It doesn’t matter if you’re making a batch of pancakes Iced tea Or putting a Kettle Now, let’s sip hot tea (psst Skip the microwave The steepness of those leaves may prompt you to wonder, “What the heck?” Are tea bags recyclable? If you were spending money on premium tea, wouldn’t it be nice to get more for your money?
For optimal results from tea bags, we consulted experts to provide guidance on how to dispose of them in a responsible manner after drinking
- Kelly Amoroso , a Denver, Colorado-based senior tea and coffee buyer for Whole Foods Market
- Sarah Brekke, M. S Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen brand manager
Are Tea bags reusable?
Recycling tea bags can be achieved by simply heating up another batch, which is the most obvious way to do so. We asked Kelly Amoroso, a senior buyer of tea and coffee at Whole Foods Market in Denver, Colorado, during our recent interview: “Yes you can reuse my tea bag!” It is common to re-steep white, green, and oolong teas It is important to enter the second steep as the liquid produced will have a diminished taste.
The first steep, which is often the most flavorful, varies depending on the type of tea and the duration and temperature of the cup. According to Ambroso, the taste of your second steep may vary or become less intense.
The most suitable tea to re-establish is either very strong or made with coarser tea leaves rather than finely ground. To maximize the flavor and color of your second cup, let it steep for a little while. However, teas that are brewed for an extended period first (such as black tea) will have less flavor or color in the second round. The caffeine and other ingredients are also mentioned by Brekke Antioxidant content There will be a significant decrease in their size. ”
If you would like to reserve a tea bag for a second steep, place it in a shot glass or very small bowl, then cover with enough water to keep the bag moist, Brekke advises. This is because “if the tea bag starts to dry out, mold growth can become an issue, ” she says. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours if you plan to re-steep, otherwise, discard the tea bag. (We have tips below about how to do just that!)
The Best Ways to Reuse Tea Bags
If you’d prefer to think outside the box and recycle your bags in other ways, you have several options—inside the kitchen and beyond
- Cook, bake, or make cocktails/spirit-free drinks “Repurposing tea bags for cooking or an infusion is common also but when doing so after steeping once, the flavors are very subtle, ” Amoroso says. Brekke recommends adding one used tea bag to about 1 cup of your desired alcohol, and let it steep for about 4 hours. Use this in your favorite Cocktail recipe Or you could mix your steeped leaves with fresh ones, since our Double-Layer Earl Grey Cake with Tea-Infused Cream And Hot Toddy Recipes call for more leaves than is contained in one bag. (Chances are, you won’t notice the difference.) Or try the leaves as part of a marinade or salad dressing, Amoroso suggests
- Fertilize plants If your plants prefer acidic soil, remove the steeped leaves from the bag and sprinkle them into the soil for an all-natural Fertilizer
- Tame eye puffiness or soothe a sunburn Place used tea bags in the fridge to cool, then place them on your eyes to reduce puffiness or on any patch of sunburned skin to ease the aches.
- Absorb odor Dried tea bags can act as a deodorizer, Amoroso confirms. “Dry the tea bag and put it into shoes to absorb odor, ” she says
- Make a scrub In a small bowl, combine the leaves from the tea bag with honey, then use this for a gentle exfoliant for your face or body. Apply the scrub, gently rub it in, then rinse off with water.
Can You Compost Tea Bags?
If you’ve brewed them once, twice, or recycled them for another home use, there comes a time when you’ll be ready to discard your tea bags.
“Tea leaves are an organic material and as such are compostable; however, the bag itself may or may not be compostable or recyclable depending on the material of the bag, ” Amoroso says. “If the entire tea bag is compostable or recyclable, it should indicate so on the package. ”
According to Brekke, if the tea bag is made of nylon, it must be placed in the trash can. If the bag, string, and paper tag are made from plant materials, remove the staple and put it into your machine Compost