There has been a recent study which reveals that, in some premium tea bags, billions of microplastics can be shed by the tea bag during a brew. We all know how bad these microplastics are, if they get into the sea. The World Health Organization say that these microplastics don’t pose a health risk to humans, but the research is in the early days, and it is still unclear how bad the problem is.
Most tea bags are made from paper, using a small amount of plastic to seal the edges. But a number of premium tea bags, often the pyramid shape, use a lot more plastic to keep the integrity of shape, to help the tea leaves mingle & create a better brew.
But researchers found that these premium tea bags release over 10 billion microplastics into the water. These microplastics are invisible to the naked eye, but pose a problem for marine life when they eventually get into the sea.
At Welsh Brew Tea, we take environmental issues seriously & we are working with our suppliers to minimise all use of plastics, in our packaging & our tea bags.
But to reduce any chance of generating microplastics, why not try some loose leaf tea? We think that using loose leaf tea also creates a stronger, more tasty cuppa too! We have our Original Welsh Brew loose leaf tea, or a range of premium tea blends, including Earl Grey, Moroccan Mint, Jasmine Green or Chamomile Flower… plus a few more loose leaf tea blends.
UPDATE (MARCH 2026)
All our teas our 100% biodegradable, compostable and plastic free!
We made the change from an oil based plastic to a plant based plastic way back in 2020. Our tea bags are now made from wood pulp and corn starch. These bags are designed to break down in soil within weeks or months, making them a better option regarding environmental microplastic pollution compared to a traditional polypropylene-sealed tea bag.
Material Shift: in early 2020, Welsh Brew Tea shifted to biodegradable, plant-based materials for our tea bags.
Independent Testing: The new biodegradable bags were reviewed and shown to break down significantly better than traditional, non-biodegradable plastic-sealed tea bags in laboratory testing.
Environmental Impact: While the bags are designed to be home-compostable and environmentally friendly, the PLA is a bio-plastic that degrades in specific, usually industrial, composting conditions.
Customer Feedback: Customers generally report high satisfaction with the flavour, with many praising the shift to more sustainable materials.
It is important to note that while Welsh Brew has made this shift, many other mainstream tea brands still use small amounts of plastic (polypropylene) to heat-seal their bags.
12 Responses
Genevieve Loxton
Please could you tell me what the price per cup would be for the 1kg original brew loose leaf tea? Is it cheaper than the catering pack of tea bags? We want to be plastic free as far as possible and avoid using tea bags.
David Robertson
I did use the loose leaf tea but can’t seem to buy it locally (Abergavenny) recently. We all really enjoy the Welsh Brew blend but would love to see 100% biodegradable tea bags being used. We have been considering swapping brands to those that deliver on that biodegradability.
Siwan
I would also be interested in an update on the biodegradability of your teabags and we are also looking at changing brands to a greener option – as a Welsh person living in England, I would love to be able to say that swapping to a Welsh firm ticks all the boxes!
Carolyn Hunt
Yes, PLEASE do get the teabags 100% biodegradable as soon as possible (we can’t put them in the compost bin at the moment!). I use loose leaf whenever possible, but for the quick cuppa when the kids are home, tea bags are so useful.
Dawn Williams
Like everyone above would like to see 100% plastic free teabags.
carlie
hi, is there any update about the plastic content of the teabags?
Considering PG tips have announced they are now plastic free, it would be a good time for more info!
Thanks!
Chris
I would love to buy Welsh Brew tea, but also want to be plastic free. Please go plastic free as soon as possible
Pete
As we are in 2025 and these comment’s are from 2021., I assumed that you are now plastic free this appears not to be the case ,hopefully for the sake of our oceans you can update us otherwise.
With thank s
Pete
Lindsey
Hello
Any updates on the tea bags being sealed without harmful plastics micro bits?
Its been about 6 years now. Surely the tea markets have been able to advance in this time line.
Nick James
It would be nice if Welsh would deal with this issue and respond accordingly, and of course inform us all of their current position re microplastics
Welsh Brew Tea
Thanks for all of your comments, we completely understand the concerns around microplastics, and we have added an update to the article above.
Emyr
A big fan of the tea and the fact that your bags are now compostable is great news. Unfortunately I had to come here to find out this information. It should be displayed on the box as I’m sure that will increase sales. No mention of it means it isn’t so and would prevent people from buying your product.