Tesco's 'misleading' biodegradable teabag claim criticised

A spokesperson for Tesco said the retailer strongly disputes the claims based on the study method as the teabags are not approved to dispose of in soil or home composting.

A formal complaint has been made about teabags sold by Tesco, alleging they were “misleadingly” labelled as biodegradable.

The complaint made to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) follows a study of eight commonly found brands of tea by UCC’s Dr Alicia Mateos-Cárdenas. The study found that Tesco Finest pyramid teabags which were labelled as biodegradable did not decompose despite being buried in soil for 12 months.