Microplastics in Tea Bags — There's More Than Just Tea Inside
It's alarming but true: your tea bag may be steeping more than just tea leaves into your cup.
Most conventional tea bags are made from petroleum-derived materials, such as nylon or PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which is derived from petroleum-based plastic. When dipped in boiling water, these materials release tiny particles — microplastics — directly into your tea.
This means you're not only drinking a warm, comforting beverage but also invisible particles of plastic with every sip. It's a hidden health and environmental hazard that many people are completely unaware of — and it's a key reason so gud™ with maNASA Tea is committed to offering a 100% plant-based, compostable alternative.
If you care about health, wellness, and the future of our planet, it's crucial you know the hidden truth about microplastics in tea bags. Your daily cuppa might be delivering more than just rich flavor and antioxidants — it may be adding tiny particles of microplastics directly into your mug.
This alarming reality has opened the eyes of health-conscious consumers and innovators alike. At so gud™, we're not just sounding the alarm; we're offering a solution. Our plant-based, biodegradable tea bags are 100% compostable in industrial compost facilities and are made from polylactic acid (PLA) — a material predominantly derived from renewable resources, such as sugarcane — instead of petroleum. So you can sip without adding microplastics to your body or the environment.
This article covers everything you need to know about microplastics in tea bags, the health and environmental implications, and how so gud™ is helping you make a more informed, sustainable choice.
What Are Microplastics?
Microplastics are tiny particles of plastic — typically less than 5 millimeters in size — that break down from larger plastics. They come from numerous sources, including:
- The breakdown of large discarded plastics in landfills, rivers, and oceans
- The shedding of synthetic materials, like nylon or polyester, during use
- The release of microbeads from cosmetics and dental products
- The slow disintegration of items made from petroleum-based plastics — including many tea bags — into tiny particles
Because microplastics do not easily break down in nature, they remain in the environment for hundreds of years. Scientists find them nearly everywhere — in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and even the food we eat.
Why Are There Microplastics in Tea Bags?
For years, many popular tea brands have manufactured their tea bags from petroleum-derived materials, such as food-grade nylon or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These materials were chosen because they're durable, water permeable, and retain their shape when dipped in boiling water.
But here's the alarming part:
✅ When you steep a petroleum-based tea bag in boiling water, tiny particles of microplastics break away from it and seep into your tea.
✅ A 2019 study by researchers from McGill University (Montreal, Canada) found that a single nylon tea bag can release up to 11.6 billion microplastic particles and 3.1 billion nanoplastics into your cup of tea.
✅ To put it in perspective, that's a dramatic amount — nearly 16 billion tiny particles — entering your body with each sip.
Why Should You Be Concerned?
The health implications of consuming microplastics are a growing area of scientific inquiry. While we don't yet know all the health effects, here's what we do know:
✅ Physical Impact: The tiny particles can travel through the gastrointestinal tract and may permeate into tissues and the bloodstream.
✅ Chemical Loading: Plastics can act as carriers for hazardous chemicals — heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and microbial toxins — which may affect human health upon consumption.
✅ Inflammatory Response: Some laboratory studies suggest that microplastics may trigger an inflammatory response in cells and tissues.
✅ Possible Disease Risk: Scientists are investigating the links between chronic microplastic exposure and health issues, including diabetes, obesity, and neurodegenerative disorders. Nonetheless, much more research is required to fully connect the two.
The Broader Impact: Microplastics and the Environment
Your health isn't the only consideration. The production, disposal, and eventual breakdown of petroleum-based tea bags contribute to a growing environmental crisis.
✅ Ocean Plastic: Each discarded petroleum-derived tea bag contributes to the growing number of microplastics entering rivers, lakes, and oceans.
✅ Soil and Water Contamination: As these products break down, tiny particles permeate soil and water sources — affecting wildlife and agricultural land.
✅ Food Chain Impact: Small marine creatures consume microplastics, which then move up the food chain, affecting larger species and, ultimately, humans.
so gud™: A Sustainable Solution to Microplastics in Tea Bags
so gud™ is passionate about delivering a rich, pure tea experience without adding to the microplastic problem. Our solution starts from the ground up — literally.
100% Plant-Based, Biodegradable Tea Bags
Instead of petroleum-derived materials, so gud™ with maNASA tea bags are made from Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) — a biopolymer predominantly sourced from sugarcane. PLA is a renewable, plant-based material designed to safely break down under industrial compost conditions.
This means:
✅ so gud™ tea bags are 100% compostable in industrial facilities.
✅ They break down into organic matter, adding nutrients back to soil instead of persistent microplastics.
✅ The material is non-toxic, free from petroleum, and made from renewable resources.
Plastic-Free Packaging That Aligns with Our Values
so gud™ is committed to reducing waste at every stage of our packaging and delivery process. Our pouches for loose-leaf tea are made from plastic-free kraft paper bags, and even our product labels are compostable and free from petroleum components.
Loose Leaf Tea — The Purest Experience
For those who prefer a more traditional experience, we also sell high-grade loose-leaf tea in 100% recyclable, compostable pouches. With loose leaf, you have total control over brewing and serving, adding another layer of purity and personalization to your tea experience.
Why so gud™ Is Better Than Traditional Tea Bags
Let's break it down in a side-by-side comparison:
Traditional (Petroleum) Tea Bags VS so gud™ Plant-Based Tea Bags
How so gud™Aligns With Your Wellness Goals
so gud™ isn't just about delivering a great-tasting cup of tea — it's about honoring your health and protecting future generations.
Here's how choosing so gud™ fits into your lifestyle:
✅ Healthy Living: Naturally rich in antioxidants and beneficial compounds, tea has numerous health benefits — from boosting metabolism to reducing stress. so gud™ lets you enjoy these benefits without adding unwanted microplastics.
✅ Environmentally Friendly: Each sip you take avoids adding petroleum-derived microplastics into land, water, and food chains.
✅ Sustainability: so gud™'s use of PLA and kraft paper underscores a closed-loop, renewable approach — honoring resources and protecting the future.
✅ Compostable Packaging: so gud™ packaging, from pouches to tea bags, is designed to break down safely and efficiently, adding nutrients back to the soil.
Why Sugarcane-Derived PLA Is a Better Material
so gud™'s PLA is predominantly made from sugarcane, a renewable agricultural resource. Here's what makes it a game-changer:
✅ Biobased: PLA is made from plant starch, not petroleum.
✅ Compostable: It naturally decomposes into carbon dioxide, water, and organic matter under industrial composting conditions.
✅ Non-Toxic: PLA contains no hazardous chemicals or persistent compounds, making it a safer material for both your health and the environment.
✅ Higher Demand, Lower Impact: The production process emits significantly lower greenhouse gasses than traditional petroleum-derived plastics.
The Future Is Microplastic-Free
so gud™ believes we all have a role to play in protecting future generations from the growing microplastic crisis.
By choosing products made from plant materials — and packaging designed to safely return back to earth — we collectively move toward a circular, zero-waste future.
How You Can Be Part of the Change
➥ Switch Your Tea Bags: If you're currently drinking a popular commercial tea bag, consider making the switch to so gud™'s 100% plant-based, biodegradable option.
➥ Buy Loose Leaf: If you prefer, opt for so gud™'s loose-leaf tea, packaged in compostable pouches.
➥ Compost Your Packaging: Support closed-loop practices by adding your used tea bags and packaging to your industrial composter or green waste, where facilities allow.
➥ Spread the Word: Tell friends and family about the microplastic crisis and how so gud™ is a powerful solution.
Final Thoughts on Microplastics in Tea Bags
The truth about microplastics in tea bags underscores a growing health and environmental challenge — but it's a challenge we can solve together.
so gud™ is proud to lead this change by offering 100% compostable, plant-based tea bags made from PLA (sugarcane), packaging made from kraft paper, and pure, rich, loose-leaf varieties — all designed to minimize waste and microplastic release.
Every sip you take matters.
Your choices collectively create a future where we can enjoy nature's purest ingredients without adding hidden plastics to our bodies or our world.
Shop so gud™ now and make the change to 100% plant-based, compostable tea bags and packaging.
Click here to explore our collection and enjoy your tea without the microplastics.
