If you've seen the recent headlines about microplastics in coffee and tea, you might have wondered the same thing we did: Where are they coming from?
A new study found microplastics in every hot and cold beverage researchers tested, with hot tea showing the highest levels and hot coffee close behind.
That sounds alarming at first glance. But when we dug into the research, one finding stood out.
The study doesn't suggest that coffee beans are the problem.
Instead, researchers point to many of the materials around the beverage, like disposable cups, plastic linings, lids, and some tea bags, as likely contributors. When those materials come into contact with hot liquids, tiny plastic particles can be released into the drink.
To us, that was an important distinction.
It wasn't just a story about coffee.
It was a reminder that everything your coffee touches matters.
Every choice has a purpose.
When we think about making clean coffee, we don't stop at sourcing quality beans.
We think about the brew bag. The coffee pod. The packaging. The materials that come into contact with your coffee before it ever reaches your mug.
Everything we do and say is rooted in intention and care. We exist to make better quality foods that are delicious. Foods that make people feel better about what they eat and the choices they make for themselves and their families.
Why we test
One of the questions we ask ourselves is simple:
If we say our coffee is clean, how do we know?
That's why we independently test our coffee for contaminants, including mold, pesticides, heavy metals, and microplastics.
It's also why we're proud to be Clean Label Project Certified, a certification that requires products to be tested for contaminants that consumers may not think about every day but still deserve to know about.
We don't believe "clean" should just be a feeling. We think it should be something you can verify.
Why our cold brew bags and coffee pods are plastic free
The recent study also reinforced something we've believed for a long time.
The materials used to brew your coffee matter.
That's one reason our cold brew bags and coffee pods are made without plastic.
It may seem like a small detail, but small details have a way of adding up, especially for something many of us drink every single day.
One more reason to brew at home
We're not here to tell you to stop visiting your favorite coffee shop. We still love the experience of a great local café.
But if you're looking for one more reason to brew at home, this might be it.
When you make your own coffee, you have more control over what touches it along the way. You choose the coffee, the brewing method, the mug, and the materials involved from start to finish.
For us, that's part of what makes a great cup of coffee. Not just how it tastes. How it's made.
We'll keep asking questions.
The science around microplastics is still evolving, and we're sure we'll continue learning more. As we do, we'll keep asking questions. We'll keep testing. We'll keep looking for better materials. And we'll keep making decisions that help us create the cleanest coffee we can.
We can't eliminate every source of microplastics in the world. But we can make thoughtful decisions about the products we create, the materials we use, and the testing we perform. Every choice is a chance to make your morning just a little cleaner. That's the standard we hold ourselves to.
