At 9TEA3, we believe what you steep your tea in matters just as much as what you’re steeping.
That’s one reason we chose whole leaf tea.
And science gave us another reason to feel good about that choice.
14.7 Billion Particles. One Cup.
A 2019 McGill University study tested plastic tea bags in water heated to a typical brewing temperature.
Researchers found that a single plastic tea bag released approximately 11.6 billion microplastic particles and 3.1 billion nanoplastic particles.
That’s approximately 14.7 billion particles in one cup under the study conditions.
Now, let’s be clear.
Not all tea bags are plastic. And not every tea bag will produce those numbers.
The study specifically examined plastic tea bags, including nylon and PET materials.
But it raised an important question for us:
If you can enjoy tea without steeping plastic in near boiling water, why wouldn’t you?
Why We Chose Whole Leaf
We didn’t create 9TEA3 to simply put another tea bag on the shelf.
We chose whole leaf because we wanted tea you could actually see.
See the hibiscus.
See the mint.
See the green tea.
See the chamomile.
Whole leaf tea also gives you the freedom to use a reusable metal infuser, eliminating the tea bag itself as a potential source of microplastics.
And there’s something else we love about it.
Whole leaves need room to open.
To breathe.
To become what they were meant to become.
There might be a life lesson somewhere in there too.
Why Australia?
We didn’t just think about what would eventually go into a 9TEA3 pouch.
We thought about where it came from before it ever reached us.
Our tea is ethically sourced through Australia, and our relationship with our supplier is personal.
We work closely together on our blends, having real conversations about ingredients, flavor and what we want each tea to become. It’s a collaborative process of getting the balance right before a blend ever carries the 9TEA3 name.
That relationship matters to us.
Their ingredients are sourced individually rather than simply purchasing premade blends. They maintain relationships with numerous organic tea farms, and the teas are crafted and hand blended in Australia.
Australia also operates under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, with standards addressing food safety, contaminants, agricultural chemical residues, labeling and food packaging.
Does that mean Australia, or any tea source, can guarantee a world completely free of microplastics?
No. And we would never tell you that.
It means we made an intentional decision about who we work with, where our tea comes from and the practices behind it.
We know the people behind our tea.
We talk to them. We collaborate with them. We ask questions. We taste. We adjust. We keep working until a blend feels like something worthy of putting our name on.
Because for us, sourcing isn’t just a transaction.
It’s a relationship.
And whole leaf isn’t just about what you see in the cup. It’s about everything that happened before it got there.
This Is Bigger Than Tea
For us, Whole Leafstyle™ was never just a catchy phrase.
It’s about being more intentional about what we consume.
Knowing what’s in your cup.
Knowing where it came from.
Knowing the hands and decisions that helped bring it to you.
And understanding that sometimes the smallest choices become part of a much bigger ritual.
We’re not here to scare anybody away from tea bags.
We’re here to give people another way to experience tea.
Whole leaves.
Thoughtful sourcing.
A reusable infuser.
A relationship with the people behind our blends.
Less mystery between you and what’s in your cup.
Because we believe you deserve to see what you’re sipping.
From Australia to the South Side and West Side of Chicago. From the block to the boardroom.
That’s why we do tea differently.
That’s why it’s more than tea.
It’s a Whole Leafstyle™.
Peace, Prosperity, & Pinky Up.