ingredients in small sachets, ease of handling, and profit to both consumers and producers.
The global Tea Bag market was valued at 14,360 million US$ in 2020 and is expected to reach 17,590 million US$ by the end of 2026.
The Danger Of Plastic Teabags
Tea drinkers are urged to avoid plastic tea bags after tests found that a single bag sheds billions of microplastic particles into each cup.
A nylon or PET-based tea bag releases 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into the tea to be consumed. (1)
A team of scientists at The Department of Chemical Engineering at McGill University found that steeping a plastic tea bag at a brewing temperature of 95°C releases around 11.6 billion microplastics – tiny pieces of plastic between 100 nanometres and 5 millimeters in size – into a single cup. That is several orders of magnitude higher than other foods and drinks. (2)
Most tea bags are made from paper, with a small amount of plastic used to seal them shut. However, some brands have switched to using more plastic mesh for their products instead.
It’s usually so that the teabag is held in a pyramid shape, which producers claim helps the tea leaves infuse better.
The Canadian researchers removed the tea and placed the empty teabags in water heated to 95C (203F) as if they were brewing tea.
They found that a single plastic teabag released about 11.6 billion microplastic and 3.1 billion smaller nanoplastic particles into the hot water, which are entirely invisible to the naked eye.
Harmful Effects of Paper, Plastic, and Nylon Teabags
As mentioned earlier, manufacturers add a plastic polymer, namely polypropylene, for the teabags to seal up and keep their shape in hot liquid. Unfortunately, like most plastics, polypropylene adversely affects the body’s endocrine system, and endocrine disruptors can lead to many health issues and other disorders that can become chronic conditions. (3)
Also, drinking tea from these teabags can cause behavioral defects, development defects, and reproductive health issues.
Drinking a cup of tea might seem relatively harmless; after all, the amount of plastic found in tea bags is minimal, but it does add up quite a bit when you consider the big picture.
How To Avoid Plastic Teabags?
The good news is that better options are out there if you know how to spot them. Opt for tea bags that are entirely biodegradable, plastic-free, organic, or made with plant-based materials.
Buy tea brands that are transparent about what their teabags are made of since it’s difficult for you to judge the material yourself.
For example, Brain Tea teabags are non-GMO, eco-friendly, 100% biodegradable PLA from natural fibers, and free from allergy, bleach, heavy metals, chemicals, and toxins.
The tea bags that BrainTea uses are made with the highest standards in mind to complement the incredible benefits of its brain-boosting herbal blend. Check it out for yourself. https://braintea.com/products/buy-brain-tea
FAQ
Why are plastic tea bags harmful?
Plastic tea bags release billions of microplastic and nanoplastic particles into hot water, harming your health. These particles are invisible to the naked eye but can disrupt the endocrine system, leading to potential long-term health issues.
What materials are used in most tea bags?
Many tea bags are made from paper, but some contain plastic, such as polypropylene, to seal the bag. Others use plastic mesh, like nylon or PET, for pyramid-shaped bags, which are marketed to enhance the infusion process.
What are the health risks associated with plastic tea bags?
Drinking tea brewed in plastic tea bags can expose you to microplastics, which may cause behavioral, developmental, and reproductive health issues. These effects are linked to the endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in plastic materials.
How can I avoid plastic in tea bags?
Look for tea brands that use biodegradable, plastic-free tea bags made from plant-based materials. Check for brand transparency regarding the materials they use in their tea bags.
What is an example of a plastic-free tea bag?
Brain Tea uses eco-friendly, biodegradable tea bags made from natural fibers free from GMOs, chemicals, toxins, and heavy metals.