🍃 Steeping Sustainably: The Truth About ‘Paper’ Tea Bags

Biodegradable ≠ Compostable

Let’s start with a steep truth: most “paper” tea bags aren’t just paper.

Many of the tea bags found on grocery store shelves that look like paper are made with plastic, specifically polypropylene or polyethylene. These petroleum-based materials are heat-sealed into the bag and can linger in landfills (and our environment) for hundreds of years. Some even come with metal staples to keep the string in place.

Not exactly the soothing, sustainable cup of tea you were hoping for.

At Pluck, we think differently.

We believe in delicious tea that doesn’t compromise on sustainability. That’s why every single Pluck pyramid tea bag is made with Soilon, a non-GMO, plant-based mesh that’s certified compostable and sealed using ultrasonic waves. 

No heat. No plastic. No staples. Just premium tea, beautifully brewed in a plant based compostable pyramid that won’t stick around for generations.

So what’s the difference between compostable and biodegradable?

These terms often get used interchangeably, but they’re not the same.

Biodegradable means something will eventually break down… but that could take hundreds or thousands of years. Think: a plastic water bottle in a landfill. Or a car.

Compostable means something breaks down relatively quickly, in the presence of certain elements such as water, and oxygen. It’s a faster, more complete process. 

A few real-world green bin program examples:

• 🍌 Banana peel: compostable in ~10 days
  
  

• 🍏 Apple core: ~2 months
  
  

• 🛍️ Plastic bag: biodegradable in ~100 years
  
  

• 🫖 Soilon tea pyramid: compostable in 3–5 days
  
  

• ☕ Styrofoam cup: biodegradable (sort of) in 100–1000 years
  
  

Here’s how our Soilon stacks up:

*in municipal compost

Our plant-based tea bags are:

• Fully compostable in just 3–5 days in a municipal facility

• Home-compostable (in warm, well-maintained bins)

• Fully broken down in soil in around 3 years

• Free of microplastics, plastic liners, and metal staples

• Filled in our own facility with love ❤️

We’re proud to offer packaging that supports your cup and the planet. Whether you’re steeping a morning black tea or a calming herbal blend, you can feel good knowing that your tea bag isn’t overstaying its welcome.

At Pluck, we’re committed to doing things differently - from sourcing to our sustainability initiatives - because what’s in your cup matters.

And if tea bags (whether they are compostable or not) simply aren’t ’your bag’, know that all of our blends are available in loose form as well.  Our stainless steel tea filters make loose teas a breeze. 

Read this recent study on soilon tea bags here

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