Today I am launching a new and possibly short-lived series about eco-hacks for the Sunday Post! Coming up with two extended posts a week is hard! So I am trying to reduce some decision fatigue, ensure my posts are as high a quality as I can, and still post frequently. Quick, themed tidbits are the way to go!
Hence, the Eco-hacks Series! This is the little something I am adding to my daily routine to help reduce my global impact, which is part of my Year of Zero project. Not meant to be earth-shattering news, but, hey, every little bit counts!
Category: Reducing single-use items.
DRUM ROLL PLEASE! I have switched from using single-use tea-bags to loose-leaf tea. The tea leaves themselves are still single-use but the packaging and bag part are now banished.
Benefits of loose leaf tea:
1. Nicer tea! I have been splashing out and buying some nice Earl Grey tea through A Decent Cup Of Tea. I managed to get a Bodum in cup diffuser from the op shop for $3 and I already had a teapot. So I am actually enjoying the tea more than teabag tea. I also get to use the cute little tea cosy I made. I also like putting the milk in the cup first, which I can with tea leaf tea.
2. Less waste. Even though theoretically the tea bags are compostable, there is still the energy and waste that must go into their manufacture. I dump the used leaves into my worm farm or on the garden. The worms seem to like the tea leaves. I wonder if they are getting a bit high on the caffeine?
Cons of loose leaf tea:
1. It takes more time to make a cup of tea. Not so much a problem at home but at work, yes. I have taken a small teapot to work and have been brewing a pot of tea in the morning. I also have to toss the leaves in the bin and this gets a bit messy.
2. Not so travel friendly: Tea bags are great to keep in your handbag for when you are visiting people who don’t have Earl Grey tea (my fav).
3. More cost? Marginally. I don’t know exactly how many cups of tea I’m getting out of the 100g packs I am buying so I can not compare accurately.
- 200 g of tea is lasting me about 3 months. Which pans out to be about $12 a month.
- 100 tea bags were lasting about a month at $10 – 11 a box.
So there’s not much in it really and not worth worrying about.
SIDE NOTE: There is a great deal of ritual and rule-making around tea making. In my opinion to make a decent cup of tea:
- The water must be BOILING, like rolling boiling, not just hot.
- Fresh tea – don’t let it linger in your cupboard for too long
- You absolutely cannot make a good cup of tea in the microwave so don’t even try! Get a kettle! Or a jug as we call them in Australia.
- Use glass or ceramic teapots and cups
- Leave it to brew for at least 3 minutes and use a tea cosy to keep it warm.
- Milk, if you use it, goes in first.
Stay tuned for more eco-hacks in the coming weeks.
Have you got any favourite eco-hacks you’d like to share? Add them in the comments below.
always have my first and last “cuppa’ of the day with loose leaf tea, ahh it refreshers much better than coffee
Yes I think so too! I leave coffee for the middle of the day.