Dear CommuniTea,

When we first founded Numi 20 years ago, we committed to creating a company focused on supplying the cleanest, healthiest cup of tea in the world. From sourcing ingredients that are organic and Fair Trade to carefully evaluating each aspect of the way we package and sell our tea, we have always kept the health of our customers, our farmers, and our planet front of mind. 

That’s why we’ve been concerned by the new scientific study published on September 25 in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, an industry academic journal, documenting the  presence of billions of particles of microplastics in tea steeped using plastic tea bags. According to the study, steeping a single, empty plastic tea bag at 95 degree Celsius releases around 11.6 billion microplastics and 3.1 billion plastic nanoparticles into the water, according to the authors of the study.

We’ve understood the potential health risks of steeping chemicals in hot water since day one. It’s why we’ve always used organic, real herbs, fruits and flowers in all of our tea blends and steered clear of compromised packaging choices.  We will never cut corners or settle for anything less than the purest cup of tea.

Like our teas, Numi’s tea bags are made from ingredients you can trust. We use  biodegradable, unbleached Manila hemp fiber—not plastic like the tea bags studied in the microplastics report. Our tea bags are Non-GMO verified, meet the highest standards for safety in the EU (this goes way beyond the US’s FDA standards) and will degrade over time in a normal compost heap. And we don’t stop there: we also use an oxygen process to whiten our tea bags, so there is no bleach present in the tea or the bags. 

In short, a cup of Numi tea is one of the best ways to hydrate and nourish your body. This has been true for the past 20 years, and it will remain so in the years to come. 

But we can’t do this alone. We’re inviting you to join our #plasticfreefuture Tea Exchange on Instagram. Snap a pic of plastic tea bags in your pantry, cup, office, or wherever, tag #plasticfreefuture and @numiorganictea, and we’ll send you a coupon for a free box of tea, which features our biodegradable, unbleached Manila hemp tea bags.  

We urge other tea companies to follow our lead, ditch the plastic tea bags, and commit to proactively finding better packaging solutions for our industry. We are all in this together. 

Our mission to celebrate people, planet and pure tea isn’t just a slogan; it’s a way of life for us. Thank you for trusting us with your daily tea ritual. We don’t take this privilege lightly or for granted. 

With Deep Gratitude,

Ahmed Rahim and Reem Rahim Hassani