Plastic-Free Tea Bags
So here we are. . .
Our herbs and spices are 100% organic and our tea is sourced direct from small farms in Malawi, Japan, India and USA.
Our bags are made from a biodegradable woven mesh called Soilon. Soilon is derived from corn starch and can be composted completely. Soilon is a safe, non-toxic, environment-friendly material — perfect for filtering tea and herbal infusions.
Q&A
How is Soilon made?
Soilon is made of poly lactic acid (PLA) polymer resin, made by lactic fermentation of glucose (derived from corn starch) by an enzyme and polymerization.
PLA, sounds like plastic. . .
Unlike traditional petroleum-based plastics, PLA is a plastic substitute made from fermented plant starch, ours is made from non-GMO sugarcane.
How does Soilon decompose?
Soilon can be decomposed rapidly when it is put into heated composting system, and quite slowly when it is used in usual circumstances (so don’t litter, obvs). The degradation is initiated by temperature, moisture, and alkaline material, and can be completely, safely degraded by microorganisms.
How long does decomposition take?
According to this article in the Scientific American, PLA can break down into its constituent parts (carbon dioxide and water) within 3 months in a “controlled composting environment” (an industrial composting facility, heated to 140°F and surrounded by plenty of digestive microbes). It will take far longer in a home compost bin, and hopefully won’t end up in a landfill packed so tightly that no light and little oxygen are available to assist in the process. Any organic matter in landfills is a huge waste, y’all, and releases methane. Indeed, analysts estimate that a PLA could take anywhere from 100 to 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill.
So, are your tea bags safe?
Our tea bags are 100% safe. They contain no hazardous substances to leech into your tea, such as endocrine disruptors (environmental hormones), and are naturally anti-fungal and antibacterial.