Tea Bags (Paper) Trash Tea Bags should always be placed in the trash container. Due to plastic content, many conventional tea bags cannot break down in compost and are NOT acceptable in Athens organics container. The average tea bag contains up to 25% plastic, found either in the bag, the bag adhesive, and/or string. Even string-and-tag tea bags may contain plastic in the string. Since it is really hard for the consumer and compost facilities to tell which ones contain plastic, no tea bags are allowed in the organics container in order to avoid contamination. Go Plastic Free: Choose loose leaf tea and a metal steeper. Buying tea loose can also be a more economical choice. Tea bags may release microplastics. Canadian researchers published a study in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Environmental Science and Technology which found that steeping a single plastic tea bag at brewing temperature (around 95 degrees) releases about 11.6 billion minuscule particles known as “microplastics” and 3.1 billion “nanoplastics” into each cup (source). Plastic Tea Bags and/or Packaging Are Garbage Some tea bags are made of plastic or are individually wrapped in plastic sleeves to preserve the flavor and potency of the tea leaves. After cutting open the tea bag and emptying the tea leaves into the compost, place the plastic tea bags and sleeves in the garbage. Do Not Compost Pyramid Tea Bags Pyramid tea bags are made from plastic and aren’t compostable. Ways to Reduce Switch to Bulk Tea Instead of buying tea in disposable bags, opt for loose leaf tea in bulk that you can steep with a reusable infuser or strainer. Did You Know? Microplastics From Tea Bags According to a recent study, a single plastic tea bag can release over 10 billion particles of microplastics into a cup of hot water. Read more from the BBC.