Forum home Talkback
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Talkback: Is it OK to compost tea bags?

The tea bags I added to my compost about 5 years ago didn't rot down. They are still around when everything else has rotted. They seem to have a very fine nylon mesh inside which I still come across 5 years later. I haven't added more recent tea bags, I open them and just add the tea to the compost.

Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,888

    I've never found Waitrose or Sainsbury's tea bags " survive" composting 

    Devon.
  • Yes, the bags themselves take an age to breakdown. Specially the highly processed bleached ones.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,138

    Many teabags aren't made just of paper - they also contain polypropylene

    see here http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jul/02/teabags-biodegradeable

    I put them on the compost heap and pick the uncomposted bits out later when I spread the compost on the veg patch.


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,617

    I've never had a problem with either twinings or pg tips.

  • arneilarneil Posts: 313

    I still use Leaf Tea , but it is getting more difficult to find , the tea leaves compost ok and the cold tea left in the pot is great for watering acid loving plants

  • arneilarneil Posts: 313

    The problem with my compost ( when I used to make it ) was that too much orange peel was unhelpful

  • chickychicky Posts: 10,409

    PG tips here too - all seems to compost fineimage

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190

    When I get t bags from my dad, (he uses PG, they dont rot down as quick as my compost) i just let them dry off a bit and rip them open.

    We use loose tea now, several to choose from in Morrisons, usually use yorkshire but it can be a bit fine 

    Typhoo or PG all do loose tea.

    Think I may have a go at your worm thingy Edd, do you make it and store it in sacks until you need it,

    I do need loads by autumn though, would it work?

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

Sign In or Register to comment.