Equal Exchange Tea Bags
Unbleached abaca bag, organic cotton string, and a veg-ink paper tag from a fair-trade co-op that's candid about its one plastic - the outer envelope.
The verdict: Plastic-free
The steeped bag is unbleached abaca (manila hemp) paper, closed with a metal staple and no glue, hung from an organic cotton string with a paper tag printed in vegetable-based ink. None of that is plastic. The co-op is unusually upfront that the one plastic in the package is the individual envelope - a paper-and-plastic laminate it flags as neither recyclable nor compostable - which sits outside the steep path.
Verification: Manufacturer confirmed
What it's made of
| Part | Material | Food contact |
|---|---|---|
| filter bag unbleached abaca (manila hemp) | Paper | Yes primary 🔥 |
| string organic | Cotton | No |
| tag printed with vegetable-based ink | Paper | No |
| staple metal, seals the bag - not plastic | Metal unspecified | No |
Equal Exchange is a worker-owned fair-trade cooperative; its teas are small-farmer-sourced and sold through the co-op and natural-foods retailers. The bag is a flat abaca-paper style on an organic cotton string.
Pros
- Unbleached abaca bag with an organic cotton string and veg-ink paper tag
- Metal-staple seal, no glue
- Openly discloses the plastic-lined envelope rather than hiding it
Cons
- The individual outer envelope is a plastic-lined paper laminate (non-contact, but not recyclable or compostable)
- No independent PFAS/fluorine testing of the bag has been published
Categories: Tea Bags
Sources
Every material claim above is backed by these. This is the scattered info we centralized.
- manufacturer https://shop.equalexchange.coop/pages/our-packaging unbleached abaca bag, organic cotton string, veg-ink paper tag; discloses plastic-lined outer envelope
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