The tea bag embodies naturality, simplicity and respect for time. Yet behind this image, many tea bags still contain invisible plastic coatings, necessary for performance but not allowing optimal paper recovery rates.
With its CareTips® based coating solution, Lactips offers a plastic-free alternative designed not for a single stakeholder, but for the entire tea bag value chain: from paper converters to recyclers, while also addressing brand needs and consumer expectations.
A clear response to paper converters’ challenges
For paper converters, the challenge is twofold: replacing petro-based solutions while keeping the required performance for food packaging applications.
The bio-based coating made on CareTips® allows you to:
- avoid the use of plastic materials
- offer a solution free from PFAs and microplastics
It enables converters to move their substrates toward more sustainable solutions without compromising functionality.
A solution designed for packaging lines
For tea bag manufacturers, any innovation must remain compatible with industrial realities.
Lactips’ solutions have been developed to:
- be compatible with existing industrial lines
- ensure the key functions of a tea bag: sealability, strength, barrier properties
- be suitable for food contact
The result is an industrialized solution that integrates easily into current production lines with parameter adjustments, supported by Lactips teams.
A strategic lever for tea and herbal infusion brands
Packaging has become a central driver of regulatory and CSR credibility. With European regulations becoming more and more stringent, material choices must now reconcile performance, compliance and clarity for consumers.
The CareTips® based coating enables brands to comply with current regulations and anticipate future ones, notably the PPWR, the AGEC law and REACH requirements, by:
- completely eliminating invisible plastics used for sealing
- reducing the overall weight of the packaging compared with other paper-based laminates
- offering packaging that is both compatible with the paper recycling stream and biodegradable in all environments
The message becomes more transparent for consumers who are both better informed and more engaged.
A consistent experience for the end user
For users, tea remains a ritual associated with naturalness. With a bio-based coating that is biodegradable in all environments:
- the experience aligns with the imagery of the tea ritual
- consumers benefit from a tea bag with plastic-free coating
- they are free in their waste management, with a tea bag that is recyclable in the paper stream and compatible with composting practices depending on usage
An easier end-of-life for recyclers
End-of-life management is key in circularity. Thanks to its water-solubility properties, the CareTips® based coating:
- fully dissolves during the paper recycling process
- allows optimal recovery of cellulose fibers
Recycling is simplified, more efficient, and fully aligned with existing infrastructure in France and across Europe.
By positively impacting every stage, from design to end-of-life, the CareTips® based solution fully fits into the circular economy of paper.
It maintains the expected performances of a tea bag while eliminating invisible plastics in coatings that currently reduce recyclability and decrease the environmental credibility of packaging.
Do you have a tea bag project?
Lactips teams support you in developing coating solutions tailored to your technical constraints and CSR objectives.
Contact our sales teams to discuss your project and identify the CareTips® solution that suits your needs.
