Steeping in sustainability: the evolution of tea bags

In recent years, tea bags seem to have changed from the paper bag with staples as we once knew it. Environmental sustainability and food safety have led to the tea bag being technically redesigned. So what is the tea bag that works for our times?

The original tea bag was an accidental discovery, when American trader Thomas Sullivan shipped tea samples in little silk bags to merchants who assumed that these bags could be dunked in hot water as is. And so the tea bag was invented in 1908, as documented. By the 1930s and 1940s, the tea bag had evolved into a rectangular bag with filter paper, and well suited for brewing strong black tea. Nothing changed until 1989 when Tetley introduced round tea bags followed by the introduction of pyramidal bags by Brooke Bond in 1997.

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As far as shapes go, the pyramidal bags have gained popularity, presumably because they allow for leafier teas to be bagged, with enough room for the leaves to unfurl and infuse their flavours. But a bigger change has been in the material in use. Paper gave way to nylon (usually described as “silken” or “silk” bags)—it was durable and offered the necessary porosity for tea to infuse. However, its non-biodegradability became a factor against it. An alternative was found in the plant-based PLA or polylactic acid (preferably from a non-GMO source).

The other issue was with the replacement for staples— sealants for tea bags use polypropylene, which, when it reacts with hot water, is thought to leach micro/nano plastics. There is nothing conclusive on what is okay and what is not.

Meanwhile, what’s interesting is the emergence of more alternatives. I found two versions suitable and interesting.

One version, comes without a bag, with the tea rolled or compressed. I tried this in two different styles: Assam’s Woolah Tea offers their “bagless dips” as cubes of compressed tea with a string. The leaves unfurl rather beautifully and steep as well as a loose leaf tea. In Sri Lanka, the Forest Hill estate harvests wild tea and makes “tea rods”, which given that unpruned tea trees have longer leaves is not surprising—I had a tea and cinnamon tea rod which looks great and brews well. These styles allow for multiple steeps—at least a couple—because they are made with the whole leaf teas.

While the compressed version is best suited for whole leaf craft teas, for a go-to tea bag, cotton tea bags are a good option. Anubha Jawar’s Celes-té offers “brew pockets” made of cotton that brew well. Bijit Sarma of Esah Tea settled on organic and food-grade unbleached cotton, that is stitched, rather than glued shut. These bags are more accommodating of different tea sizes and work for any tea. Sarma says his bags take 15-20 days to decompose.

Of course, one can argue why seek a bag at all. That they are still around speaks for the value placed on the convenience they offer. It’s simply an easier way to enjoy tea.

Tea Nanny is a fortnightly series on the world of tea. Aravinda Anantharaman is a Bengaluru-based tea blogger and writer who reports on the tea industry. She posts @AravindaAnanth1

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