Do Tea Bags Have Microplastics? What Tea Lovers Should Know
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TL;DR
- Do tea bags have microplastics? Some do. Bags made with nylon, PET, or polypropylene can shed tiny particles into hot water, and many paper bags are sealed with a thin layer of plastic.
- A 2024 lab study found a polypropylene tea bag released about 1.2 billion particles per milliliter of brewing water.
- The famous "11.6 billion particles per cup" figure is disputed. Germany's food safety agency says it is probably far too high.
- Best move: switch to loose leaf tea in a stainless steel, glass, or ceramic infuser, or choose folded paper bags with a string and staple.
- No one has shown that tea bag particles harm people, but this is one of the easiest exposures to cut.
For many of us, the day starts with a cup of tea. It is a small ritual, and it feels like one of the healthiest parts of the morning. So it is unsettling to read that the tea bag itself might be adding plastic to your cup.
So, do tea bags have microplastics? Some do. Tea bags made from nylon, PET, or polypropylene can release tiny plastic particles when they steep in hot water, and many paper bags contain plastic fibers that seal their edges shut. Plain folded paper bags and loose leaf tea are much safer bets. Here is what the research shows, how to check the tea in your cupboard, and what to switch to.
Do Tea Bags Have Microplastics?
It depends on what the bag is made of. Tea bags come in three broad types, and they behave very differently in hot water.
- Mesh or "silky" bags. These see-through bags, often shaped like pyramids, are usually made of nylon or PET, a type of polyester. These are the bags with the strongest evidence of shedding.
- Heat-sealed paper bags. Many square or round paper bags look like plain paper but contain plastic fibers, often polypropylene, so their edges can be melted shut. A consumer group, Ethical Consumer, reported that most "pillow" and "pyramid" style bags rely on these fibers to seal.
- Folded paper bags. The old-style rectangle with a string and a small staple is usually folded, not heat sealed. These are the least likely to contain plastic.
Some newer "plant-based" bags use PLA, short for polylactic acid. PLA comes from corn or sugarcane, but it is still a type of plastic (often called a bioplastic). A 2026 review in Current Research in Food Science found that even composite or "eco-friendly" bags released measurable particles.
What to do: Check the tea you drink most often first. That one cup a day matters more than the box you open twice a year.
How Many Microplastics Are in a Cup of Tea?
Here is where the headlines get ahead of the science, so it is worth slowing down.
In 2019, a team at McGill University steeped four kinds of plastic tea bags at brewing temperature. They reported that a single bag released about 11.6 billion microplastic particles and 3.1 billion even smaller nanoplastic particles into one cup. That number spread around the world, and it still shows up in almost every article on this topic.
But in 2025, Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) reviewed that study and raised serious doubts. It found that the researchers dried the tea before counting, which made dissolved substances settle out and look like particles. BfR concluded that the count of larger particles was probably 100 to 1,000 times too high. It also said that, based on current knowledge, microplastics in food are unlikely to pose a health risk.
That does not mean tea bags are clean. In 2024, researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona tested commercial tea bags in a lab version of brewing. Polypropylene bags released about 1.2 billion particles per milliliter of water. Cellulose (plant fiber) bags released about 135 million, and nylon bags about 8 million. Different labs use different methods, so these numbers are best read as "a lot, and more from some materials than others," not as an exact dose.
What to do: Do not panic over a single number. Focus on the pattern the research keeps finding: plastic bags plus hot water equals more particles.
Can Tea Bag Microplastics Get Into Your Body?
The Barcelona team also exposed human intestinal cells to the particles from tea bags in the lab. The mucus-producing cells, the ones that line your gut, took up the most particles. Some particles even reached the cell nucleus, where genetic material is stored.
This was a lab dish, not a person drinking tea, so it cannot tell us what happens inside your body after a cup. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says current scientific evidence does not show that the levels of microplastics found in foods pose a risk to human health. At the same time, researchers are still working out how much is absorbed and what it does over decades.
For a habit you repeat every day for years, the reasonable middle ground is this: you do not need to give up tea, but it makes sense to choose the version that sheds the least.
What to do: If you drink several cups a day, put tea near the top of your list of easy swaps.
How to Tell If Your Tea Bag Has Plastic
Most boxes do not say what the bag is made of. You can still learn a lot by looking at the bag itself. Use this quick check on the tea in your cupboard.
| What you see | What it likely means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Shiny, see-through mesh, often a pyramid shape | Usually nylon or PET plastic | Replace first. Buy the same tea loose, or cut the bag open and use an infuser. |
| Paper bag with crimped, pressed edges all around | Likely heat sealed with polypropylene or PLA | Check the brand's website or ask the company. Switch if they cannot confirm it is plastic free. |
| Folded paper rectangle with a string and a small staple | Usually no heat seal, lower plastic risk | A reasonable everyday choice. Still confirm with the brand if you can. |
| Label says "plant-based," "biodegradable," or "PLA" | May still be a bioplastic | Treat it as plastic for steeping purposes. Loose leaf is the safer choice. |
| Loose leaf tea | No bag at all | Best option. Use a stainless steel, glass, or ceramic infuser or teapot. |
One more tip: some individual tea wrappers have a thin plastic lining to keep tea fresh. That wrapper does not go in your cup, so it is a waste concern more than an exposure concern.
Which Tea Bags Are Plastic Free?
Brands change their materials over time, so the most reliable answer comes from each company's current statement. Many tea companies now post this on their websites because so many customers ask.
For example, many people search whether Bigelow tea bags have microplastics. Bigelow says that all of its tea bags contain no plastic. According to the company, about 90% of its bags are folded paper made from wood pulp and abaca (a banana-family plant fiber) with no adhesives, and its heat-sealed bags use plant-based starches from corn and sugarcane instead of plastic.
If you cannot find a clear statement from your brand, send a short email: "Do your tea bags contain polypropylene, nylon, PET, or PLA?" A yes, or a vague answer, is your cue to switch.
What to do: Look up the two or three teas you drink most. Save the answers in a note on your phone so you remember at the store.
Start Here: If You Only Do Three Things
- Retire mesh tea bags. The silky, see-through pyramids are the clearest source of particles. Buy the same tea loose instead.
- Get a good infuser. A stainless steel basket, a glass teapot with a metal strainer, or a ceramic pot all work. Skip plastic infusers and plastic travel mugs for hot tea.
- Check your kettle, too. If the water touches plastic while it boils, swap to stainless steel or glass. Our article on whether your plastic kettle is adding microplastics to your coffee and tea explains why.
Loose leaf tea is also easy to brew by the cup. Use about one teaspoon of leaves per cup, steep as usual, and lift the infuser out. Many people find the flavor is better, too.
If you are using silicone infusers, they are a better choice than plastic, but heat and age matter. Our guide on whether silicone has microplastics covers when to replace them.
Where Sifts Fits
Cutting exposure at the source, like your tea bag and kettle, is the step that matters most. Some people also add an optional gut-support routine. Sifts is formulated with chitosan and other dietary fibers intended to support normal digestive and elimination processes as part of regular gut function.*
Sifts works in the digestive tract. It is not a substitute for better tea habits, and it does not remove particles from your blood or organs. Sifts contains shellfish-derived ingredients and is not for people with shellfish allergies.
What the Science Still Cannot Tell Us
Scientists can show that some tea bags shed particles in hot water. What they cannot yet say is exactly how many reach your body from a normal cup, because counting methods still vary widely between labs. They also cannot say what a lifetime of tea bag exposure does to health. Treat the evidence as a reason for an easy swap, not alarm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all tea bags have microplastics?
No. Tea bags made from nylon, PET, or polypropylene, and paper bags sealed with plastic fibers, are the main concern. Folded paper bags without a heat seal, and loose leaf tea, are much less likely to add plastic to your cup.
Do paper tea bags have microplastics?
Some do. Many paper bags contain a small amount of polypropylene so the edges can be heat sealed. If the edges look pressed or crimped all the way around, ask the brand. A folded bag with a string and staple is usually the lower-plastic choice.
How do you avoid microplastics in tea bags?
Switch to loose leaf tea in a stainless steel, glass, or ceramic infuser. If you prefer bags, choose brands that confirm their bags contain no polypropylene, nylon, PET, or PLA, and avoid mesh pyramid bags.
Can I cut open a tea bag to avoid microplastics?
Yes. Cutting open a mesh or heat-sealed bag and brewing the leaves in a metal or glass infuser keeps the bag material out of the hot water. It is an easy way to finish a box you already own.
Are microplastics in tea bags harmful?
No study has shown that tea bag particles cause disease in people, and the FDA says current evidence does not show that microplastic levels in food pose a health risk. Lab studies suggest the particles can be taken up by gut cells, so many people choose to limit exposure while research continues. You can learn more in our article on microplastics and your gut.
Does iced tea made with tea bags have fewer microplastics?
Likely, yes. Research shows that heat increases how much a plastic tea bag sheds, so cold brewing should release less. Hot tea poured over ice still starts hot, so the bag material still matters.
Bottom Line
Some tea bags do add microplastics to your cup, especially mesh bags and heat-sealed paper bags. The exact numbers are debated, but the fix is simple: switch to loose leaf tea in a metal, glass, or ceramic infuser, or choose folded paper bags from a brand that confirms they are plastic free. Your morning cup can stay a healthy ritual.
Want to know what else to swap after your tea? Read our guide to household plastics and what to replace first.
Sources: Environmental Science & Technology (McGill University), plastic teabags release billions of particles, 2019; German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, assessment of tea bag microplastics study, 2025; Chemosphere (Autonomous University of Barcelona), teabag-derived micro and nanoplastics, 2024; Autonomous University of Barcelona, commercial tea bags release millions of microplastics; Current Research in Food Science, tea bags as a hidden source of micro and nanoplastics, 2026; Ethical Consumer, is there plastic in my tea; Bigelow Tea, are Bigelow tea bags plastic free; U.S. FDA, microplastics and nanoplastics in foods.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, including cognitive health.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.