Old Habits Die Hard

Just when I thought I was a changed person - actively concerned for the environment, worried about waste, prepared to give up unnecessary decadence for the good of planet earth - I unexpectedly found myself transported back to an era that I had assumed was consigned to my past, a time when greed was good, more was never enough and 'Me' was central to everything I did. I'm talking the 80's, here. It was scary.

It all started innocently enough. I read about a new design in teabag by beverage company Ineeka. Available with the usual varieties of tea, the new bag offers greater circulation when brewing in the cup by opening the enclosure and thereby acting as a filter but at the same time allowing the contents adequate room to move freely around.


























What a great idea, I thought! Ancient drink meets an innovative but simple design. Genius. I must look on the internet and source a box of these things straight away. That was when I realised I had reverted to my former Thatcher-era self, instinctively hooked on the vision of the perfect Darjeeling, not considering the consequences.
























For a start, just look at all the material that's involved - filter paper, bag stiffeners, cup grips, and thats not including the packaging that these things are supplied in. You'd assume that it simply must be recycled, but even if it is surely this is excessive for something that will be consigned to the rubbish bin within minutes of its use. It still takes energy to manufacture these things and the less energy used the better.

And the cost? £5.08 ($9.99) for 14 bags. Thats £0.36 ($0.71) a cup. The world cannot support such 'twee' luxuries as this. I'm sure the drink it produces is fine but its just a cup of tea. It shouldn't matter so much that we would be prepared to sacrifice the health of our planet to possess it. And don't let your former self tell you otherwise.