PG Tips to launch new 100 percent renewable and biodegradable plant-based teabags

Unilever tea brand, PG Tips, are set to release the first run of its new 100 percent renewable and biodegradable plant-based teabags next week. The company plans to make all its teabags from 100 percent plant-based material by the end of the year. It is the latest step in Unilever’s ambitions to improve the environmental friendliness of its products.

The tea bags were previously manufactured from polypropylene – a type of plastic which is added to the paper tea bag to help heat seal them during the production process so as to avoid them coming open in the box or cup. It is a method commonly used in the industry. Plastic is non-biodegradable and endures for centuries in the form of waste and litter. It is a priority target for environmental groups endeavoring to eliminate plastic pollution, such as international campaigners, A Plastic Planet, who recently opened the world’s first plastic-free aisle in Amsterdam supermarket, Ekoplaza.

PG Tip’s new teabags are made from a biodegradable material comprising of corn and starch, making them 100 percent renewable. R&D scientists at Unilever had been actively exploring plant-based alternatives for PG tips for some time and have already converted some ranges in Canada, Poland, and Indonesia.

Noel Clarke, Vice President of Refresh R&D scientists at Unilever have been actively exploring plant-based alternatives for PG tips for some time and have already converted some ranges in Canada, Poland, and Indonesia.

Noel Clark, Vice President of Refreshment at Unilever, stated: “Tea is the most consumed beverage after water in the UK with 9 billion PG Tips tea bags made every year and after 85 years of making PG Tips, we have a great understanding on how Brits love their tea. The new 100 percent plant-based material we’re moving to is an innovation based on cutting-edge science and technology and we’re all really excited that, starting from now, the PG Tips that you know and love will come from 100 percent plant-based material from a renewable source that’s fully biodegradable.”

Mike Falconer Hall, Organics Programme Manager at WRAP commented: “We’re keen to see the UK’s tea drinkers recycle their tea bags and it’s great to hear that PG Tips is helping them to do this with the introduction of their new fully biodegradable tea bag. If you have a food waste recycling collection in your area, you can put your used tea bags in there. Alternatively, you could pop it into your home composter, however, our climate means it can take a long time to break down, so you may want to sieve out the leftover part of your tea bag and discard it or dig in with the compost.”

This is the latest move from PG tips and Unilever to reduce the environmental impact of the way products are manufactured and used. PG Tips was the first major UK tea brand to sell fully Rainforest Alliance certified black and green teas. The Rainforest Alliance promotes sustainable farming methods that lead to increased profits and better working conditions.

Unilever’s exploration of alternative, more eco-friendly ways to manufacture and package its tea and other products is further evidence that global companies are working to meet the increasing consumer demand for sustainability and transparency. Innova Market Insights has identified the ‘mindful consumer’ as one of its top 10 trends for 2018.