This research-based article was first published in 2019, and last updated on 6th May 2026.

Plastic free tea bags? Yes, you heard that right…

Your cup of tea might contain 11 billion microplastic particles and this is due to the way the tea bag is engineered.

It all started with a 2019 Canadian study at McGill University (1) published in the Environmental Science & Technology Journal, which stated that steeping a plastic tea bag at a brewing temperature of 95°C releases around 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into a single cup. Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic between 100 nanometres and 5 millimeters in size. Compared to salt, for example, which has been also found to contain microplastics, each cup contains thousands of times the greater mass of plastic, at 16 micrograms per cup.

Health Risks Posed by Microplastics in Tea Bags

Researchers are studying the health risks posed by ingesting microplastics from tea bags and several studies are being published on this topic.

A 2023 study in the Journal of Environmental Science and Research Pollution International (2) investigated 45 teabag samples of different Persian and German brands. The results were an abundance of microplastics and phthalates.

Another study published in March 2023 in the International Journal of Surgery (3) cites a wide variety of health conditions, including endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, cancer risk, problems with metabolism and nutrition, and interference with neurodevelopment,  as concerns related to microplastic exposure, particularly to those heated during processing, like tea bags used in million cups of tea over a lifetime.

A more recent study published in November 2024 in the Chemosphere Journal (4) analysed three empty tea bags purchased online from Amazon and Aliexpress as well as from a supermarket. The bags contained different materials: Sample 1 contained nylon-6, Sample 2 contained polypropylene (PP)/ Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and Sample 3 contained cellulose. Researchers found that the tea bags made with PP (used to heat seal the bags and keep them sealed while in hot water) released about 1.2 billion small pieces of plastic per milliliter of tea, while bags made with nylon-6 released 8.2 million nano-range (extremely tiny) plastic particles per milliliter, and those made with cellulose released 135 million particles per milliliter.

How are Tea Bags Manufactured?

Let’s go one step back and understand how tea bags are made and why they might contain plastic:

Are you shocked? Yes, we were too. We couldn’t believe that incorporating plastic in tea bags wasn’t tested for migration into the hot water before engineering them, without even mentioning the fact that they are of course not biodegradable and compostable, which leads to plastic pollution.

So, Why is There Plastic in Tea Bags?

Many traditional tea bags contain plastic as this is used to heat seal the filter bag and to prevent it from falling apart. It can be:

• inside the paper filter bags (i.e. thermal paper) and/or
• in the glue used to heat seal the bags, mostly in the form of polypropylene (PP).

Both of these materials can migrate into hot water. Most tea manufacturers that used to use plastic in the filter bags are now transitioning to polylactic acid (PLA) based material. Please read our FAQ on PLA at the end of this article.

Related: The Hidden Ingredient in Salt: 3 Microplastic Free Salt Brands You Can Trust

List of 100% Plastic Free Teabags, Free of PLA, Free of Glue

Of the full-list below, we put together the list of tea brands that do not use any plastic in manufacturing their tea bags and closing them together. These brands have stated that they do not use neither polylactic-acic (PLA) bioplastics, nor any glue, as the bags are sealed without glue or folded and then stitched together. Please note: we haven’t tested the products ourselves.

• Bromley

• Equal Exchange

• Hampstead Tea

• Higher Living (Australia)

• Nature’s Cuppa (Australia)

• Pukka Herbs

• Rooted Teas (Third-party lab tested)

• Stash Tea

• The Republic of Tea

• Traditional Medicinals

• Twinings (Apart from the Cold In’fuse Range)

• Uncle Lee Tea

• Yogi Tea

Related: Plastic-free Chewing Gums: Do They Exist?

List of Plastic Free Tea Bags, and Tea Bags Using Plastic by Brand

Here is an updated guide to some of the most available and favorite plastic free tea brands in the USA / Canada, the UK, Australia, and other English-speaking countries.

This post contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. This helps us continue the very hard work we put into researching products and solutions. It took us weeks to compile this overview.

Please Note: Our health content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional on questions about your health. Please read our disclaimer.

While we make our best efforts to scout completely plastic-free tea bags around the world, we have to rely on the information provided to us by tea manufacturers via their website  (we link to the source) or upon our direct request. We disclose their answers and list the tea brands in alphabetical order to make it easier for you to find them. We also list some varieties made with plastic as we received many questions about some specific product ranges, and we don’t have the resources to answer them individually.

1) Barry’s Tea

Barry’s Tea states that after significant investment in the redesign and development of their machinery, 100% of the black tea range, produced in Cork and available in shops is biodegradable. Since the end of September 2021 all of the Fruit, Herbal, and Green teas are now available in biodegradable tea bags. According to the manufacturer, you can put the tea bags in your food waste bin at home for industrial composting. The manufacturer confirmed that their tea bags have a special blend of biodegradable thermoplastic fibers (PLA), abaca, and selected cellulosic fibers.

Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Source: website’s sustainability page and direct communication.
Shop on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK – Australia

2) Bromley

Response by the manufacturer: “Our teabag paper is made from wood pulp. They are heat sealed together without using glue. They do not contain any plastics of any kind and are totally compostable.”

Source: 2023 e-mail correspondence.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: USA – Canada

3) Bigelow Tea

Direct response from this tea brand: “The tea bag paper we use does not contain any nano/micro plastics. We are proud to produce over 2.2 billion tea bags annually in our three manufacturing facilities in the United States of America. Over 90% of those tea bags use, what is called in the industry, non-heat seal paper. Non-Heat Seal paper is made of wood pulp and abaca fiber. We use non-heat seal paper for all of our tea boxes that contain 18, 20, 28, 60, 80 and 100 tea bags. The remaining tea bags which we manufacture (i.e., 40 count) use a heat seal paper. Heat seal paper is made of wood pulp and plant- based PLA derived from non-gmo corn and sugar cane.”

Source: January 2025 correspondence via Facebook Messenger.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: USA

Related: How to Avoid Microplastics: The Ultimate Guide & CheckList.

4) Bushells

Their tea bag paper is made from manila hemp, cellulose and thermoplastic fibers, as such they are not compostable or recyclable.

Source: e-mail. The company didn’t reply to our request for an update.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: Yes

5) Celestial Seasonings

Their pillow tea bags (i.e. tea bags without strings, tags, staples, or foil envelopes) have food-grade polypropylene (PP) plastic fibers, are manufactured through a totally chlorine-free (TCF) whitening process, meaning that no dioxin is released into the environment. Plus, they never contain starch or gluten.

On the other hand, their TeaWell products, their food-service style products, and their certified organic Canadian teas use tea bag paper that does not contain any plastic fibers and has a string, tag, staple, and individual wrapper.

Information Source: May 2023 response via Facebook messenger.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: n.a.
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: Yes
Shop on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK – Australia

Related: 13 Best Plastic-free Electric Kettles for a Heathy Cup

6) Dilmah

The tagless tea bags are made from biodegradable PLA material and are also called “pot bags”.

Their pyramid style Exceptional Tea Selection range are also made with biodegradable PLA material.

Their standard teabags (non-pyramid bags that have a string, a tag, and often an envelope) i.e. Dilmah Premium Tea Selection, Ceylon Green Tea and Infusions are composed mostly of natural cellulose fibers which contain no plastic coating such as epichlorohydrin and do not use chemical paper bleaching. Currently, these tagless teabags which do not use a staple or string to seal their tea bag contain 2% of polypropylene (PP) fibers used only for the heat seal that joins the bag together.

Information Source: FAQ N.4 on their website (they removed it!) and their 2022 sustainability report (which breaks down the packaging and material information of all tea formats in their product portfolio).
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: Yes
Shop on Amazon: Canada – UK – Australia

7) Equal Exchange Fairly Traded

Equal Exchange’s tea bags are unbleached abaca with organic cotton strings and tags made from paper printed with vegetable-based ink. They are a fair-trade organization with very high ethical standards.

Information Source: From one of our readers and their website.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK – Australia

8) Hampstead Tea

Hampstead Tea bags contain only the following: unbleached paper, made from plant-based wood pulp, an organic cotton string, and organic tea leaves. They were the first tea company in the UK to use the stitch method on their tea bags, as opposed to using plastic based glues or heat seal filter paper.

Their loose tea range use Nature Flex as packaging, a new GMO-free, home compostable material that feels and looks like plastic, but it is actually made of renewable wood pulp.

Information Source: from their website
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: Canada – UK

9) Harney & Sons

From the manufacturer Harney & Son: “Our paper tea bags are compostable, oxygen bleached with a method that does not produce dioxins, there is no epichlorohydrin, PET, or PLA in our paper tea bags. We offer a variety of certified organic teas in them. The tea bags are fastened with a knot in the string, there is no glue or staple on the tea bag, and they are a great choice if you have any concerns about plastics.”

About their sachet fabric tea bags: “We are excited to announce that we started producing sachet fabric from compostable sugarcane in 2021, and have now achieved 90% sugarcane material use on our product lines. We have been using the new material in production alongside our BPA free food grade nylon. Please note that the new material is industrial compostable and any nanoparticles created during steeping are digested by the body. The sugarcane does not produce any increase in the glycemic content of our teas.”

Information Source: April 2023 e-mail and website article. (It has been removed since!)
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes.
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: Yes
Shop Harney & Sons on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK – Australia

10) Higher Living Organic Tea Australia

Higher Living has created compostable, plastic-free tea bags made out of unbleached paper with an organic cotton string stitched into the paper to form the bag, with no plastic. The envelopes and the boxes are recyclable.

Information Source: 2023 response via e-mail
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: Australia

11) Ito En

Oi Ocha Green Tea Tea Bags: Just paper, no glue.

Oi Ocha Hoji Tea Bags: Just paper, no glue.

Matcha Green Tea Traditional: BPA-free PET or nylon mesh that meets FDA regulatory requirements for hot beverage contact applications. And food grade glue is used to attach the teabag and the string.

Information Source: April 2023 response via e-mail.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes, in some of their products
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: Yes, in some of their products
Shop on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK – Australia

Related: Microplastics in Food: The Latest Research.

12) Lidl UK – Deluxe Tea

We enquired via email with Lidl Great Britain about their Deluxe Earl Grey tea bags and they replied after verifying with the supplier saying that they offer biodegradable tea bags made of cellulose fibers (from softwood pulp & abaca) + polylactic acid (PLA).

Information Source: June 2023 response via e-mail.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No

13) Lidl USA

We enquired via email about the following product ranges: The Organic Tea Range / The Irish Breakfast Tea / The Preferred Selection Range. They replied that according to their supplier, the tea bags are made with filter paper and comprise a blend of cellulose fibers (wood pulp), Abaca, and a very small amount of acrylic binder (to prevent microwave bursting) and PAE (Poly-Amide-Epichlorohydrin) as a wet strength plastic resin (so the paper doesn’t fall apart in water).

Information Source: April 2023 response via e-mail.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: Yes

14) Lipton

Their Quality Black and Intense Quality Black Tea traditional tea bags are made from Manilla hemp and cellulose fibers. They are compostable tea bags, but not recyclable. Please note: we received an email in July 2023 from one of our readers who stated receiving a different answer from the manufacturer and that their tea bags are lined with polyethylene (PE). This shows a lack of transparency and we couldn’t find any source of information on their website apart from the Cold Brew Tea Bags.

Lipton Green Decaf, Chai and Herbal traditional tea bags are made from manilla hemp, cellulose and thermoplastic fibers. They are not compostable or recyclable.

Lipton Cold Brew Tea Bags are made of plant-based biodegradable PLA material.

• Shop the Lipton Cold Brew tea range: USA – Canada  – Australia

Information Source: April 2023 response via e-mail.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: Yes
Shop on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK – Australia

15) Lyons

The company that makes tea bags in the UK, has phased out plastics entirely from their tea range and has transitioned to biodegradable and compostable plant-based tea bags.

The Lyons biodegradable teabags are now all plant-based and made of a blend of natural fibers, including abaca, cellulose fibers, and a small amount of plastic fibers. They do not use PLA in their teabags. The thermoplastic fibers used in their teabags are necessary to seal the tea bag and prevent the tea leaves from escaping. However, they say that the amount used is minimal, making up less than 5% of the teabag paper. In their words: “Our commitment to sustainability is paramount, and we are constantly seeking ways to minimize our impact on the environment. Our biodegradable teabags are designed to break down naturally in composting conditions, leaving no harmful residues. We have also eliminated the use of staples and glue in our teabags to make them even more eco-friendly.”

Information Source: May 2023 response via e-mail and their website. (The page has been removed!)
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: Yes
Shop on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK

16) Madame Flavour Australia

Madama Flavour is an Australian family tea business with French and Kiwi roots.

The pyramid bags are made from Soilon and have a silky finish, no staple. Soilon is a PLA corn-starch derived material sourced from Japan and is fully biodegradable according to their statement. The tags are attached to the pyramid material by ultrasonic heat, with no glue involved. Source: Madame Flavour website.

Information Source: their FAQ section on their website.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No 

17) Madura Australia

In July 2021 they transitioned to 100% natural plant-based PLA tea bag paper and tea bag componentry. The fully sustainable and renewable fibres are made from a selected blend of high-quality Manila hemp, cellulose and biopolymer made from natural plant material. The transition occurred on across all 50’s & 100’s tea bag packets, as well as 20’s & 80’s enveloped tea bag packets.

The Leaf Infuser (pyramid) teabags have for a long time been made exclusively from 100% natural plant-based PLA tea bag paper and are compostable. They do, however, recommend that you place these teabags out in your green bin as they break down best under commercial waste conditions.

Information Source: FAQ on their website.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: Australia

18) Nature’s Cuppa Organic Tea

The manufacturer – EatRite Australasia Pty Ltd – who is based in Australia responded that their tea bags are made with unbleached paper (made from a tree grown especially for tea bag paper mainly in the northern part of Europe), and no polymers, nor plasticizers. Nature’s Cuppa is also certified organic by the National Association of Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA) and NOP (USDA) Regulation certified by Control Union Certification, which wouldn’t be achievable if they included plastic according to the manufacturer. The tea bags are closed with a metal staple.

Information Source: April 2023 response via e-mail.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: Australia

19) Nerada Australia

Their filter paper is manufactured using a blend of high-quality manila hemp, which contains a tiny percentage (less than 2%) of food-grade synthetic fibers.

Information Source: FAQ from their website.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: Yes
Shop on Amazon: Australia

20) Prince of Peace

This is their response: “Our tea bags are made from bleach-free filtration paper and sealed with an eco-friendly, non-toxic glue. They do not contain any plastic materials.” We asked to specify if the glue is made with synthetic polymers, but we didn’t receive a response.

Information Source: e-mail response from October 2025.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK

21) Pukka

Pukka is famous for their herbal tea. Their tea bag paper is made of a special blend of natural abaca (a type of banana), wood pulps, and plant cellulose fibers. They use a simple stitch of organic cotton and a unique folding process. They don’t need to use polypropylene to hold their Pukka herbs tea bags together and these are therefore free from plastic and home compostable under a UK certification. (We think it’s under the European standard NF T 51-800 though their website doesn’t mention this).

They were the first company to ever use 100% organic, non-GMO cotton tea bag strings to hold the teabags together without the need for a metal staple or polypropylene (PP). Please note: in April 2024, Pukka lost its B Corp certification due to its integration into the larger Lipton Teas and Infusions business.

Information Source: FAQ on their website.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK – Australia

22) Rooted Teas

Rooted Teas is a lab-certified microplastic free tea company whose tea bags are made from 100% unbleached cotton. Unlike conventional heat-sealed tea bags, Rooted uses a unique stitched design with no plastics, glues, or additives. Each tea bag is filled with 100% organic whole-leaf tea with no filler leaves, creating a smooth and refreshing taste experience. Rooted Teas has received positive customer feedback for both its clean ingredients and flavor quality.

Information Source: their website, as well as the 3rd party lab test received by the founder.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop Rooted Teas

22) Qi Tea Australia and New Zealand

According to the manufacturer, Qi Tea’s tea bags are plastic-free and biodegradable. The tea bag paper has a high percentage of plant-fibers, is natural in colour (not white like in mainstream brands), because it is not bleached and is free from glue and aluminum staples.

The packaging is recyclable and compostable (uses veggie inks).  The wrapper outside the box of tea is made of compostable plant-based cellophane. Qi Teas are independently certified organic by the international accreditation body Ecocert, as well as the Soil Association in the UK.

Information Source: response via Facebook messenger (updated 2025) and their website.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: UK – Australia

23) Stash Tea  

The filter paper used for Stash Tea bags is made from 100% cellulose fibers (wood). Stash tea bag filter paper is machine folded and pressed, therefore no glue is needed or used. According to the manufcturer, the teabags are completely compostable and do not contain any plastic. They also state that test results concluded that chlorine dioxide is not present in their tea bag filter paper. The filter paper is not coated with the compound epichlorohydrin, and does not contain any free epichlorohydrin.

Information Source: via their FAQ section on their website.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop Stash Tea on Amazon: USA – Canada

24) Teapigs 

Teapigs tea bags (tea temples) are made from corn starch and paper. They break down in industrial composting within 12 weeks. The inner bag looks like plastic, but is made from wood pulp and can be home composted. The cardboard is FSC certified paper board and printed with vegetable ink, therefore it is recyclable.

Information Source: via their website – (The linked page has been removed!)
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK – Australia

25) Tetley

String and Tag tea bags: used in Tetley Black and Tetley Green Tea (excluding All Rounder): “Our string and tag bags are made from a natural fiber woven paper – (mostly Abaca fiber and short wood fibers). Although not specifically tested by us for biodegradability / compostability, used tea bags can be home composted, but we would recommend removing the aluminum staple if present. Our Tea Bags utilizes a staple to hold it together as it is made from an aluminum alloy which is used primarily in food production due to its absence of toxicity. Using a staple instead of adhesive also allows us to not have any plastic in the bag composition. (Source: we received a response from Tetley Tea Australia in April 2023).

Tetley Round Tagless tea bags – used in Tetley All Rounder: Their All Rounder tagless tea bags are comprised primarily (75%) from cellulose fibers (plant matter), the remaining 25% have been successfully transitioned from food safe plastic (polypopylene PP) to plant-based bioplastic (polylactic acid PLA). This bio-plastic is important for heat-sealing the teabags, so the tea does not escape in your cuppa. (Updated November 2025)

Information Source: response via e-mail, and the 2024 sustainability report on their website.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes, in some product ranges
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: Yes
Shop the Tetley Black and Tetley Green Tea on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK – Australia

26) The Republic of Tea

The Republic of Tea’s signature round tea bags are made from unbleached tea paper, free of excess wrapping, strings, tags and staples. The unbleached tea paper is free of chemicals and no chlorine-containing compounds are used in the paper. The tea bags have no glue, are gluten-free, and kosher certified. The Embassies premium Steep Sacks Individual filters are made from unbleached paper for full-leaf tea.

Information Source: via their website.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon USA – Canada

27) Traditional Medicinals

Traditional Medicinals’ tea bags are 100% plastic free. They are made from sustainably harvested abaca leaf fibers and wood pulp into a double-chamber design that ensures better herbal extraction without any need for chemical sealants. All this is Non-GMO Project Verified.
The string is made from non-GMO Project Verified cotton.
The tag is made from FSC-certified paper.

Information Source: via their website.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon USA – Canada

28) Twinings

Twinings have moved away from cellulose and thermoplastic fibers over the past years. Their teabags are now made from tea paper, which consists of wood pulp and abaca, both plant-based natural fiber materials, and sealed by being folded and held together with a cotton string. Due to the folding design of the tea bags, they are not heat-sealed and therefore do not contain any PLA. They are also third party certified as suitable for home composting.

In Australia, since March 2024, they have been certified as home compostable to standard AS 5810 and industrially compostable to standard AS 4736.

The material of their Cold In’fuse range used in their pyramid Infuser tea bags is PLA (source 2019 Facebook message), but it looks like this product range is about to be discontinued.

Information Source: July 2025 e-mail response from sent by a reader, and their USA website. The Australian website states the same.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Generally no. Yes, only in the Cold In’fuse product range.
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK – Australia

29) Uncle Lee Tea

One of our readers has enquired with the company. Their response: “All of our teabags are certified safe under European certification, moreover the teabags are made out of abaca fibers and soft wood pulp fibers. These fibers are natural fibers taken from trees and essentially made into natural paper, thus creating the teabag. No plastics or glue are involved in the manufacturing process.”

Information Source: January 2025, from a reader’s comment.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon: USA – Canada – UK – Australia

30) Vahdam

We received this response via e-mail: “Please note that the tea bags you currently received are made of food-grade nylon mesh. We had adopted these to be able to deliver garden fresh teas to our consumers across ~138 counties. However, our R&D and packaging team has been toiling incessantly to come up with more sustainable packaging. We are happy to share with you that we have started shipping out our new plant-based teabags and you should be able to order them by the end of 2022, or mid-2023 depending on the geography.”

Information Source: April 2023 response e-mail. We’ve requested an update, but received no response.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: Yes

31) Yorkshire Tea

Yorkshire Tea replied that most of their tea bags have been plant-based for some time now, and to refer to the dedicated section on their website.

Information Source: January 2025 correspondence via Facebook messenger.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: Yes
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No

32) Yogi Tea

Yogi tea has a dedicated website to the material of their tea bags. The teabag is made of abaca plant fibres. The string attached to it is made from certified organic cotton and the label on the other end of the string is made from FSC®-certified paper. The manufacturer confirmed that they moved away from staples, and that their tea bags are home compostable in the organic waste. The bag is held together through the string, no glue required. Customer service responded that they using a specific knot technology for their teabags.

Please note: one reader e-mailed us an image of a Yogi Tea bag with a staple. It must be one of their older tea bags.

Information Source: their website, plus a February 2025 Facebook message.
Plant-based Bioplastics / PLA: No
Fossil-fuel Plasticizers: No
Shop on Amazon USA – Canada – UK – Australia

Related: How to Avoid Microplastics in Food: 10 Practical Tips for a Healthier Diet

FAQ

What is PLA Bio-Plastic or Polylactic Acid?

PLA stands for poly-lactic acid and it is a vegetable-based bioplastic material, that commonly uses cornstarch, cassava sugar cane as raw material, but remember much of the corn supply is genetically modified! The good news is that it is not fossil fuel based (it’s no petroleum based).

Does PLA Bioplastic Release Microplastics?

Here is where it gets complicated and researchers are currently still studying this matter. Originally PLA bioplastics have been introduced onto the market as a safer alternative to standard plastic does not create persistent microplastics in the environment. However, in some latest studies, i.e. like the one published in December 2024 in Environmental Pollution Journal (5) researchers are now studying the toxicological implications of PLA’s biodegradation. Some studies, like the one published in April 2024 in the Science of the Total Environment Journal (6), state that further in vitro and in vivo studies are required to confirm the potential health risks associated with exposure to PLAs.

A July 2024 study, also in the Science of the Total Environment Journal (7) was conducted on three different types of cellulose/PLA tea bags and demonstrated very clearly, that there were manufacturer-specific differences between the tea bag brands, field decomposition and most importantly, altered reproductive output in the analyzed earthworm. The study also cites evidence from previous studies of incomplete degradation of PLA following processing in commercial and domestic facilities, leading to the transfer of PLA microplastics to the environment in compost.

Last but not least a 2023 study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials (8) found that polylactic acid bioplastic teabags release nanoplastic particles when steeped, and these particles can disrupt the gut barrier function by harming intestinal epithelial cells in an in vitro model.

Are Plant Based Bio-Plastic Tea Bags made with PLA Compostable?

Of course, 100% paper bags can be composted in your backyard compost or placed in your FOGO (Food Organics and Garden Organics) bin. However, PLA tea bags will not necessarily biodegrade in your backyard compost, unless you live in the tropics with a very hot and humid climate. If your climate is not warm enough, it will be harder for PLA to break down within the time frame specified by global ‘Compostable’ labeling standards. PLA has been designed to break down in industrial and municipal composting facilities, in certain controlled environments (i.e. controlled humidity and temperature), of which there are only a few in Australia, as an example. Always ask your Council if tea bags are accepted in your FOGO bin. We have read that most Councils don’t accept them for fear of contamination with fossil-fuel based plastic tea bags.
A July 2024 study (9) published in The Science of the Total Environment Journal examined how polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastic teabags deteriorate in environmental conditions and revealed that their breakdown negatively impacts earthworms, causing harm to their health, growth, reproduction, and burrowing behavior. These findings highlight unintended ecological risks from biodegradable PLA products once released into soil ecosystems .

Further Tip: Try to Tear Your Tea Bag!

Usually, pyramid tea bags are made of plastic. If you try to tear them, you can easily understand if this is the case or not. If the bag doesn’t tear at all, it means it is nylon or propylene, and this is particularly true for pyramid tea bags containing plastic. This video shows this clearly.

Conclusion: Choose Loose Leaf Tea if Possible, with Non Toxic Tea Infusers 

If you are looking for tea bags without plastic, you need to consider each brand and each product line, hence why we hope that our guide to eco-friendly tea bags was useful to enjoy every cup of tea.

For your health and the environment, of course, the best way to drink tea free of microplastic as a regular tea drinker is to:

• opt for loose leaf tea
• use reusable stainless steel tea strainers, like this stainless steel tea steeper
• or snap tea ball strainers – heart shaped tea infusers
• unbeached reusable cotton tea bags
• glass tea infusers
• last but not least, you can buy disposable tea filter bags but be careful, if they are not organic and the exact material is not specified, it defeats the purpose of using loose leaf tea.

Harney & Sons, Tetley, Nerada etc. nearly every tea brand offers loose tea. The list of loose tea brands is endless, make the switch today!

Enjoy your cup of tea!

Scientific Research Sources:

(1) https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.9b02540
(2) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37697202/
(3) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10389239/
(4) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653524026377
(5) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0269749124017536
(6) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724007307
(7) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724007307
(8) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37354720/
(9) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896972402953X

Do you have any question or comment?

Or maybe would you like to give us some more information about other tea brands?

Just write in the section below or email info@implasticfree.com

Browse the Food & Drinks section of our directory for plastic alternatives.

–

This article has been last updated on May, 6th 2026.