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A Plastic Free Future Starts with Tea

by Numi Tea'm 3 Comments

numi organic plastic-free tea bag

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

Often, the best way to share your beliefs with others is to walk the walk. Showing, rather than telling, is more likely to have an impact. If you find yourself in a situation where conversation is required to avoid compromising your beliefs, here are some tips to help.

Previous Post: « Why CommuniTea Matters
Next Post: NPR’s How I Built This with Numi Founders Ahmed Rahim and Reem Hassani »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Johanna Andris says

    October 8, 2019 at 11:04 pm

    You aren’t being fully transparent. You use plastic to seal your tea bags. Using a plastic seal does not equal plastic-free. Please address how you seal your bags and stop misleading your customers.

    Reply
  2. Johanna Andris says

    October 9, 2019 at 12:18 pm

    Please disregard/delete my previous comment. There is so much confusing and conflicting information on the internet. Numi was not appearing on any of the plastic-free lists I was seeing. Upon further research, I believe Numi to be entirely plastic-free. I appreciate your commitment to the good health of people and the environment. I have actually been drinking Numi tea for several years. The news about the plastic in teas is stocking. I am glad to have a clean option with Numi. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Sarah Silverman says

      October 9, 2019 at 2:52 pm

      Hi Johanna, thanks for reaching out! We appreciate your call for transparency—it’s important to us too. We are striving for a plastic free future, but we’re not there yet. The vast majority of our tea bags are non-heat sealed with a crimp and knot process. They are completely biodegradable and do not use plastic derivatives of any kind. Our turmeric teas, while still biodegradable, do contain a small amount of synthetic fibers, which are required to seal the powdered turmeric safely intact. We have been actively working on a solution that would not require synthetic fibers in the seal for almost three years, but have yet to find one that meets our manufacturing requirements. We promise to keep you updated as we continue our journey to find the safest and most sustainable packaging possible.
      In Communi’Tea,
      Numi Organic Tea

      Reply

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