Whether you are a habitual tea drinker or just enjoy a nice cup on a cold day — you probably don't want to drink your tea with a side of microplastics.
According to research from McGill University, just one plastic tea bag can release up to 11.6 billion microplastics into a cup of tea. If you want to ditch the plastic in favor of bolder flavors and higher concentrations of healthy nutrients, look no further than loose-leaf tea.
We have brewed up a list of our favorite loose-leaf teas so you can still enjoy all the benefits of tea without all the microplastics. Loose-leaf tea can also be composted — yet another reason to make the switch from tea bags.
Numi
Numi is a staple of the organic tea world — and for good reason. It offers more than 40 USDA-certified organic loose-leaf teas ranging from herbal, green, white, black, oolong, and matcha blends. The tea company was founded by a brother-sister duo who became one of the first 30 companies to ever receive a B Corporation certification. Its tea is also Fair Trade and Verified Labor certified.
As one of the most well-recognized tea sellers out there, Harney & Sons has every tea blend you could ever want. From chai to ginger turmeric, you are bound to find a blend you like. You can even order samples to ensure you love a tea before making the leap to a full bag of loose leaf. Harney & Sons also has a collection of organic teas that are made without any artificial fertilizers or pesticides (and no plastic, of course).
DAVIDsTEA
DAVIDsTEA has some of the most unique loose-leaf tea blends in the game, ranging from cherry blossom matcha, chocolate macaroon tea, and brown sugar bourbon tea. Not only does DAVIDsTEA have mouthwatering blends, but it is also committed to achieving sustainability centered around U.N. Sustainable Development goals. These goals include ethical tea sourcing, compostable packaging, and donating 1.3 million cups of tea (and counting) to frontline workers during COVID-19.
Arbour Teas
If you are looking for one of the largest collections of loose-leaf tea and herbs, look no further than Arbour Teas. All of its loose-leaf teas are USDA-certified organic and Fair Trade certified. Arbour Teas is committed to sustainability along every step of its production process, from lowering the carbon footprint of its tea leaf production to offsetting air pollution made from product shipment.
If you are in the market for a tea that packs a big caffeine punch, Guayakí has you covered. Guayakí is dedicated to growing its organic tea using regenerative agriculture that works to preserve South American rainforests. Plus, you can order the yerba mate online or you can find it at Whole Foods.
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