Easy Ways to Clean Up Your Dirty Tea Routine

By Erika Robertson

Drinking tea is an everyday ritual for you. You love the convenience of tea and all of the cute little trinkets that go along with an indulgent afternoon tea respite. But do you think about how your tea routine might be hurting the world?

Tea is such a small thing. You might think tea doesn’t affect the environment all that much. But, as the planet swiftly approaches catastrophic temperature levels you need to understand the way you are drinking tea. 

Extreme heat, rising sea levels, declining biodiversity, melting arctic sea ice, and at-risk coral reefs are only a few problems we face with global warming. Finding a sustainable solution for tea drinkers starts with you. You can shift your tea routine to a sustainable one that has minimal impact on the environment.

What Does Sustainable Mean in the Tea Industry? 

Not all teas, teabags, and teapots are created equal. Every small choice and every teabag that you throw away has a long-term effect on the planet. Where does your tea come from? How is your tea made?

The global tea industry is enormous. Tea growers, tea blenders, tea packers, tea shippers, and tea sellers can leave harmful carbon footprints behind them. You can fight for sustainability in your tea routine by purchasing teas from ethical tea companies. 

You can be thorough in your research. Do you know what kind of materials are used to make tea packaging and teabags you use? Most teabags and canisters are harmful to the ecosystem. 

Did you know that a great portion of teaware is made with toxic chemicals that leech into your tea? Chances are, you are poisoning yourself a little bit each day with an unhealthy tea routine. But, you can buy recycled borosilicate glass teapots that have a minimal impact on your health and the world. 

Why Biodegradable Isn’t Enough.

Teabags are a huge problem for sustainability. Most teabags are marketed as biodegradable. But biodegradable is a loose term in the marketing industry that means very little. 

Almost everything that we touch is biodegradable. The word biodegradable points to the idea that an item will break down into the earth over time. But this is true for most things - even harmful plastic items. 

Biodegradable isn’t enough. Biodegradable teabags still have a big negative impact on the environment. If you want to help the world with your tea drinking routine you need to find teabags that are compostable.

What Makes A Teabag Compostable?

Compostable teabags and materials break down within a short period of time compared to biodegradable materials. Compostable teabags can be put into your compost container at home. They will turn into an organic material called humus. Humus can be used in your garden to add extra vitamins and nutrients to the soil and plants. 

All compostable teabags and containers are biodegradable. But not all biodegradable teabags and containers are compostable. Biodegradable products are a bad choice for your daily tea routine. But compostable tea products are an excellent option for your sustainable tea routine. 

4 Sustainable Changes You Can Make to Your Tea Routine.

Change in the tea industry starts with tea drinkers like you. Without you to purchase teas, cups, and teaware, tea companies would collapse. It is up to you to make the choice to shift your tea practices. Here are four ways you can change your harmful habits and start to save the planet by drinking more tea. 

Switch to Sustainable Teaware.

Do you know how safe your adorable tea mug or teapot really is? Most people don't know that they are drinking small amounts of lead and cadmium every day alongside their tea. If your teaware is painted or glazed, chances are you are drinking toxic tea.

The good news is that an incredible kind of teaware has been made that solves all of these problems. Borosilicate glass teapots, teacups, mugs, kettles, and accessories are the absolute best material to choose for your new sustainable tea routine. 

Not only is borosilicate glass strong and temperature resistant, but it is healthy, chemical-free, and it makes your tea taste pure and incredible. Borosilicate glass teaware is the new wave of the clean tea industry.

Research Sustainable Teas and Natural Flavors.

So much happens to your tea before you can conveniently plop it into your teacup or teapot. Your tea needs to be grown, harvested, dried, fermented, flavored, packaged, shipped and sold. Your tea moves through a lot of hands before it gets to your teacup. 

Your new sustainable tea practices need to take the tea supply chain into account too. Are farmers and growers paid fair wages? Do a little research to find out who your tea company works with. Find out how they source their tea and where they grow their teas. 

Sustainable tea is more than just checking that your tea is organic or flavored naturally. Sustainability is more than just chemical-free teas. Sustainability is about the long-term effects our tea harvesting has on the environment. 

Seek Out Compostable Teabags.

Are your teabags compostable or biodegradable? Remember, there’s a huge difference between these two terms. Biodegradable teabags still harm the environment. And most teabags are made with microplastics. If you want to use teabags, look for tea companies that make compostable teabags. 

These are fantastic examples of compostable teabags. They are made from a silk-like corn-based material. They can be thrown away or placed directly into your home compost. They are beautiful, healthy, and functional. 

Most teabags are made with tea dust and tiny bits of tea that are saved from loose leaf batches. These pyramid tea sachets leave ample room for full tea leaves to blossom and unfold in a lovely teacup. Now, you don’t have to sacrifice your health, the environment, or the excellent flavor of loose leaf teas because of a teabag.

Commit to Compostable Packaging.

Loose leaf tea canisters, individual teabag packages, and teaware packaging need to be weighed in the sustainable tea industry. Packaging, boxes, and wrappers litter our landfills and cities. It’s up to you to partner with tea companies that are doing their best to reduce their carbon footprint. 

New and innovative compostable packaging and recyclable canisters are what you need to look for. Consider purchasing tea bags that are wrapped in compostable paper. And if you purchase loose leaf teas make sure the canisters are either compostable, recyclable, or practically reusable. 

Teabloom Is Leading the Way in Sustainability.

There are so few tea companies that analyze every aspect of their impact on the environment. There are even fewer that go the extra mile to make sure they are helping the planet. Teabloom is leading the way in tea sustainability and planet-positive impact.

Teabloom offers the largest selection of borosilicate glass teaware. They are strong advocates for human and planet well-being. They believe a clean and toxic-free tea routine starts with borosilicate glass. It is an incredibly sustainable material that is strong and makes tea taste better than you’ve ever tasted before. 

Teabloom also provides tea enthusiasts with a wide variety of premium USDA Certified Organic loose-leaf and bagged teas. Their teabags are 100% compostable and their packaging materials are compostable, recyclable, and reusable. 

Start your sustainable tea journey today with Teabloom. You can make a big difference in your health and for the planet.

www.teabloom.com