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Plastic tea bags aside, I was shocked to learn that many paper tea bags still use plastic glue [1], which can contaminate compost. [1] https://www.countrylivin
by sleavey 7y ago
Plastic tea bags aside, I was shocked to learn that many paper tea bags still use plastic glue [1], which can contaminate compost.
[1] https://www.countryliving.com/uk/create/food-and-drink/news/a3291/plastic-tea-bags-environment/ https://www.countryliving.com/uk/create/food-and-drink/news/...
- ljcn 7y ago30+ brands compared: https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/there-plastic-my-tea https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/there-plastic-my-... The best advice is drink loose-leaf.
- jszymborski 7y agoI guess diffusers/loose tea it is. I just hate how annoying they are to clean with some of the finer black teas.
- SolaceQuantum 7y agoYou can use string-and-paper based bags that you fill yourself. All the convenience of bagged tea, all the taste of looseleaf!
- NeedMoreTea 7y agoTeapot and tea strainer! Much easier to clean than infusers which often manage to be fiddly too.
- londons_explore 7y agoThere really aren't many glues which are compostable, non-plastic, non-toxic and can withstand 10 minutes of boiling water.
- windsurfer 7y agoEgg whites?
- vorpalhex 7y agoThat sounds like a bacterial nightmare for a product that's going to sit in a mostly airtight container for months.
- windsurfer 7y agoEven when dried and set? I'm having a lot of trouble finding info on the safety of it in food online, but it seems like egg whites have been used for centuries as a glue for a whole bunch of things.
- spyder 7y agoSpider silk! :D
- NietTim 7y agoAre staples bad for compost? I've had some teabags that used staples, they worked fine for the purpose
- srbby 7y agoStaples can't be microwaved. Yes I know, you can microwave the cup and then put the bags in, but some people make that mistake and (rightly) freak out when they see the fireworks.
- windsurfer 7y agoWould there not only be a buzzing sound and lots of bubbles? I doubt there would be any sparks if the metal is submerged in water.
- okcando 7y agoSurprisingly, you can microwave a stapled tea bag that's submerged in water. You can also get away with microwaving metal spoons but _not forks_.
- markrages 7y agoStaples microwave OK. A microwave's wavelength is about 12 cm. A staple is a small fraction of that and won't couple much energy.
- vonmoltke 7y agoNot to mention the water it is submerged in absorbs the actual radiation, so it generally doesn't even make it to the staple to begin with (at least, if you push the bad down to flood it before heating).
- vzidex 7y agoAnecdotally, the "Waste Wizard" app in Toronto specifies that normal tea bags should be composted, nylon and silk tea bags go in the garbage. I've always assumed they know what they're talking about, so I expect the recycling/compost system here can handle the staples.
- thinkingemote 7y agoThere are not many types of tea which should be infused for ten minutes! Most "builders tea" in the UK get less than a minute, most just get dunked to colour the milk. The instructions say around three minutes. Loose leaf tea should be between three and five or more depending on grade. However I did note that the plastic tea bags get in the cups in the USA for longer as the water is lower temperature. It appears as if American baristas use coffee brewing temperature for the teas so a customer has to leave the tea bag in for the length of the drink.
- jolotriage 7y agoMany non-Americans do not consider what Americans drink tea.
- jolotriage 7y agoGlues, bleach and plastics... sounds like a menu for gastric disaster. We have a lot of bagged teas in the cupboard, so I just bought a metal tea infuser from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Stainless-Tea-Infuser/dp/B07WF9KQV7 https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Stainless-Tea-Infuser/dp/B07W...) so I don't have to throw it out.
- NullPrefix 7y agoDoes the bag have to be held by chemical means? Mechanical hold, for example a thread would work too.