Microplastic in Teabags: The Invisible Threat to Your Assam Tea Ritual and The Solution

The other day, a unique question on Reddit caught my eye. Someone asked if tearing open a tea bag and dumping the leaves directly into boiling water would cut down the amount of microplastic from the teabags into the cup. The comments were just as interesting. Some said this trick helps, while others pointed out that microplastics still cling to the tea leaves from packaging and travel.

I got curious and decided to dig deeper. To clarify, microplastics are tiny plastic particles, from 5 mm down to 1 nanometer in size, released as debris from plastic objects. These particles are so small that, once inside our bodies, they can remain there indefinitely. Scientists still don’t know how harmful they are or if our bodies can fully eliminate them. For the most part, micro and nano plastics are entering our body through the plastic teabags we dip into our cup of tea.

Microplastics have been a growing menace for years. I first learned about their impact from reports showing micro- and nanoplastics in marine animals, and even human brains. Researchers are still studying the health effects, but the findings so far are worrying. We try hard to give our families the best food, yet contaminants like microplastics already pollute it, often without our knowledge. This could explain some of the sudden, serious illnesses affecting young, healthy people.

Now, about the topic of microplastic in teabags. The first major report came out in 2019 from McGill University, titled “Plastic Teabags Release Billions of Microparticles and Nanoparticles into Tea.” The study found that steeping a plastic tea bag can release about 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into your cup. That’s a shocking amount. The report also raised concerns about plastic in paper cups. When you dip a plastic tea bag in hot water, the pouch itself sheds microplastics into your drink.

Imagine 11.6 billion tiny plastic pieces in your tea. That’s scary, especially since plastic harms both us and the environment. But there are solutions, and some of the best ideas come from startups in Assam. Here are the top three ways to avoid microplastics in your tea:

• Choose cotton-based tea bags: Esah Tea from Mangoldoi uses organic cotton pouches for their tea “dips.” The bags are hand-sewn and plastic-free. I’ve tried them myself, simple, innovative, and effective.
• Try bagless tea dips: Woolah Tea from Sivasagar goes even further. They compress two leaves and a bud into a bullet-shaped pack, with no extra wrapping. No packaging means no microplastics. I tried it and loved watching the leaves unfurl in my cup. Their mission is to address microplastic concerns in tea bags.

These solutions exist, but it will take time for everyone to adopt them. The universal problem of microplastic in tea bags need multiple fixes to reach all parts of society before this becomes a bigger health crisis. Let’s stay alert and support the efforts that keep our beloved cup of Assam tea safe and pure.

Disclaimer:
The mention of any tea products, brands, or startups in this post is for informational purposes only and is not intended as an endorsement or promotion. I am not affiliated with these companies and do not receive any compensation for mentioning them. This post is based on personal research and opinions.

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