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.
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
Common questions
Does the Equal Exchange Tea Bags have plastic in it?
No. Nothing that touches your food on the Equal Exchange Tea Bags is plastic or silicone — the food path is paper.
What is the Equal Exchange Tea Bags made of?
Part by part, the Equal Exchange Tea Bags is: filter bag — paper; string — cotton; tag — paper; staple — metal.
Is the Equal Exchange Tea Bags BPA-free?
No plastic touches your food on the Equal Exchange Tea Bags — the food path is paper — so BPA, which comes from polycarbonate and epoxy plastics, is not in play here.
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
Spot a mistake or something out of date? Let us know — corrections are how this stays accurate.