Gardeners are being urged to rip up their teabags and put them in the garden this August, but only if they tear them open first. Many branded teabags contain plastic, which means they will never break down in compost, leaving a plastic residue that can contaminate the compost with leached chemicals.
Why teabags need tearing
Composting turns kitchen scraps like potato peels, carrot offcuts, and banana peels into rich, nutritious compost that boosts plants, leading to bigger, stronger fruit and vegetables, as well as healthier flowers. You can start a compost pile anywhere in your garden with a simple plastic bin, though more expensive options include wooden composters and multi-opening 'hot bins'. On a budget, a simple plastic box or an old bin with a lid will do if you add air holes for the plant bacteria to use.
However, people adding teabags to their compost have been told they must tear open the bags first and pour the raw tea leaves in directly. This is because many top branded teabags sold today contain plastic, often polypropylene, which seals the edges and stops them falling apart in hot water. Many supermarket brands use this, meaning the bags will never break down in compost, leaving plastic residue behind.
Even plant-based bags need cutting
Even plant-based teabags, such as those used by Yorkshire Tea, should be cut open, with the bag disposed of separately, not in the compost bin. Yorkshire Tea says: "PLA tea bags are sometimes called 'plastic free', but we’ve never used that label and WRAP, the people behind the UK Plastics Pact, also advise against it because plant-based plastics are still plastics."
Yorkshire Tea advises: "You can snip open your used tea bags, compost the tea inside at home, and put the bag itself in your refuse bin. If you don’t want to do that, the alternative is to put your tea bag in your refuse bin."
Expert advice
Consumer advice magazine Which? explains: "Tea bags have traditionally been sealed with a plastic called polyproplene, which enables their edges to be heat sealed and stop them falling apart in hot water. Small amounts were used, but it prevented them being composted and, due to the enormous amount of tea bags used in the UK, it generated a large amount of plastic waste."
The advice from the UK Tea & Infusions Association is to rip open the bags before placing the used tea leaves on your compost heap and dispose of the teabag paper separately in your bin where it will go into landfill.
