What to do with
Tea bags
There are several ways to dispose of your used tea bags. Overall, to help prevent greenhouse gas emissions from tea bags rotting in landfill, if you have a food or garden waste collection scheme in your area, then the best thing to do is place tea bags in this. Tea bags can also be added to your home composting bin if you have one.
Can I compost used tea bags at home?
- Tea bags are mostly made from a natural plant fibre, but to prevent them falling apart when you pour boiling water on them, there is a small amount of plastic additive to stop this happening.
Many brands of tea have either moved, or are in the process of moving to a biodegradable plastic. This type of plastic generally needs an industrial process for it to completely breakdown. So, while you can put tea bags into your home compost, you may find there is a thin 'skeleton' of the bags still visible. These can be sieved out and discarded or you could split the bags before placing the tea in your compost bin.
See our home composting section for more useful information.
What happens to the used tea bags I put in my food waste bin/caddy?
- The used tea bags, together with the other food, will either be composted or sent for anaerobic digestion.
Find out if you have a food waste collection