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citizen science research on compostable plastics - do tea bags etc. turn into compost?

Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
in Tools and techniques
I came across an article in New Scientist and thought some others here may be interested in taking part.
The survey only comprises about 3-4 questions and you have the option to join in the composting experiment if you wish.
https://www.bigcompostexperiment.org.uk/

Billericay - Essex

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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Posts

  • UffUff Posts: 3,199
    Blimey Pete.8 when I read the thread title I thought it was a spam thread   :)
    Until fairly recently I didn't know that some T bags contained plastic.
    SW SCOTLAND but born in Derbyshire
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    As someone who drinks around 12 mugs of tea/day I was getting through a lot of tea bags all of which went into the compost bin.
    It takes about 2 yrs for me to make 1 cu metre of compost and by the time it was ready it was full of the remains of tea bags. 12 mugs of tea per day over 2 years works out to  nearly 9,000 tea bags, none of which had properly broken down. That's a lot of plastic going into my garden.
    I stopped buying tea bags about 3 yrs ago and now only use loose leaf - cheaper, better quality and better for the environment including my garden :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    It depends which teabags you buy … the UEA up the road from here did the research a couple of years ago 

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8713729/The-hidden-plastics-teabags-Twinings-Tetley-Yorkshire-Tea-fail-experiment.html#:~:text=By%20contrast%2C%20the%20experiments%20at%20the%20University%20of,which%20may%20not%20degrade%20for%20hundreds%20of%20years

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    The UCL experiment is wider-ranging than just tea bags - the experiment asks for different types of materials to be composted to see what the results are -
    • 'compostable' (only)
    • 'home biodegradable'
    • 'home compostable'
    • 'suitable for home composting'
    • TUV OK Compost 'HOME' certification mark
    • Din Certco 'HOME COMPOSTABLE' certification mark

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    We don’t use tea bags anymore,  they didn’t break down,  loose tea in a compostable box,  one box lasts us ages,  we’re still making ‘wartime’ tea. 
    I wonder if young people even know how to brew a cup of tea.
    Who has a tea pot these days. I couldn’t see my daughter messing around with a pot. 
    Bag in a cup, water on, through the bag away.  ☕️ 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I’ve completed the survey ✔️ 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Lyn said:
    We don’t use tea bags anymore,  they didn’t break down,  loose tea in a compostable box,  one box lasts us ages,  we’re still making ‘wartime’ tea. 
    I wonder if young people even know how to brew a cup of tea.
    Who has a tea pot these days. I couldn’t see my daughter messing around with a pot. 
    Bag in a cup, water on, through the bag away.  ☕️ 
    I now use one of these @lyn to avoid the need for a tea pot
    https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000I68NCS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    just as easy as using a tea bag - I've had mine for 3 years - I've been bag-free for 3 years now so my compost will also be bag free :)

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    @Pete.8  that’s good,  I suppose you can you top it up with fresh tea? 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I don't drink tea. Problem solved😇
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Yes @lyn - exactly the same process just without the bag.
    The filter does get stained, so every 8 weeks (or every 675 mugs of tea) I put it into a mug of 50/50 bleach and water and in 20 mins it's as good as new

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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