Lidl: Supermarket making major change to tea bags in move that follows Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s

The discount supermarket has confirmed it has made all its own-brand tea bags fully plant-based and compostable, in a bid to tackle waste. The move aims to reduce the 800 million tea bags that end up in waste bins and ultimately landfill, each year.

Customers will now be able to dispose of their tea bags in food or green waste bins instead. The new material will be used across all of Lidl’s own-brand tea range from its Deluxe Fairtrade Assam Tea (£1.09) to its Knightsbridge Gold Blend Tea (£1.19).

The new material being used for the tea bags is a plant-based plastic, polylactic acid (PLA). The material ensures the compostability of the tea bags but Lidl say they are confident that it will not take away any of the "exceptional quality and flavour" that customers expect from their cup of tea.

Shyam Unarket, head of responsible sourcing and ethical trade at Lidl GB, said: "Those buying tea bags from Lidl are supporting our efforts to reduce single-use plastic going to landfill.

"We understand that even a few small changes to our products can benefit our customers while helping us improve our impact on the planet - one cup at a time." The new tea bags will land in stores over the coming months while existing stock gradually sells through.

Other supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s have also made similar moves with their own tea bags.