Green Halo News

Tea Party at the landfill anyone?

Wed. May 23rd, 2012 at 8:30am

Relaxing with a cup of tea is just about as good as it gets. A few moments of steeping and the tea is ready to drink but how should a person dispose of the used teabag and now empty packet? There are several options for ensuring tea waste is disposed of properly. While yes, empty packets and teabags are not going to overrun the landfills on their own, there are so many environmentally friendly options available to recycle or even reuse the packets.

Some varieties of tea are packaged in foil-lined packets. These packets are not considered paper in terms of recycling and are not recyclable in most areas. The greenest option for the environmentally conscious tea drinker is to change to a brand of tea sold as loose-leaf or packaged in plain paper packets suitable for recycling.

There are countless ways to keep foil-lined packets from ending up in a landfill. How about reusing those foil-lined packets to store seeds? The foil blocks light and prevents moisture from reaching the seeds, making them perfect for storage. In the spring, use the packets to start the seeds. The foil lining helps retain moisture in the small amount of soil held in the packet. Other options include numerous craft ideas. Kaleidoscope folding with empty packets makes unique embellishments for use on scrapbook pages, cards and other paper crafts. Use a variety of empty tea packets to decoupage a box or canister. It could be the perfect place to store recently purchased loose-leaf tea.

Track your recycling at Green Halo Systems  http://greenhalosystems.com

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