The Microplastic in Your Tea Bag and How to Avoid It

Microplastics are everywhere. They are used in everyday products likes water bottles and tea bags. In this article, you will learn what microplastics are, what researchers know so far, and how to avoid them in your tea.

In September of 2019, researchers at McGill University reported that a single plastic tea bag at brewing temperature released about 11.6 billion microplastic particles, as well as 3.1 billion nanoplastic particles, into the water.

That may sound alarming, but it helps to keep it in perspective. The McGill researchers said the possible health effects of ingesting these particles are currently unknown, and the FDA says current scientific evidence does not demonstrate that the levels of microplastics or nanoplastics detected in foods pose a risk to human health, while noting that more research is needed. Still, if you would rather not steep plastic in hot water, there are several easy alternatives.

Here, we will explain the variety of microplastics that can be found in tea bags, what microplastics are, what researchers know so far, and how you can avoid plastic tea bags when brewing your tea.

We hope you enjoy and read on to find out more about microplastics in tea bags!

What are Mircoplastics?

Microplastics are incredibly small pieces of plastic. Yes, plastic as in plastic that you use for containers, straws, jewelry, cosmetic bottles, phone cases and so much more. Microplastics are becoming increasingly more common as an intruder in our everyday lives.

Microplastics are defined as a piece of plastic that is less than 5 mm long. This means that this is an incredibly small piece of plastic. There can be a lot of different microplastics within one cup of tea or one teabag.

This is because plastic is one of the most common types of debris found in all bodies of water around the globe. It is almost impossible to find a body of water that has been untouched by microplastics. Microplastics are so small that they can be carried into the rain cycle and rain down upon land, sea, and mountains.

Microplastics are truly everywhere. And now they are in your tea! So what do you do about microplastics? How can you avoid them in your tea?

First, let's look at what researchers know so far about microplastics and health. 

Are Microplastics Bad for You?

Microplastics are such tiny pieces of plastic that they can end up in food and drink, and scientists are actively studying what that means for people. So far, the honest answer is that there is still a lot we don't know.

In the McGill study, the researchers also exposed tiny water fleas (Daphnia magna) to the particles released from the tea bags. The water fleas survived, but showed some anatomical and behavioral abnormalities. The researchers said more research is needed to determine whether the plastics could have more subtle or chronic effects on humans.

The FDA says that current scientific evidence does not demonstrate that the levels of microplastics or nanoplastics detected in foods pose a risk to human health, but that not enough is known about their potential health effects and more research is needed to fill the gaps.

So there is no need to panic. But if you would simply rather not steep plastic in hot water, and you care about keeping plastic out of our oceans and environment, there are easy ways to skip plastic tea bags.

How Can I Avoid Microplastics?

Some tea bags, like the ones tested in the McGill study, are made of plastic. This can make plastic hard to avoid, especially if your favorite tea brand that you've been drinking for years uses plastic tea bags.

One way to avoid plastic tea bags is to choose tea brands whose tea bags aren't made of plastic. All you have to do is look up what your favorite brand's tea bags are made of.

One of the easiest ways to avoid plastic tea bags is to switch from tea bags to loose leaf tea. Loose leaf tea is a great way to enjoy traditional methods of tea brewing without using tea bags at all.

Loose leaf tea has been popular for centuries and in a lot of countries around the world, however, in our Western society, it is now only becoming relatively popular in our day and age. This is because people are realizing that loose leaf tea is a great alternative to tea bags! You can get teapots that have infusers insides that you don't have the tea leaves floating willy-nilly around your teapot.

The last solution is to use instant tea. Instant tea is a great method to use as an alternative to traditional tea brewing. Instant tea is similar to instant coffee and has near the same brewing method.

Instant tea can be hand whisked or infused into the water using an electric mixer to make sure all the powder is mixed in. Once the powder is absorbed and the tea is brewed, you have a fresh cup or pot of tea with no need to use any teabags whatsoever!

Many people have not heard of instant tea yet, so we hope that we have turned you on to trying out instant tea as a way to skip plastic tea bags!

Ditch the tea bags and make tea today with quality instant tea powder made from 100% premium tea leaves. Get it here.

This article is for general information only and isn't medical or nutritional advice. If you have questions about caffeine, your diet or a health condition, talk to your doctor.