More tea please!
For my household, tea is a 365 day a year affair! It’s also an opportunity to look for sustainable and eco-friendly tea bags, teas, accessories, etc. when it comes to tea and blending your own recipes, you’re only limited by your imagination!
Depending on what you’re going for, each variety can be blended according to taste and use. For instance, I have several categories of tea blends ranging from wellness to pleasure (leisure). These days, I’m also looking for sustainable and eco-friendly tea bags that are multifunctional and cute!
My hunt for sustainable and eco-friendly tea bags
In my hunt for good quality non-toxic reusable tea bags, I almost got lost in the maze that is Amazon! Checking reviews was a headache but I found the most honest ones to also be the most critical. After noting that Amazon has a problem with fake “favorable” reviews, I found that some of the best choices were actually on Etsy. Plus, it’s a great way to support small and local business.
Needless to say that after weeding through all of the “not so honest” reviews and questionable materials, Etsy came out on top. Not only can you talk to the actual vendors, you can get a response to your questions in a reasonable time frame.
Why blend your own tea?
For starters, I’ve become a hardcore tea drinker who loves her tea! Secondly, blending your own teas ensures that you get a top quality blend and know what’s actually in that tea bag. You’re also able to create wellness and detox blends that are specific to both your needs and taste.
As a home herbalist, I’m constantly learning the benefits and advantages of crafting my own tea blends. My money goes a whole lot further and I don’t have to worry about whether or not I’m buying varieties with questionable packaging and sourcing.
After all, what’s the point of going to the trouble of making a tea blend if you’re going to put it in a tea bag that’s made of bleached, synthetic fibers? Plus, they’re expensive/ overpriced, and are bad for you and the environment.
I once did an entire YouTube video on toxic food additives (see it here) and unhealthy fillers that plague our supermarket shelves. I even included a short clip of popular condiments, spreads, etc that were loaded with “mystery” ingredients!
Unforutunately, prepackaged and flavored teas also suffer from the same problem. I found many of these name brand teas had artificial flavorings, dyes, fillers and other unhealthy additives. Plus, some of these “additives “ are also banned in the EU for health concerns, but not here in the US! Say, what?
So what’s the big deal?
Have you ever done the math on how much you’re spending on prepackaged stuff? Including tea bags, etc? Well I have and I’m still kicking myself! When you add in the peace of mind that comes from knowing what’s in those tea bags? Yep, totally worth the extra bit of mindfulness and care! Reusable and sustainable tools, accessories, etc save you money and reduce our overall impact on the planet. Think about it; if everyone did her/ his part, we’d have a much cleaner planet!
Back to the tea
In general, the best quality teas are loose leaf tea. While some argue that you can’t taste the difference, I’m here to tell you that there’s a huge difference. Loose leaf teas give you the full flavor profile, a stronger brew and most if not all, the health benefits. The same can’t be said for prepackaged tea varieties which typically contain low quality remnants and fillers. So which one will you choose? Plus, check out one of my favorite tea recipe posts right here!
