Did you know that most traditional ‘paper’ tea bags contain plastic?
Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene (PE) have long been used in the manufacturing of tea bags.
These petroleum based plastics are in the filter paper itself. The plastics melt when heated, and seal the tea bags as they pass through the tea bag packing equipment.
Given the massive and well documented issues surrounding petroleum based plastics in our environment (and even our bodies), at Pluck we do things differently. Our pyramid shaped tea bags are made from a certified non–GMO plant-based material. The bags are ultrasonically joined at the seams without the use of heat, and are compostable.
Our tea bags break down fastest (3-5 days) in municipal composting facilities where heat, water, oxygen and agitation is applied. However they can also break down effectively in a well-maintained home composter that is sitting in a warm sunny spot. In regular soil, they will break down in three years, far faster than polypropylene or polyethylene ‘paper’ teabags will.
|
|
Soilon |
Polypropylene / Polyethylene |
|
Made from? |
Plants |
Petroleum |
|
Renewable? |
Yes |
No |
|
Compostable? |
Yes |
No |
|
How long to biodegrade? |
Days* |
Hundreds of years |
*See note above re municipal composting vs home composting