This EcoLiving Tea Basket is a reusable alternative to tea bags perfect for loose tea leaves. Easy to clean, fill, and empty, as it's hinged top completely opens. Small enough to fit in most mugs or tea pots, and hold enough tea leaves to correctly diffuse. Durable stainless steel. Safety tested in the UK. Made in China. Why use a loose leaf strainer? Most large tea companies use a plastic based glue to seal their tea bags, and some use plastic based bags. This means that these products are not compostable and will never fully break down. Loose leaf tea eliminates the need for plastic based tea bags and the tea is often better quality resulting in a stronger flavour.