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> never the bagged product, as the latter infuses microplastics. Seriously? How can a paper tea bag infuse microplastics?
by chrisjj 2mo ago
> never the bagged product, as the latter infuses microplastics.
Seriously? How can a paper tea bag infuse microplastics?
- preg_match 2mo agoMany (most?) papers are lined with plastic. If you feel it and it's smooth in texture, it's probably plastic. Plastic famously leeches through heat. Yes there are heat-resistant plastics, but they're typically hard plastics. Tea bags are not hard. I don't know if the tea thing is true, but it makes sense to me intuitively. Microplastics leak into water from washing machines a lot. Heat + soft plastic clothes = microplastic in water. Tea seems like the same concept on a smaller scale.
- chrisjj 2mo agoPlastic-free teabags are a thing e.g. https://www.hampsteadtea.com/ https://www.hampsteadtea.com/
- OutOfHere 2mo agoI don't know about this brand, but very often the claim is a complete lie. Often such brands use PLA which is a bioplastic, but the brand doesn't count it as a plastic when advertising it as being plastic-free. Do they even tell you what the material is? Without knowing much more, it's not a risk worth taking.
- chrisjj 2mo ago> Do they even tell you what the material is? They do. Click the link.
- OutOfHere 2mo ago> unbleached paper, folded and stitched with cotton Apologies. That's the best material I have come across for a tea bag. I am hoping that PFAS wasn't added to lubricate the paper during its manufacture, which is a distinct concern from bleaching it.