TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Originating from concerns about microplastic content in tea bags, Jeanne Theresia Mintarja, a student majoring in Product Design and Management at the Faculty of Creative Industry at the University of Surabaya (Ubaya) in Indonesia, has created home decorations from used tea bags.
Quoted from Antara, researchers from the Ecological Observation and Wetlands Conservation (Ecoton) found microplastics in five popular brands of tea bags consumed by the Indonesian public. This research was conducted following a journal published by "Environmental Science & Technology 2024," which revealed that Indonesians unconsciously consume around 15 grams of microplastics every month.
In response to this, Jeanne made a decision to no longer use tea bags and instead began cutting them open after reading about the potential release of microplastic particles from plastic tea bags into the body. "Since then, I have decided to cut open my tea bags. I no longer use the dip bags," Jeanne told Tempo on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
Instead of discarding the unused tea bags immediately, Jeanne started collecting them, hoping they could be repurposed in the future.
The young woman from Surabaya started to explore ideas for utilizing the unused tea bag waste earlier this year. She thought to create home decorations from the tea bags. "I collected my own and my family's used and unused tea bags, some have been used for brewing and others are still new," said the bespectacled woman.
When processing the used tea bags, Jeanne first sorted them according to colors such as white, brown, and light brown. The darker the desired product color, the higher the ratio of steeped tea bags used.
Subsequently, the tea bags went through pulping to turn them into pulp, which was then mixed with guar gum extract to ensure good adhesion. The mixture was then poured into molds and left to dry for 2-3 days.
Once completely dry, the products were sanded and varnished to produce a smooth and glossy surface. To create specific shapes, Jeanne used manual molds or 3D printing molds.
Jeanne also utilized leftover wood pieces from furniture production to create supports, ensuring the sturdiness of the products. "The resulting products include clocks, table lamps, chess boards, and trays," she explained.
Jeanne brought this upcycling innovation for her final college project. She mentioned that the lack of prior research and references for similar products was a challenge in this project. Therefore, it took her a year from exploration to producing the final products.
"Aligning my interest in the materials used with the essence of home decor was quite challenging. In addition to aesthetics, the products also have to be functional and have good durability. I also experienced several failures in combining wood with the printed tea bags," explained Jeanne.
Now, this upcycling innovation is named 'Dipt', derived from the English 'dipped.' Jeanne mentioned that there's a possibility for Dipt to be mass-produced and commercialized. However, considering the current independent production process and reliance on sunlight for the drying process, she opted to focus on developing and improving the quality of Dipt products until they are truly ready for widespread marketing.
"There are still many types and forms of products that can be explored. Since the production is still entirely manual, the neatness and density of the material will be better with the assistance of automation and technology," she said.
Read: Managing Unused Goods and Upcycling Waste a la Jagatera
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