Tea is one of the most popular drinks in the world. According to a survey conducted by Statista, 61 percent of U.S. consumers drink tea on a daily basis and another 30 percent describe themselves as occasional tea drinkers. Tea bags are also very popular with 60 percent of respondents using them at home or work every day or sometimes. However, there has been some debate about whether using tea bags means that we are consuming plastic – and if this is true, what kind of impact does it have on our health?
What's in a tea bag? What does the tea bag look like?
The majority of tea bags are made from a mesh of nylon and polyethylene terephthalate. Let's break down these plastics! First, nylon is a type of plastic that comes from petroleum. Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) is another type of plastic that comes from petroleum. These two types of plastics are both derived from crude oil, which makes them non-renewable resources.
Using tea bags basically means that you are consuming plastic. In fact, many of the tea bags sold in grocery stores contain microplastics according to research done by Tealeaves Lab at the University of Bath. This is because some types of tea have anti-bacterial agents added to help preserve them and these agents are often made from plastic. So if you want to avoid consuming plastics, it's best not to use tea bags as much as possible—instead try loose leaf teas or infusions instead!
One of the worst kinds of plastic is polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, as it is not biodegradable. Instead, once it has been in contact with air for a long time (and depending on what kind of plastic it is) it can take hundreds of years to decompose.
So when you use tea bags, you are consuming something that will never decompose! The plastic that is used to make tea bags is not recyclable either and so ends up in landfill where it will sit for years before any chance of degradation happens.
If you want to limit the amount of plastic you are exposed to, then we would recommend avoiding tea bags as much as possible. If you're looking for an alternative that's cheap and easy to use, try making your own loose-leaf tea.
You can make this in a variety of ways: either by using a teapot or by placing loose leaves into your mug or cup before pouring hot water over them. Brewing time varies depending on what kind of tea you are using; generally speaking, darker teas will require longer brewing times than lighter ones.
This is going to be more expensive than buying pre-packaged products at the store (though not by much), but it'll have less packaging waste and be healthier for both you and the environment!
You may be concerned about the tea bag because you think it is made of plastic.
But the tea bag is not actually made of plastic! It's made out of paper, which means that all the chemicals that are used to make the tea bags are safe and healthy for us to consume. The nylon is a non-biodegradable material, so it won't break down in our bodies or release toxins like other plastics do once they're inside us.
Nylon is a synthetic polymer, or man-made material. It's made from oil and natural gas, and it can be found in many products.
Nylon is tough and doesn't allow the tea to seep through it; this makes it perfect for bags that don't need to be washed because of their durability.
First, let’s take a look at what nylon is. Nylon is a synthetic polymer that was invented in 1935 by Wallace Carothers, an American chemist and fiber scientist. It was the first industrial polymer synthesized from petroleum byproducts, which makes it biodegradable (meaning it can be broken down by microorganisms) but not biocompostable (meaning it cannot decompose into non-harmful components).
In short: plastic is made from chemicals derived from fossil fuels; nylon is made with chemicals derived from fossil fuels as well; both plastics and nylons are manmade materials that are not biodegradable; plastics are often used to package products such as tea bags; therefore some people argue that using tea bags means you may be consuming plastic…
But before we jump to conclusions about this topic, let’s take a look at the facts.
The amount of plastic we consume through tea bags is minuscule. The average teabag contains only a few milligrams of plastic, which is less than the amount of helium in an inflated balloon. The quantity of plastic in your daily cup is so small that it will not harm you or cause any adverse effects to your health or your environment.
However, this does not mean that all types of tea bags are completely safe for consumption. Some companies use tiny amounts of beads made from starch as filler in their teabags; these beads do not decompose and can lead to blockages if ingested by animals such as birds or fish who mistake them for food.
There are many things that we consume that may be harmful to our health and plastic is not the only one. Many dairy products contain hormones and antibiotics, which can have adverse effects on your body. The same goes for meat, eggs and fish as they too contain these harmful substances in addition to being high in fat content.
If you are concerned about the plastic in your tea bag, always check the list of ingredients. Just as important as checking what's inside is checking if there's anything else at all. Always be sure that your products have no unnecessary additives or chemicals in them. Some people may think this level of scrutiny is too careful, but it can help prevent you from consuming toxic substances like BPA (bisphenol A) and phthalates, both of which have been linked to serious health problems such as cancer or infertility. So look out for those "ingredient lists" next time!
For the best taste and health, we recommend you avoid using tea bags as much as possible. They are not eco-friendly, and they contain plastic. You can still enjoy your favorite hot drinks without them by choosing loose leaf teas or infusing your own fruit into water!