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.
Verification: Manufacturer confirmed
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
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
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