Waitrose has announced it is the “first UK supermarket” to sell certified own-brand home compostable tea bags.
The supermarket says its “Duchy” tea bags range is now accredited with a TUV OK compost HOME certification so the tea bags can be placed directly into a home compost bin or heap.
Waitrose says the compost can then be used to enrich the soil in the garden and using tea bags in compost adds a nitrogen-rich component which is beneficial for the plants.
The packaging on the tea bag tags has also been amended to reduce ink coverage, ensuring the tea bags can break down more effectively, Waitrose says.
The reali-tea is that our customers want to make whatever changes they can.
Commenting on the announcement, Christina Capellaro, Packaging Development Manager at Waitrose, said: “The reali-tea is that our customers want to make whatever changes they can to ensure they’re shopping, eating and drinking more sustainably.
“By securing accreditation for products such as our Duchy home compostable tea bags, we’re reassuring our customers that by making these little changes to their shopping habits, they can reduce their impact on the environment.”
Waitrose says the move could prevent over 4.5 million Waitrose Duchy tea bags from going to waste in the first year alone, which is the equivalent of 12.2 tonnes of material saved from going to landfill or incineration.
To further reduce waste, Waitrose says it will continue to use existing packaging in stock which will not specify the new compostable accreditation, despite all Duchy tea bags purchased in-store or online now being possible to process via a home compost bin.