The supermarket giant has made all of its teabags plant-based so they can be turned into compost, and got rid of the foil packaging inside the boxes.

1

But shoppers have complained that small bits of tea are leaking out of the bags – leading to “dusty” cuppas with unpleasant dregs at the bottom.

It’s also making a mess in people’s kitchens.

One customer wrote on the Tesco website: “Ruined! I have bought these tea bags for decades but have switched brands now. 

“Since switching to the ‘box only’ no-foil packaging the taste is reduced, there is tea dust everywhere and worst of all there is always a disgusting mulchy residue left at the bottom of the cup composed of the dust presumably. 

“I’m all for more ecological packaging but not if it’s at the expense of the product itself being undrinkable. That’s a false ecology.”

Another added: “The new packaging is terrible.

“The bags need to be decanted into an airtight container now to keep fresh, but doing so is impossible as fine tea powder goes everywhere. 

“It also falls out of the cracks in the box even before opening, so I’ve spent 15 minutes cleaning the worktops and a trail of dust.

“I won’t be buying this any more, despite being my favourite tea for years.”

One customer thought they spotted a difference in the texture of the teabag, saying in a review: “Looking at the actual tea bag and comparing it with one from the previous box it is obvious that it is made differently – it’s more ‘holey’ – this is presumably why the dust is escaping.

“Won’t be using in future unless they are changed back.”

Stockwell & Co teabags, one of Tesco’s brands, have also been affected, with one angry customer writing: “LOVED these teabags until the packaging changed, now all I get is dust.

“Have to spoon it out of my tea and can’t down the last bit as it’s full of dust. 

“Unfortunately I have 3 boxes to get through. FIX IT, please. Don’t buy unless it reverts back to old packaging or get rid of dust.”

More than 70 shoppers have taken to the Tesco website since April to complain about the issue. 

A Tesco spokesperson said: “We have listened to the feedback from customers and are working to introduce a tighter weave on our teabags to reduce the amount of tea dust.”

It added that the quality of the tea hasn’t changed but that the dust may be more noticeable without the plastic inserts.

Tesco first announced in January that it would introduce plant-based teabags to allow shoppers to compost them through kerbside food waste collections – moving away from plastic heat-sealed bags.  

By April all of the billion tea bags sold by Tesco – own-brand and branded – were made compostable through council food waste collections.   

Tesco isn’t the only supermarket to have made changes to its tea bags.

Asda introduced plant-based tea bags late last year.

The change saw new tea bags introduced in Asda’s Gold, Everyday and Decaf boxes, as well as its herbal and low-cost Just Essentials range.

Asda has said that the new tea bags are made from corn starch, which is a natural, plant-based material.

Aldi Specially Selected Infusion tea bags and Co-Op’s own brand 99 tea bags are also fully recyclable.

And Lidl’s pyramid tea bags and Sainsbury’s own brand tea bags are also plastic-free and fully recyclable.

Some major tea brands have too switched their bags with big brands like PG Tips now selling recyclable tea bags.

Teapigs and Twinings’ pyramid range also contain fully recyclable plastic-free bags.

But Tetley and some Twinings tea bags still contain plastic – meaning that they won’t break down in the recycling process.

It’s best to check the label to make sure your tea bags can be disposed of in this way.