Numi Organic Tea Tea Bags
A genuinely plastic-free tea bag - manila-hemp paper, crimp-and-knot sealed with no polypropylene - from one of the most transparent brands on how its bags are made.
The verdict: Plastic-free
Every steep-contact part is plant fiber or cotton. The bag is manila hemp (abaca) and wood-pulp paper, and Numi closes it with a "crimp and knot" process it says specifically eliminates the polypropylene most brands use to heat-seal a bag shut - so there is no thermoplastic sealant line. The string is cotton (knotted, no staple) and the tag is recycled paper with soy-based ink. The only plastic anywhere near the product is the outer overwrap, a paper/PLA laminate that is packaging you discard, not something the tea steeps in.
What it's made of
| Part | Material | Food contact |
|---|---|---|
| filter bag manila hemp (abaca) + wood pulp; crimp-and-knot closure, no polypropylene heat-seal | Paper | Yes primary 🔥 |
| string 100% cotton, knotted - no staple | Cotton | No |
| tag recycled paper, soy-based ink | Paper | No |
Numi's standard tea bag is the flat rectangular paper style, sold across its organic black, green, and herbal ranges. Each bag hangs from a knotted cotton string with a small recycled-paper tag, and ships in an individual compostable overwrap inside the box.
Pros
- Crimp-and-knot closure eliminates the polypropylene most paper bags rely on to seal
- Publishes a full material breakdown plus supplier certification that no plastics are added; BPI-certified compostable
- Cotton string, soy-ink recycled-paper tag, no metal staple
Cons
- An independent lab (Mamavation) found high fluorine (522 ppm, a PFAS marker) on the Black Aged Earl Grey bag, while other lines tested non-detect - a PFAS flag separate from the plastic question, and line-dependent
- Individual overwrap is a paper/PLA laminate - compostable, but a bioplastic
Notes
- The overwrap is industrially compostable, not home-compostable
- PFAS marker (bag fluorine) varies by product line, so a clean result on one blend is not a blanket guarantee
Common questions
Does the Numi Organic Tea Tea Bags have plastic in it?
No. Nothing that touches your food on the Numi Organic Tea Tea Bags is plastic or silicone — the food path is paper.
What is the Numi Organic Tea Tea Bags made of?
Part by part, the Numi Organic Tea Tea Bags is: filter bag — paper; string — cotton; tag — paper.
Is the Numi Organic Tea Tea Bags BPA-free?
No plastic touches your food on the Numi Organic Tea 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://www.numitea.com/blogs/news/a-guide-to-plastic-in-tea-bags-and-how-to-identify-truly-plastic-free-alternatives Numi's own construction spec - manila hemp/wood pulp bag, crimp-and-knot seal (no polypropylene), cotton string, soy-ink tag, supplier no-plastics certification
- teardown https://www.designlife-cycle.com/numi-tea-bags independent life-cycle teardown confirming hemp paper bag, cotton string, oxygen (non-chlorine) process
- review https://mamavation.com/food/teas-pfas-forever-chemicals-guide.html EPA-certified-lab fluorine screen - non-detect on Numi Chamomile/Gunpowder bags, 522 ppm on Black Aged Earl Grey Assam bag
Spot a mistake or something out of date? Let us know — corrections are how this stays accurate.