Asda makes "massive" change to its own brand tea bags, making them much greener

Asda has made a massive change to its own brand tea bags with the introduction of new, plant-based packaging, meaning that the 550 million tea bags Asda sells sells every year can be disposed of using  kerbside food waste bins, which are sometimes called caddies. 

The new tea bags are specially created using PLA which is derived from corn starch, which is a natural, plant-based material and will replace the non-renewable oil-based plastic bags which Asda previously employed.

Asda will be phasing in the new bags over the next half-year across its entire range, from Just Essentials to Extra Special brands.

Jon Wells, who is Asda's Packaging Technologist, said: “We know our customers want to do all they can to reduce their environmental impact and we want to make that as easy as possible for all our customers.

“Let's face it, tea is a staple in most customer’s households so for us to make a change which can make such a difference is a big moment for us.”

Adam Herriott, Sector Specialist, Resource Management, WRAP, said: “It’s very positive to hear of further moves by Asda, a founding member of The UK Plastics Pact, to make innovative moves on their products and tackle plastic waste. 

"We must continue to go further, and ensure we bring in more changes that benefit shoppers and the environment”.

You can check out Asda at www.asda.com.