We are increasingly aware of the excessive use of plastic in our lives and the problems it brings to our health and the environment. The tea bags we see in many supermarkets are no exception. Although you may think that these bags are made of paper or some other fiber, the reality is that they contain microplastics that are released on contact with water and are harmful to us, but relax, there is solution, simply passes through buy tea in bulk!
The use of plastic in supermarkets and large tea brands
A study conducted by the University of Heriot-Watt, in Scotland, reveals that we could take about 100 tiny plastic particles with our food every day. Are you surprised? If we go to any supermarket we can see that almost all food is wrapped in plastic. Packaging and bags that, when in contact with our food and drink, end up leaving microplastics and nanoplastics harmful to our health. These small particles can travel through the blood until they reach organs as important as the liver or intestine.
Tea is no exception. Tea bags are detrimental to health. What can we do?
Onegood option to eliminate plastics from our food and, consequently, from our organism, is to buy in bulk. As with cereals such as rice, or legumes such as chickpeas, tea used to be marketed in bulk but has ended up being packaged in individual use bowls because they are cheaper to produce, with lower quality tea, picked directly with machines shelling and crushing the leaves (CTC method). This method is an industrial process where the picking of a batch of tea can take only 2 hours, and in which by cutting and chopping the leaves, flavor and aroma are lost. Traditionally in CTC, tea is picked by selecting the leaves and rolling them, they are never cut to preserve all their flavor.
On the other hand, although they are easier to use, beware, 96% of these bowls contain polypropylene, a heat-resistant plastic that can end up in our body. Why? Certain plastics decompose when they come into contact with hot water, which is why it is dangerous to infuse tea in this type of wrapping.
Conclusion: Returning to the old ways of buying bulk is beneficial for our health and for the environment.
Tea bags vs leaf tea
At this point it is clear that buying tea in bulk brings benefits for our health and helps us to reduce the consumption of plastic containers, such as tea bags. Do you know what other advantages it has?Besides avoiding the use of plastic containers, such as tea bags, you can also buy tea in bulk.
Besides avoiding microplastics, using leaf tea has more advantages. Buying infusions in bulk allows you to try more flavors, create your own blends and vary more often, since tea bags usually come in boxes of certain units. If you opt for leaf tea you can buy just what you need and, when you run out, go back for more or vary the flavor.
At Tea Shop you'll find lots of options and all plastic-free. You can buy rooibos in bulk and discover delicious blends such as Rooibos African Sunset, with carrot, orange peel and rosehip seeds or Rooibos Safari with coconut zest and chocolate chips.
If you need energy in the morning give black tea in bulk a try and enjoy with Orange Bonbon black tea with cocoa nibs, chocolate, orange peel and safflower flowers or a classic like Earl Grey.
The frenetic pace of our lives sometimes leads us to make bad choices about our food and our health. For years, convenience and immediacy have taken precedence over the quality of the food we eat, but do we want to keep it that way?
Plastic pollution is reaching our bodies and the effects of these microorganisms are not yet known.
Plastic pollution is reaching our body and we still do not know the effects of these microplastics on our health. It is important to be aware of this problem and change our consumption habits.
Did you know that at Tea Shop we have tea bags that are born from our commitment to nature? Discover why our tea bags respect the earth and how you can make your own ''tea bags''.
It is true that to prepare tea in bulk you have to invest a little more time than if we used tea bags but we will get a drink with better aroma and flavor that also retains all its properties and will be free of microplastics!
Changing our habits when we buy and consume food will be increasingly important for the environment and is also beneficial for our health. Choosing bulk tea stores such as Tea Shop is a step towards a plastic-free kitchen.