evidence: Are standard teabags plastic free? No. The Twinings traditional teabag range contains a small amount of oil-based plastic. From January 2020, the range will become plant-based, external and will biodegrade in industrial composting. It says some of its "tag" teabags are plastic free - they are made from a plant-based paper material that is folded and stitched with cotton [...] Are standard teabags plastic free? No. Tetley says its teabags contain a small amount of plastic material (0.04g per bag) so that they can be heat-sealed. It anticipates beginning to introduce fully biodegradable teabags for its core ranges in 2020. It says its goal is to "eliminate" plastic completely [...] The pact says teabags containing plastic are problematic because they can contaminate compost when they are recycled with food waste - often consumers don't realise they have plastic in them.