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Simply Sarena

Simply Sarena

Home | Toxin Free | Do Your Tea Bags Contain Microplastics? Plastic Free Tea Bags and Tea Bags That Contain Plastic

Do Your Tea Bags Contain Microplastics? Plastic Free Tea Bags and Tea Bags That Contain Plastic

Healthy Eating, Healthy Lifestyle, Toxin Free

I am an AVID tea drinker! I drink tea for every occasion, every ailment, literally all the time! Tea is touted as a healthy drink and tea companies boast of all the health benefits!

Surprisingly, there are quite a few toxins to watch out for in tea. You not only have to look out for the pesticides and added flavorings, but you also have to watch out for the PLASTIC in tea bags!

I’ll save pesticides and added chemicals in tea for another post. In this post, I just want to talk about plastic in tea bags!

In this post, I’ll cover…

Is the plastic in tea bags safe?

How can you tell if a tea bag is plastic?

Which tea bags do not contain plastic?

What materials are replacing plastic tea bags?

Types of tea bags that contain plastic. Pyramid shaped nylon tea bags, tear apart tea bags, tea bags with a fused string.

Is The Plastic In Tea Bags Safe?

Short answer, NO!

Most tea bags contain polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), or nylon to make the bags more durable. Polypropylene or PET is also how the tear apart bags are sealed and how the string is attached in some cases. 

All kinds of plastic release toxic hormone disrupting chemicals and since tea bags are steeped in hot water, one tea bag releases billions of microplastics and nanoplastics into your cup.

Not only do plastic tea bags have a detrimental effect on our health, but they’re also detrimental to the environment! Plastic in tea bags is NOT biodegradable, so the plastic just accumulates. 

How Can You Tell If A Tea Bag Is Plastic?

There are some tell tale signs that a tea bag contains plastic. 

If the tea bag is round or square without a string and has crimped edges, it contains plastic. They melt the plastic in the tea bags to crimp the edges and seal in the tea leaves. 

If the tea bag has a string attached by fusing it into the tea bag (instead of a staple or a hole), it contains plastic. 

If the tea bag looks/feels silky (I’m talking about those tea bags that look super fancy and expensive), it is made of nylon!

Some companies add plastic to their tea bags to make them more durable, so even if your tea bag does not have any of the above characteristics, it’s possible it still contains plastic. Your best bet to find out 100% your tea bag does not contain plastic is to reach out directly to the brand. 

What materials are replacing plastic tea bags?

There are multiple ingredients that can replace plastic tea bags. The ingredients I’ve seen the most are Manila Hemp, Wood Pulp, and Organic Cotton!

PLA is another ingredient in some tea bags however, I’m not sold on this one. PLA stands for Polylactic Acid. From the research I’ve done, they don’t seem as biodegradable as other materials and it’s possible they are harmful to the soil. 

They also release lactic acid which isn’t necessarily bad, it can just be difficult to digest for some people. More research should be done on the safety of this ingredient in tea bags. 

I’ve also seen “plant based material” with no other specifications. (Teatuila is one of the brands that uses “plant based material”.) PLA is considered a “plant based material.” Unless they further specify, I take “plant based material” as PLA which I would avoid personally.

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Which Tea Bags Do Not Contain Plastic?

The brands I am aware of that do not contain plastic are…

  • Yogi: Manila Hemp tea bags
  • Traditional Medicinals: Wood Pulp and Manila Hemp
  • Numi: Manila Hemp
  • Pukka: Organic Cotton

There are definitely more brands, these are the brands I have tried and they are available at Wegmans (my favorite grocery store.)

Which Tea Bags Contain Plastic?

WAY too many brands are still using plastic in their tea bags. A few common brands are…

Celestial Seasonings: Polypropylene

English Tea Shop: Nylon (Pyramid Bags), PLA (paper bags)

Tazo: Hemp and trace amounts of plastic

Lipton: I reached out to Lipton via Instagram and email because they don’t explicitly state the material on their website. In their response, they let me know they use “a small percentage of plastic” and “some pyramin tea bags made from PET.” They also said, “Where we do use plastic, we are actively working toward moving out of petroleum-based to plant-based plastics.”

Brand I’m Not Sure About

Republic Of Tea: Their website lists “unbleached tea paper” as the material for their bags however the edges are fused together. My guess was they contain PLA, but I reached out to them via Instagram and email. They responded with “Our tea bags are heat sealed.” They also said “Our unbleached tea bags are made from wood pulp fibers, which do not contain epichlorohydrin or plastic. Our teabags also have no unnecessary strings, tags, or staples and are free from chemicals, toxins, and do not contain gluten, GMO’s or corn.”

I did more research on heat sealable paper tea bags and they all seem to have something synthetic in them to make them sealable as paper on it’s own does not melt. The wood pulp fiber heat sealable materials I’ve found all contain either PLA or polypropylene. So I reached out again about the heat sealing and they responded with, “We use an all natural heat seal that binds the fibers of the wood pulp together creating a seal made without glue or chemicals.”

Take this information for what it is and make your best judgement. In my opinion, this sounds like PLA to me as PLA is touted as “plant based” so I’m not 100% convinced on this one. (I do not know for certain if they use PLA, this is just a speculation.)

Brand I Have Hope For

Buddha Tea: Their website lists “unbleached tea paper” as the material for their bags however the edges are fused together. I reached out to them via email and their response was, “Our tea bags are made from the cellulose fibers of the abaca plant (closely related to bananas)…Unfortunately, we do include trace amounts of plastic in order to seal the edges of our tea bags. Our team is currently working to make an eco-friendlier alternative this year.”

I’ll keep you posted once they do make a new teabag! In my opinion, I think it is great news to hear a brand is working on a better option! It’s much better than paying for marketing to trick customers into thinking their product is safe when they are using toxins in it.

If you want to avoid tea bags all together, a great option is organic loose leaf tea! Like I always say though, you HAVE TO check the ingredient label and make sure nothing extra is added to it (like flavorings and sweeteners.)

What’s your favorite brand of plastic free tea? Let me know in the comments!

January 19, 2023 · Leave a Comment

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HI EVERYONE!

I’m Sarena


I’m a Northern Virginia based Integrative Nutrition Coach, a Toxin Free Lifestyle enthusiast, a dancer, and a dog mom to my sweet girl, Miss Cammie.

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simply.sarena

So many women suffer every month from debilitating So many women suffer every month from debilitating period cramps. The conventional way of treating them actually makes the problem worse!

❌Birth Control covers up the symptoms because you don’t get a real period. Meanwhile, whatever is causing the cramps in the first place is still going on in the body and probably getting worse! Birth Control does not treat cramps…it only hides the problem!

❌Ibuprofen may help in a pinch but it doesn’t treat what is actually causing the cramps in the first place. Also, ibuprofen is really bad for gut health (and poor gut health could also be a cause of cramps) so you could be making the problem worse!

❌A lot of women turn to junk food on their period however, junk food is inflammatory so if your cramps are caused by inflammation, you could be making the problem worse! If you’re craving chocolate, you probably need magnesium, so if you’re going to eat it, eat good quality DARK chocolate! 

The biggest favor you can do yourself is listen to your body and figure out what is causing the issues in the first place! The answer is different for everyone and there is no one size fits all solution!

Feel free to DM me if you need any support! 

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#womenshealth #periodcramps #periodcrampsrelief #nontoxicliving #lowtoxlife #lowtoxliving #hormonehealth #hormonehealthcoach #womenshormones #hormonal #hormonalimbalance #hormonalimbalances #nutritionforhormones #nutritioncoach #healthandnutrition #holistichealth #holistichealthtips #periodtips #periodproblems #periodpositive #periodpain
Sugar gets such a bad reputation, but not all suga Sugar gets such a bad reputation, but not all sugar is bad!!!

Natural sugar is necessary because it gives us energy! You can find natural sugar in fruits, vegetables, and sweeteners like raw honey, pure maple syrup, dates, coconut sugar, and more.

Watch out for sneaky sugars in processed food as they cause blood sugar spikes which gives us that instant energy but we crash. It also causes type 2 diabetes and insulin issues. 

When you’re reading the ingredient label on food, watch out for different (not so obvious) names for sugar. 

Just because something says 12g of sugar doesn’t mean that 12g is bad sugar…which is why you always need to check the ingredient label for the source of the sugar!

Also, people think Stevia is healthier which isn’t necessarily the case. Stevia is highly processed and should only be consumed occasionally unless you’re consuming stevia in its purest form! 

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#addedsugar #naturalsugar #stevia #holistichealth #holisticnutrition #sneakysugar #ingredientlabels #ingredientsmatter #lowtoxlifestyle #lowtoxdiet #sugarfree #sugarfreediet #sugarfreelifestyle #nontoxicliving #healthyeatinghabits #healthyeatingtips #sugartips #nutritioncoaching #nutritionfacts #nutritiontip
Birth Control does NOT cure a hormone imbalance!!! Birth Control does NOT cure a hormone imbalance!!! Birth Control hides the symptoms of a hormone imbalance, meanwhile the problem is getting worse.

A lot of women struggle with severe symptoms when they come off birth control because they never addressed the underlying cause of their hormone imbalance.

If you are struggling with hormonal acne, period cramps, severe PMS, mood swings, etc. and you think birth control is going to fix the problem, it will not!

There are a lot of factors that can cause a hormone imbalance from our diet, to hormone disrupting chemicals in our daily products, to external factors like stress, lack of sleep, etc. that can throw our hormones out of whack!

If you need support with your hormones, feel free to DM me!

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#hormonehealth #hormonehealthcoach #lowtoxlife #lowtoxlifestyle #crunchyblogger #holistichealthcoach #holistichealthandwellness #womenshealth #womenshealthmatters #womenshealthtips #womenshormonehealth #birthcontrolproblems #birthcontrolpills #birthcontrol #holistichealthcoaching #naturallivingideas #naturallifestyle #naturallivingtips #healthtipsforwomen #pcoslifestyle #hormoneimbalance #hormoneimbalances
Our bodies and hormones are so complex! If you’r Our bodies and hormones are so complex! If you’re eating right, limiting toxin exposure, and still can’t seem to get your hormones under control, it could be a different lifestyle factor coming into play!

We are not men, we do not have the same 24 hour hormone cycle that men have.

We have different needs for different times during the month! Being in tune with your body and doing what it needs at that time is so important!

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#hormonehealth #womenshealth #womenshormones #holistichealthandwellness #lowtoxlifestyle #toxinfreeliving #healthandwellnesscoach #healthandwellnesstips #birthcontrolproblems #birthcontrol #regulatehormonesnaturally #hormoneimbalance #womenslifestyle
These are foods that have been marketed to be heal These are foods that have been marketed to be healthy, but they’re not. There’s so many other actually healthy foods you could eat that are much more satisfying than these. Keep reading for why these aren’t the best options!

❌Whole Wheat Bread: This one comes down to the ingredients. One popular whole wheat bread contains Soybean Oil, Soy Lecithin, and Natural Flavors. Also because I have a gluten sensitivity, eating slices of any bread is a no for me!

❌Cereal: So many cereal’s are full of sugar and synthetic vitamins which are not properly absorbed by our bodies, not to mention artificial colors and flavors. Also, a lot of cereal has extremely high levels of glyphosate! Not a great way to start your day.

❌Flavored Yogurt: Any yogurt except plain yogurt has a lot of sugar. You’ll also find natural flavors and gums in some popular brands. Natural flavors is an easy way for companies to not disclose all ingredients and gums can cause digestive issues. In my opinion, you may as well have a bowl of ice cream and enjoy it than try to be “healthy” with flavored yogurt.

❌Farmed Salmon: You may think you’re making a healthy choice by choosing salmon however, farmed salmon should be avoided as it is basically big agricultures version of salmon. It is bred in crammed cages, fed an unnatural diet of fish meal & animal by products, and they are full of pesticides and antibiotics 🤢

❌Granola Bars: Granola bars are full of a lot of sugar including corn syrup. You may also find soybean oil or canola oil which are inflammatory, and natural flavors. You’re better off baking some cookies and knowing exactly what you’re putting in the cookies. 

Did any of these surprise you?? Let me know in the comments! 

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#healthyeatinghabits #unhealthyfood #lowtox #lowtoxlife #crunchygirl #holisticnutritioncoach #iinhealthcoach #iinalumni #iingrad #toxinfreeliving #nutritiontips #nutritionfacts #eathealthybehealthy #healthychoices #foodismedicine #dontbefooled #biggovsucks #biggovermentsucks #healyourselfnaturally #healyourselfwithfood
I’ve had so many women reach out to me lately ab I’ve had so many women reach out to me lately about wanting to get off birth control, but they’re scared how it will effect their body.

The truth is, if you got on birth control for bad period cramps, hormonal acne, irregular periods, etc., birth control was covering up the problem…not fixing it!

When you go off birth control, you’ll probably find you’ll have the same problems of not worse.

That’s why balancing your hormones is so important when coming off birth control!

These 3 tips are a great place to start! There are so many different things you can do to get your hormones in check. 

Follow for more holistic health & nutrition tips!

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#postbirthcontrolsyndrome #getoffbirthcontrol #hormonehealth #hormonehealthcoach #saynotobirthcontrol #womenshealthcoach #womenshealthmatters #womenshealthtips #womenshealthandwellness #womenshealthadvocate
✨Make sure you save this recipe for later!✨ T ✨Make sure you save this recipe for later!✨

These are the BEST healthy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies 🍪 

Recipe: 

1 egg
1 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (make sure you check the ingredient label and only use clean chocolate chips!)

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes!

Let me know if you give these a try! 

#healthydessertrecipes #glutenfreecookies #refinedsugarfree #bakingreel #holisticnutrition #hormonefriendly #womenshealth #womenshormones
It’s still January for a few more days! Last y It’s still January for a few more days! 

Last year, I did a lot that wasn’t working for me. I got so stuck in my routines, I was saying “yes” to everything, even if I didn’t want to, because I didn’t want to offend anyone.

This year, I’m only doing things that light me up and that are in alignment with my goals 💕✨

Health isn’t just about what we eat and the products we use, it’s also about how everything else in our life makes us feel and effects our physical health.

At the end of 2022, I realized I needed to make a change when I was starting to get headaches almost daily again. I had also spent soooo much money it makes me sick thinking about it.

No more! I’m putting myself and my goals first this year! 

#newyearnewme #2023goals #freshstart #holistichealth #holisticwellnesscoach
I ALWAYS have these 5 tea’s on hand 🍵 Green I ALWAYS have these 5 tea’s on hand 🍵

Green Tea: Contains caffeine so it gives me energy. Green Tea is also high in antioxidants!

Echinacea Tea: Has immune supporting properties. It’s even known to shorten symptoms of colds and the flu!

Dandelion Tea: This tea is a powerful liver detox! It also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Raspberry Leaf Tea: This tea is great for a woman’s cycle. It’s high in magnesium and vitamin B6 so it helps relieve PMS symptoms and helps regulate hormones.

Chaga Tea: Chaga is the king of medicinal mushrooms. It’s full of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, it boosts the immune system, and it may even slow the growth of c**cer cells. Literally the KING! 

My favorite brands of tea are @yogitea, @tradmedicinals, and @numiorganictea. These brands have organic teas and their tea bags are plastic free!
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