Where do Teabags go?

A conventional teabag is paper heat-sealed with a small amount of polypropylene, which is why an apparently composted bag leaves a ghostly plastic skeleton in the heap. Several manufacturers have moved to PLA or fully plant-based sealing, and pyramid bags are often nylon or PLA — the packet will usually say. Councils accept teabags in food waste collections, where the plastic is screened out downstream rather than left in your soil. For a home heap, the clean option is loose leaf, or splitting the bag and composting the leaves.

How to prepare it

1. Check the box: brands now state whether the bag is plastic-free.
2. For home composting, tear the bag and compost the leaves alone.
3. Loose leaf sidesteps the problem entirely.

What not to do

• Never assume a teabag is fully compostable — the heat-seal is plastic in a great many brands.

Kerbside collection rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always win over general guidance. The reasoning above is what transfers — if your service differs, it will usually be for a reason described here.

Other things that go to food waste collection

• Food scraps and leftovers Food waste collection where you have one — it accepts cooked food, meat and dairy, unlike a home compost heap.
• Cooking fat, lard and dripping Let it solidify, scrape it into the food waste or general bin. Never down the drain, at any temperature.
• Bones Food waste collection if you have one. Never a home compost heap.
• Coffee grounds Compost heap or food waste. Good material in both, in moderation.
• Eggshells Compost or food waste. Crush them first or they will still be recognisable next year.