Waitrose has announced it is the first UK supermarket to sell certified Retail-owned Brand (private brand) home compostable tea bags. All of their Duchy tea bags are now accredited with a TUV OK compost HOME certification so tea bags can be placed directly into a home compost bin or heap. This compost can then be used to enrich the soil in the garden, using tea bags in compost adds a nitrogen-rich component which is beneficial for your 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.

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.”

The move could prevent over 4.5 million Waitrose tea bags from going to waste in the first year alone, which is the equivalent of 12.2 tons of material saved from going to landfill or incineration. To further reduce waste, Waitrose will continue to use existing packaging in stock which will not specify the new compostable accreditation but customers can rest assured that all Duchy tea bags purchased in-store or online now can be processed via a home compost bin right away.