When you’re working from home, you end up drinking a lot of tea—partly because drinking tea helps with focus and partly because the act of preparing a cup of tea is a mini break from work. Indeed, as I’ve been researching and writing this post, I’ve drunk copious amounts of tea.
Tea drinking is one of those daily habits to which we don’t give much thought. It’s true that modifying your tea routine may not have as big of an impact as actions like reducing your air travel or consumption of animal products. Yet the sourcing of tea brings up global issues around environmental degradation and the treatment of workers, and preparing tea uses a surprising quantity of energy and water.
Read on to find out the environmental consequences of tea drinking and sustainable tea habits that you can adopt.
What’s the environmental impact of producing and brewing tea?
Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world after water. Tea production and processing is a complex process employing many people around the world. In 2021, world tea production was approximately 6.5 million tonnes.
Growing and producing tea is energy- and water-intensive. The Water Footprint Network estimates that it requires 27 litres of water to produce one standard cup of black tea.
The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is commonly grown in monoculture plantations, which can lead to deforestation, habitat loss and soil erosion. Tea production often relies heavily on pesticides and fertilizers, which further degrades the soil and pollutes the water. Workers often experience poor working conditions, including low wages and exposure to pesticides.
Some tea farms are taking steps to improve their sustainability, including using organic farming practices and planting trees around tea fields to reduce erosion. Fair trade certification and ethical production practices can also help you feel better about your daily brew.
Tea’s environmental impact also includes how it’s packaged, brewed and disposed of. Circular Ecology estimates that the total carbon footprint per kilogram of tea is 31.5 kg CO2 equivalent, with 53% of those emissions coming from packaging and 13% from consumption. The percentage of emissions from consumer behaviour increases with certain habits, like overfilling the kettle.
Do tea bags contain plastic?
Many tea brands use a plastic called polypropylene to seal their tea bags. This material is unfortunately not recyclable or biodegradable.
Some tea brands have started using a plant-based plastic called polylactic acid (PLA) instead of polypropylene. Bags containing PLA need to be industrially composted. Learn more about biodegradable packaging here.
And those fancy pyramid-shaped “silken” tea bags? They may release billions of microplastics and nanoplastics per cup of tea, according to researchers from McGill University.
To find out the composition of your favourite brand’s tea bags, try checking the sustainability section on their website or these handy lists of brands with plastic-free tea bags from Country Living and Green Child Magazine.
Ways to drink tea more sustainably
If that was too much doom and gloom, know that there are steps you can take from purchasing through to brewing and disposal to reduce the environmental impact of your tea drinking.
Choose ethical tea brands
When purchasing, check the package to find out what, if any, certifications the tea has. Tea that’s certified organic helps reduce environmental degradation in tea-growing regions. Fair trade tea means better wages and working conditions for workers. Tea that bears the Rainforest Alliance’s frog seal, meanwhile, was produced using methods that support social, economic and environmental sustainability.
Look for tea brands that use minimal packaging
Consider how the tea is packaged—is the box wrapped in unnecessary plastic? If there are tea bag wrappers, are they recyclable? Can the tea box or container be recycled or composted, or is it sturdy enough to be reused?
As well, check what the tea bags are made of. Look for bags made from natural, compostable materials.
Opt for loose leaf tea
Did you know that tea bags were only invented in the 20th century? Humans have been brewing tea without bags for thousands of years. Using loose leaf tea reduces waste and gets around the “plastic in tea bags” question. Loose leaf tea is also fresher and often tastes better.
If you’re not sure where to begin, check out this guide to preparing loose leaf tea. The general steps are measuring the tea leaves and brewing them in hot water, typically in a device like a tea infuser or strainer.
I’ll admit that I normally use tea bags since they’re more convenient. My main issue is washing the tea infuser. If you have any tips for getting little tea leaves out of the mesh, please let me know!
Use an electric kettle
It’s more energy-efficient to use an insulated electric kettle than a stovetop one. Electric kettles transfer heat more efficiently and boil water quicker, wasting less energy. Stovetop kettles, on the other hand, heat the air around the stove in addition to the water.
If you’re stuck with a stovetop kettle, check out these tips for using a stovetop kettle more efficiently. And, if you’re in the market for an electric kettle, make sure to get one with a minimum fill line (more on that below).
Only fill the kettle as much as you need to
Electric kettles have a high wattage, meaning that they use a large amount of energy in a short amount of time. Heating up a smaller quantity of water uses less energy.
A 2016 study among 14 U.K. households estimated the energy savings if the households did not overfill their kettle (i.e., only used as much water as they needed). The potential annual energy savings were as high as 92 kWh, depending on the households’ existing behaviour.
To avoid overfilling your kettle, you can measure the amount of water that you’ll need using the mug. Make sure to fill at least to the minimum fill line to avoid damaging the kettle.
Be conscious of how you serve your tea
If you’re drinking tea on the go, use a reusable travel mug where possible to cut down on waste. Waste from single-use cups is nothing to sneeze at: Canadians throw out an estimated 1.5 billion disposable cups every year.
If you put milk in your tea, consider swapping out dairy milk for a plant-based alternative like oat, almond or soy milk. Dairy production generates significant greenhouse gas emissions, largely from methane from cows. If you add cow’s milk to white tea and don’t overfill the kettle, the milk accounts for an astonishing two-thirds of the total carbon footprint.
Dispose of tea and its packaging responsibly
Did you know that it’s possible to boil a tea bag a second time? Earth911 and Well + Good also have other suggestions for reusing tea bags.
Once you’re done with your tea, compost the bags or leaves (as long as the bags don’t contain plastic). Check your municipal waste sorter if you’re not sure. Tea bags and leaves are an excellent source of nutrients for plants. If the tea bags do contain plastic, you can cut them open to remove the leaves, which can be composted, then throw out the plastic part.
When you finish a tea box or tin, see whether you can find a way to reuse it, for example for storing pens and pencils. If not, make sure to recycle the container.
How to drink tea more sustainably
Tea has a significant environmental impact from field to cup. With a few tweaks to how you purchase, brew and dispose of tea, you can greatly improve the sustainability of your tea routine.
I want to know: Have you tried any of these ways to drink tea more sustainably? Do you have other sustainabili-tea tips to share?
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Thanks Eleanor. That was quite eye-opening. I checked my tea (Yorkshire Tea) and it is certified by the Rainforest Alliance, is a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership and won a Queen’s Award for sustainable development, so that’s good. The link concerning plastic in the tea bags also confirmed that YT uses only paper, however the box is wrapped in plastic, so that’s a black mark. The minimum level on my electric kettle requires enough water for at least 2 mugs, so I am experimenting with making a pot instead. That way I only have to reheat the tea for about 30 seconds in the microwave which is probably better than reboiling the kettle for my 2nd (and 3rd) cups. I compost the bags and recycle the cardboard, but enjoyed reading about the uses for used tea bags. I’ll have to try some of them. Looking forward to your next post.
Thank you for your comment! I’m glad to hear Yorkshire Tea is doing well on most counts. It’s great that you’ve been trying some changes to your tea routine. That’s an interesting idea to make a whole pot of tea to get around the minimum fill line issue with electric kettles. How is that going for you?
It worked pretty well until I dropped the lid of the teapot and broke it. However, I just discovered that the lid of an old sugar bowl fits perfectly so I can abandon my search for a new pot. I have to confess that the second (or third) cup doesn’t taste quite as nice as the first, but it’s all in a good cause.
I’m glad using a teapot works fairly well (and that you found a new lid)! Thanks for the update. I think using a teapot works best when you’re making tea for several people so you can all drink it fresh.